Reply to Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam
I note with great interest Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam’s reply to me on my call for a government directive to all estate managements in the country to give priority in employment and reemployment opportunities to retrenched estate workers, as published in today’s Tamil Nesan.
What is particularly noteworthy in that reply is the unwillingness on the part of Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam to state that he would issue a directive to all estate managements to give first priority of employment and re-employment to retrenched estate labourers.
I had said that the Ministry of Labour and Manpower had sent a directive to all estate managements to rectify racial imbalance in the employment sector, and that as a result, managements have told their retrenched workers that they may not be able to re-employ even when they have got new job opportunities.
I stand by what I have said, and I will furnish Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam with the evidence. I have spoken to Tan Sri Manickavasagam and we will be meeting during the Parliament session which begins on May 9 on this matter.
Tan Sri Manickavasagam said that the directive to maintain racial balance in employment sector apply only to new estates and industries. I would like a clarification from him on this: Does he mean that the existing estates, industries and factories are not affected by any Ministry of Manpower and Labour directive on the rectification of racial balance in employment sector?