Malaysian workers marched against Union Busting amd worker right violations in Malaysia

On 20th October, about 150 workers and unionists marched against Union Busting - memorandums were presented to the Malaysian Bar and the Malaysian Human Rights Commission(SUHAKAM) calling for involvement in the struggle to end Union Busting and violations of worker rights in Malaysia...

 

MEMORANDUM CALLING FOR AN END OF ALL FORMS OF UNION BUSTING AND VIOLATION OF WORKER RIGHTS 

17 October 2014 

A disturbing ‘UNION BUSTING’ trend is immerging, whereby employers have been terminating, suspending and taking disciplinary actions against TRADE UNION leaders and members, and workers involved in legitimate TRADE UNION and worker activities.

1. For picketing in front of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) on the issue of worker future welfare and rights, which the Union saw as being impeded by the current President of KTMB, KTMB terminated the Railway Union Malaysia (RUM) President (Abdul Razak Md Hassan), Vice President (R. Subramaniam), 41 others and suspended 27 others union members that participated in the said picket.

2. For the issuance of a media statement as the President of the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM), Ismail Nasaruddin was terminated by Malaysian Airlines Systems Berhad (MAS) by reason that it is misconduct for an employee to issue a Statement. NUFAM Secretary General (Mohd Akram Osman) and 5 union members have also been terminated for union activities.

3. For the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) activities, Vice-President (Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen) and Treasurer General (Chen Ka Fatt) was terminated by bank management.

4. For someone else being raised issues about worker injustices in a closed Facebook group of union members, the President of Electronic Industry Employees Union Western Region, Peninsular Malaysia (EIEUWR)/ Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Barat Semenjung Malaysia (KSIEWBSM), Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah was terminated by RENESAS.

5. For the submission of a Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) memorandum to candidate contesting in the General Elections to get commitment to worker rights, 18 union members from National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industries Workers/ Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja Pekerja Perusahaan Alat Alat Pengangkutan dan Sekutu (NUTEAIW) were terminated in DRB HICOM subsidiaries in Pekan, Pahang including the MTUC Pahang Chairman Rusaini Ramli.

6. For issuance of a media statement as a President of National Union of Journalist (NUJ), Mohamed Hatta Wahari, Deputy President and Branch Chairman Amran Ahmad and Deputy Secretary Norazri Abdul Rahman was terminated by Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd.

7. President and 16 Union leaders and workers of Kesatuan Kakitangan Pekerja-Pekerja Westport (M) Sdn Bhd was terminated for union activities.

8. For picketing in front of Ansell NP Sdn.Bhd, Malacca on the issue of worker welfare and rights, Ansell NP Sdn. Bhd terminated the Branch Deputy Chairman (NUECMRP) and 9 union members that participated in the said picket.

The above, are some of the cases in which workers have been terminated, and/or disciplined by reason of their involvement in union activities.

The Industrial Relations Act 1967, section 5 – Prohibition on employers and their trade unions in respect of certain acts’ provides that ‘…(1) No employer or trade union of employers, and no person action on behalf of an employer or such trade union shall-(a) impose any condition in a contract of employment seeking to restrain the right of a person who is a party to the contract to join a trade union, or to continue his membership in a trade union;(b) refuse to employ any person on the ground that he is or is not a member or an officer of a trade union;(c) discriminate against any person in regard to employment, promotion, any condition of employment or working conditions on the ground that he is or is not a member or officer of a trade union;(d) dismiss or threaten to dismiss a workman, injure or threaten to injure him in his employment or alter or threaten to alter his position to his prejudice by reason that the workman- (i) is or proposes to become, or seeks to persuade any other person to become, a member or officer of a trade union; or (ii) participates in the promotion, formation or activities of a trade union; or (e) induce a person to refrain from becoming or to cease to be a member or officer of a trade union by conferring or offering to confer any advantage on or by procuring or offering to procure any advantage for any person….’ is the particular provision now available to protect termination, disciplinary action and/or discrimination against union members but is found to be insufficient.

