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PETALING JAYA: The work-from-home (WFH) rule that applies to those in management and supervisory functions is a “form of discrimination” against non-managerial personnel, says the Malaysian Trade Union Congress.
Selangor and Federal Territories Division Secretary Mohd Faisal Husin said the directive that only 10% of those in managerial roles work at the site was discriminatory.
“While we can understand the rationale for the WFH rule in the current circumstances, what is unacceptable is the discrimination practiced by the government.
“The net effect of this decision appears to be that the health and lives of managers and supervisors are more important than the rest of the staff.
“If you are aiming to reduce the spread of Covid-19, there should be no form of discrimination in the first place,” he said in a statement on Thursday (October 22).
Faisal also said that the directive issued for workers to transition to the WFH was “vague and difficult to follow.”
“From what has been announced, the WFH instruction on conditional movement control order zones lacks clarity and has generated a lot of confusion among workers.
“Management also appeared to be confused on how to implement the order.
“Recent directives from the National Security Council (NSC) have been constantly changing so much that many are unclear on the real intentions of the government,” he said.
Faisal also questioned the change in directive, in which workers in red zones are only encouraged to undergo tests for Covid-19, and only those who show symptoms should undergo swab testing.
“We question the practicality of this measure, since those who show symptoms should not even be on the road, much less show up at their workplace.
“Those who have no symptoms but are in the red zones must undergo mandatory testing periodically at clinics ordered by Socso and paid for by their employers.
“This would be a more efficient way to avoid new clusters without disruption to workplaces,” he said.
Faisal expressed concern about whether the red zones would have enough capacity, such as clinics and laboratories, to perform the tests.
“How long will the period of validity of an initial negative result be, for practical purposes? As we know, people can get Covid-19 after undergoing the swab tests, “he said.
He urged the NSC and the ministers involved to issue a clear set of standard operating procedures.
“The NSC should submit a FAQ on these relevant issues before imposing any kind of restrictions, some of which may not be practical,” he said.
On October 20, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that nearly one million public and private sector workers must work at the WFH as of October 22.
He added that all those who have to go to the office will have to undergo swab tests for Covid-19.
A day later, the government cleared up the confusion by announcing that the directive only applied to public servants and industries registered with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
He also said that only foreign construction workers, security guards and those with symptoms should take hyssop tests, while the rest were encouraged to do so.
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