Education Minister Ismail Shafeeu admitted in Parliament today that the government is obstructing the Iskandhar Workers Union, an organization run by teachers of Iskandhar School.
Shafeeu cited the union's name as the justification for these obstructions. He claimed that the similarity between the name "Iskandhar Workers Union" and "Iskandhar School" is a big issue and a violation of regulations.
"According to the regulations on union registration, a union cannot adopt the name of a state or government institution, or any name that could be confused with one," he said.
Shafeeu repeatedly asserted that he would continue to hinder the union's operations and that the matter would be submitted to the Registrar of Unions.
"We do not believe that such unions can be formed using the names of Iskandhar, Majeediyya, Aminiya, or any other school. We do not consider the registration of this [union] to be valid," he added.
Under the regulations governing union registration, a union is prohibited from using the name of a state institution or any name that may cause confusion. According to the regulations, a name cannot be registered if "Iskandhar Workers Union" is perceived to be synonymous with "Iskandhar School."
In other countries, it is common practice for unions to be named after their respective professional sectors or workplaces.