The government talks about industrial harmony, and promotes the usage of complaint mechanisms but a great injustice happens because business and employers continue unaffected making profits, whilst the wrongfully dismissed workers is left to languish without employment and income which affects the welfare and wellbeing of workers and their families. The process of resolving wrongful dismissal cases take years to resolve, and at the end of the day majority of the workers do not even get reinstated.

Union registration and recognition takes too long, and is further delayed by employers making judicial review applications and appeals to the courts. This delay, which can last many years, deprives workers of their right to an fully functional TRADE UNION and the benefits of a Collective Agreement.

What is most disturbing is some of these ‘UNION BUSTING’ actions are being committed by Malaysian government owned or linked companies like KTMB, MAS, WESTPORT and DRB-HICOM.

THEREFORE, WE CALL ON SUHAKAM, MALAYSIAN BAR AND ALL HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS TO JOIN US IN CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA TO:

1. End of all forms of UNION BUSTING, and for the respect and promotion of all worker rights.

2. More effective legislations that will prevent employers from ‘UNION BUSTING’, termination or taking disciplinary actions against union leaders and union members for union activities. employers must be prevented from using union activities, or legitimate actions of workers promoting worker rights, and struggling against injustice into employment misconducts.

3. Employment misconducts need to be strictly confined to misconducts related to workplace, and not used to prevent union and worker activities, standing up against injustice and worker right violations, or the promotion of rights for workers.

4. Reinstate all union leaders and members who have been terminated, and cease all suspension and disciplinary proceedings against workers by reason of their union activities;

5. Expedite the process of registration and recognition of trade unions;

6. Expedite the process of resolving trade disputes and wrongful dismissal cases;

7. End all forms of UNION BUSTING activities.

MTUC SELANGOR & WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN DIVISION 

Source: MTUC Website

MEMORANDUM UNTUK MENGHENTIKAN SEGALA BENTUK MEMECAH BELAHKAN KESATUAN ‘UNION BUSTING’ DAN PELANGGARAN HAK ASASI PEKERJA

17 Oktober 2014 

‘Union Busting’ merupakan satu trend yang semakin ketara di mana majikan memberhentikan, menamatkan, memecat,  menggantung dan mengambil tindakan disiplin terhadap pemimpin-pemimpin kesatuan sekerja dan ahli-ahli serta pekerja-pekerja yang terlibat dalam aktiviti kesatuan sekerja yang dianjurkan secara sah. Antaranya:

1. Pekerja-pekerja yang berpiket di hadapan bangunan Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) bagi menuntut hak kebajikan dan hak-hak masa dalam satu piket telah dikenakan tindakan disiplin. Presiden KTMB telah memecat Presiden Kesatuan pekerja-pekerjaKeretapi Tanah Melayu (RUM-Abdul Razak Md Hassan), dan Naib Presiden-R. Subramaniam bersamaan dengan 41 pekerja lain dan 27 orang lagi digantung dari kerja kerana mengambil bahagian dalam piket tersebut.

2. Manakala Presiden Kesatuan Kebangsaan Penerbangan Atendan Malaysia (NUFAM) Ismail Nasaruddin telah dipecat oleh Malaysia Airlines System Berhad (MAS) kerana telah mengeluarkan kenyataan media. Beliau telah dihentikan dengan alasan bahawa ia adalah salah laku bagi seseorang pekerja untuk mengeluarkan Pernyataan tersebut. Setiausaha Agungnya-Mohd Akram Osman bersama lima ahli kesatuan lain juga telah ditamatkan perkhidmatan kerana terlibat dalam aktiviti kesatuan.

3. Naib Presiden NUBE-Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen dan bendaharinya-Chen Ka Fatt telah ditamatkan perkhidmatan atas alasan terlibat dalam aktiviti kesatuan oleh pihak pengurusan bank.

