The Maldives Ports Workers Union (MPWU) has accused the Maldives Ports Ltd (MPL) of violating employee rights, alleging the state-owned company has unfairly dismissed four employees due to their political activism.
In a letter on July 12 to MPL CEO Mahdi Imad, Chairperson of the MPWU Ibrahim Khaleel said: “Although the constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, it is now common within MPL to stop employees from expressing certain political views, and violate the Employment Act by unfairly dismissing employees and transferring employees to different departments without prior warning or explanation of any offense committed.”
Speaking to Minivan News, Khaleel said the company mainly targeted employees who supported the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
“They send people with cameras to MDP protests to check which MPL employees take part in the protests,” Khaleel said. The MDP has taken to the streets for the 11th consecutive day demanding fresh polls, alleging President Mohamed Nasheed was ousted in a coup d’état on February 7.
In addition to the four employees who have been dismissed, 30 have been suspended and 10 have been transferred from their position at the Malé port to Thilafushi Island port, Khaleel said.
In his letter, Khaleel called on the MPL to “respect an employee’s right to exercise freedoms granted in the constitution and by participating in political activities in his or her free time” and asked the company to withdraw blocks on “social media including facebook, twitter and gmail.”
In response, Imad in a letter on July 16 accused the MPWU of dividing employees and promoting the interests of a certain political party and threatened to take action against the union.
“We have received reports that the union is attempting to divide employees and promote the interests of a certain political party. Hence, I order and advice you not to do so. If this happens in the future, we will have to take action against you,” he said.
Further, access to social-networking sites had been blocked because they “often propagate un-Islamic, sinful activities and propagate the interests of Jews,” Imad said.
Khaleel denied Imad’s allegations, stating that “When MDP was in power, we had a lot of difficulty in registering the union. The MPL management at the time wrote a letter to the Home Ministry requesting that they deny our registration. We are not a political organization, we work for employee rights.”
The MPWU has been contact with other ports workers unions in the region to discuss steps to take next, Khaleel said.
In May, porters working at MPL went on strike after the management confiscated their TV for “watching too much Raajje TV.” Government aligned parties have accused Rajje TV of being aligned with the MDP.
Minivan News also documented the suspension of seven staff at MPL in April. The company claims staff were suspended for violating “norms of good behavior” outlined in the code of conduct, but staff told Minivan News they had been suspended for taking part in MDP protests.
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another of Gayoom's goons in a position of power. Social networking and email advances the interests of the jews? This moron would be fired in any civilized country but since February 7, Maldives has ceased being a civilized country.
Oh yes, Mahdhi Imaadh, brother of Masoodh Imaadh , campaign manager of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Spokesperson at the Office of Baagee Waheed.
Serves the buggers right! What civilized country are you talking about?? When Anus was in Power he raped n pillaged this country, abused his power like no one before him, locked up opposition people etc and gave all the wealth to his family and friends! Where were you "civilized" country people then??? Bunch of empty headed parrots singing a lunatic's tune!! Heh
Face boo,twitter,msn messenger should be barred at office. Chatting leads to poor prodctivity,
And all tv watching should be stopped too in office/
The Union propagates Jewish interests??
This thinking, common in the Muslim world (socialism or 'freedom' degrades that which makes a people strong - their sense of Nationalism and religious identity,) is an accusation many European Christians made against the Jews. It is articulated most poignantly in Hitler's Mein Kampf, from which it is obvious the Muslim leaders have learned alot from.
It is a tragically destructive path to take, the path of self righteous hatred, the Germans have never recovered from it.
Hatred for the Jews becomes hatred for the world, and hatred is ultimately self destructive - for MANY reasons.
This company is a highly political company that allow corrupted workers to do work at their will !
Maldives have excelled at destruction from within.
Jealousy and hypocrisy are the most reverred characteristics in Mladivians.
Hahahahaa...
I just read my above comment and realized that I did not say what I meant to say (happens every time I comment in a tired frame of mind... as you guys by now can surely tell...)
I was trying to say, that it was a common belief of Europeans that both extreme capitalism, civil freedom and socialism were JEWISH conspiracies to destroy the European. This theory is outlined aggressively in the first chapter of Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Hitler argues that Communism, and the talk it inspires amongst the Union members, is a Jewish conspiracy to destroy that which makes a people strong. Hitler exlains that Unionsit thinking destroys pride in a people's racial pride and the religious sentiments of that people. The idea is that, once the world has lost that which gives it strength and order, (a people's own unique form of religion and racial pride associated) we all become the slaves of the Jews. We become too weak to resist them, we have to work for them to survive!
