NO CRACKS IN CUEPACS, ASSURES ITS CHIEF

Borneo Post
24/9/2013

Datuk Omar Osman

KUCHING: There is no split in the top leadership of the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) as there are no factions in the union.

This assurance was given by its president Datuk Omar Osman, who also said Cuepacs members do not practise favouritism except to voice out their demands to the government with regards to the welfare of workers.

“The union has no political agenda as it solely represents workers’ welfare and their needs,” he told reporters before the closing of a seminar on ‘Knowledge and Leadership’ at a leading hotel here on Monday night.

“There is no favouritism in the top leadership of Cuepacs as well,” he stressed.

He also said integrity among civil servants was high, and there was no racial favouritism in the civil service.

“If there is complaint of favouritism, we will investigate it as we don’t believe in double standard in the management of workers,” he asserted.

He added that allegations of favouritism might arise when a junior officer is promoted rather than the senior.

“We will go down to investigate and check the root cause of such case if any. We will check the internal problems before we refer it to the higher authority.

“If such a case arises, we allow the internal union to deal with it and try to solve it so that there will be a good engagement between the workers and management,” he elaborated.

Nevertheless, he acknowledged that many cases had occurred before due to indiscipline.

On the bonus to be announced by the prime minister, Omar said Cuepacs being the representative of workers will try to ask for a bigger amount than what they received last year.

“But the onus is on the government,” he added.

On the 2014 Budget, Omar hoped that it will focus on the people who are workers as well as consumers at the same time.

Meanwhile, on the seminar, he said it was held to strengthen integrity and leadership quality at all levels of workers unions and workers throughout the country.

Besides that, he said it was also to enhance productivity and the role of civil servants in the government’s transformation programme.

The three-day seminar which ended yesterday was attended by Cuepacs members from Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.

Also present were director general of Public Service Commission Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal and Cuepacs Sarawak chapter president Cecilia Yong Mee Chai.