MTUC confrontational?

Yesterday MTUC successfully held a couple of demonstrations around the Klang Valley, demanding that the government introduce a minimum wage for the private sector. What is ironic is that Najib made the following comment after "warning" MTUC not to hold the picket:

Meanwhile Bernama quoted Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as saying that the picket would only cause ill-feelings.

He said that MTUC should not adopt a confrontational stance in its fight for a minimum wage for private sector employees, adding that the matter should be resolved through discussions.

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The problem is MTUC has been calling for a minimum wage with plenty of attempts to seek negotiation with the government for more than 8 years. And nothing fruitful has come about. The picket is MTUC's last resort, and with a planned nationwide one-day strike I am not even sure if the government will even care two hoots. At best they would ignore them, at worst they would perhaps use the ISA on the leaders claiming they're endangering national security and creating ill-will among the people towards the government. Of course, on the contrary, the government could suddenly have a turn of heart and decides to sit down and negotiate fruitfully. That would be a smarter way to do things considering how near the general election is, as well as the fact that a lot of workers, especially in the plantation sector, who are still earning less than RM300 a month. Even an Indon maid would not work for that these days.