It is obvious that Arabic socialist thinking, such as in the work of Baathist ideology and many Muslim thinkers also, have borrowed many ideas from Mein Kampf. I have read Mein Kampf, as painful as that was I had to, and I have read the works of the Baath (Ressurection) Party, implying the ressurection of Arabic pride and dignity!
One can see the influence of Hitler like thinking (hyper-nationalistic and miltant, obsession with sovereignty and racial pride -) in the nationalism of Maumoon, and it leads me to believe he has been inspired by Arabic socialist thinking. I have encountered this thinking in old NSS documents MOST particularly, which refelct a different ideology to the ideology Maumoon is supposed to represent in Royston Ellis's book.
Royston Ellis never stops harping on about the Immesnity of Maumoon's benevolence and compassion, forgiving and giving a top job to a coup leader, and to his brother in law who stole from Maldives and what not. The reader is supposed to be convinced that these were decisions of Magnificent compassion, not decisions of political expediency.
Yet, other Material, translated from Dhivehi into English, harps on about the imminent threat that the rest of the world (The portuguese, the indians, the Christians) are supposed to be, and how, only by standing strong in Islam can the Maldivian remain strong. Such thinking promotes FEAR of the other, fear of the other promotes hatred of the other!
Maldivians tell me, quite assertively, that they are Aryans. What the hell is that really meant to imply? I am not stating that they are not Aryans, but I would not love them or respect them any less if they were not. What really is an Aryan, the Persians claim they are the Aryan's (Iran derived from aryan), Hitler claims the blue eyed are Aryans, what the hell is an Aryan? More importantly, whaere the hell did Maldivians learn this word from, from Hitler?
Why is that so great, to be an Aryan, when the Aryan's have done more evil and destruction to others cultures than any other people in the world?
What is the relationship between Maldivians being proud of being Aryan with the racism that fairer Maldivians have towards darker ones? Not so much now, but ask anybody older than 60, and they will tell you I am telling the truth!
MY point is, is that, the product of this thinking is racism and hatred, and hatred, in the long run, is self destructive.
Fifty years ago, darker skinned Maldivians were looked down on by slightly fairer Maldivians for being darker, and that is an absolute tragedy!
Let me tell you something.
Here in Australia, where I grew up, most white kids from lower socio-economic backgrounds had been ASHAMED to be white! We wished we were black! I was one of them!
The reasons for this are routed in post modern deconstructionist thinking about meaning, culture, power, and its impact on our society, I will go into THAT another time.
The point is, racism is superficial, shallow, evil, one minute you are the in crowd because you are white, and then you are the in crowd because you are black! JUST be thankful to Allah that Allah made you who you are, and Loves you as you are, and come to realize that every human being is sacred, just as YOU ARE! If one human being is robbed by injustice, or racial pride, or hatred, or fear, of what makes them special or unique, of what makes YOU beautiful, humanity as a whole is robbed of its collective riches!
DO not rob yourself of your creative potential by buying into hatred of the Jews or of Christians, or anyone else with such racist thinking! Hatred destroys a persons capacity to create, to be free, to love, it is turned into oppression, tyranny, fear, social and cultural death, physical sickness and national weakness, ALL in the name of Sovereignty and nationalism!
Although most people combat fear through hatred, it does not route out the fear from anywhere, it creates fear in others, and hatred in others! The opposite of fear is not hate, it is Universal love!
Wish if born and bred native English speaking people would summarise their comments. Its like reading a news followed by couple articles as comments. minivan should have a limit for comment lengths not giving them prices for long comments. Comments are supposed to be short and simple. Or else they should be on comment&opinion column.
@LOL: LOL, I get the point, i'll contain myself, this is meant to be a forum for grassroots expression of maldivian freedom... (MINIVAN means freedom) minivan have been more than patient with my shit, thankyou minivan, i get carried away and all sorts shit just falls out, i am talking about controlloing the ego about time i controlled my own ego here!
what happened to your english all of a sudden ?? if its really still you let me ask you? Did you ever see a Maldivian on an Australian website even if the Maldivian was married to an Australian ?
@LOL: I would be moved and flattered if a Maldivian cared about Australia, and expressed it on an australian website, as i said, i'm sorry, i'll