The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has expressed its shock at dire warnings by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) that up to two million people could be unemployed, deeming it a blatant attempt to blackmail the government into dishing out more concessions and financial assistance to the business community.

MTUC secretary-general J Solomon in a statement today hit out at the warning by MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan on Tuesday that a wave of retrenchments may be on the way after Hari Raya.