4. Seterusnya RENESAS telah memecat Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah, Presiden Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Barat, Semenanjung Malaysia (EIEUWR), kerana menyuarakan dan membangkitkan hak-hak pekerjaserta ketidakadilan pekerja dalam kumpulan Facebook tertutup kesatuan.

5. Seterusnya penyerahan memorandum Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC) kepada calon yang akan bertanding dalam Pilihan raya Umum bagi mendapatkan sokongan terhadap hak-hak pekerja, 18 anggota kesatuan dari Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Perusahaan Alat-alat Pengangkutan dan Sekutu (NUTEAIW) telah dipecat oleh anak syarikat DRB HICOM di Pekan, Pahang termasuk Pengerusi Bahagian MTUC Pahang Sdra. Rusaini Ramli telah dipecat.

6. Presiden Kesatuan Kebangsaan Wartawan (NUJ), Mohamed Hatta Wahari, Timbalan Presiden, Ketua Cawangan Amran Ahmad dan Timbalan Setiausaha Norazri Abdul Rahman telah dipecat oleh Utusan Melayu(M) Bhd bagi mengeluarkan kenyataan media.

7. Presiden kesatuan, 17 pemimpin kesatuan  dan pekerja-pekerja dari Kesatuan Kakitangan Pekerja-Pekerja Pelabuhan Barat telah dipecat oleh majikan kerana melibatkan diri dalam aktiviti kesatuan.

8. Bagi melakukan piket di hadapan Syarikat Ansell NP Melaka, yang menuntut hak kebajikan pekerja, Majikan Syarikat Ansell NP telah memecat Timbalan Pengerusi Cawangan (NUECMRP) dan 9 ahli kesatuan yang mengambil bahagian dalam piket tersebut.

9. Presiden dan Setiausaha Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Trinekiens telah dipecat bagi mengeluarkan pekeliling kesatuan untuk boikot Sambutan Hari Keluarga.

Senarai-senarai diatas adalah beberapa kes di mana pekerja telah dipecat dan diambil tindakan disiplin oleh majikan-majikan mereka kerana penglibatan mereka dalam aktiviti-aktiviti kesatuan.

Akta Perhubungan Perusahaan 1967, seksyen 5 memperjelaskan bahawa:

The Industrial Relations Act 1967, section 5 – Prohibition on employers and their trade unions in respect of certain acts’ provides that ‘…(1) No employer or trade union of employers, and no person action on behalf of an employer or such trade union shall-(a) impose any condition in a contract of employment seeking to restrain the right of a person who is a party to the contract to join a trade union, or to continue his membership in a trade union;(b) refuse to employ any person on the ground that he is or is not a member or an officer of a trade union;(c) discriminate against any person in regard to employment, promotion, any condition of employment or working conditions on the ground that he is or is not a member or officer of a trade union;(d) dismiss or threaten to dismiss a workman, injure or threaten to injure him in his employment or alter or threaten to alter his position to his prejudice by reason that the workman- (i) is or proposes to become, or seeks to persuade any other person to become, a member or officer of a trade union; or (ii) participates in the promotion, formation or activities of a trade union; or (e) induce a person to refrain from becoming or to cease to be a member or officer of a trade union by conferring or offering to confer any advantage on or by procuring or offering to procure any advantage for any person….’ Peruntukan ini kini memberi perlindungan terhadap pemecatan, tindakan disiplin dan/atau diskriminasi terhadap ahli kesatuan tetapi didapati masih tidak memadai.

Kerajaan sering melaungkan keharmonian industri, dan mempromosikan penggunaan mekanisme aduan tetapi ketidakadilan sering berlaku kerana peniaga-peniaga dan majikan terus mementingkan keuntungan, manakala pekerja-pekerja diberhentikan dibiarkan merana tanpa pekerjaan dan pendapatan yang menjejaskan kebajikan dan kesejahteraan pekerja dan keluarga mereka. Proses bagi menyelesaikan kes pemberhentian  mengambil waktu bertahun-tahun untuk diselesaikan dan ramai dikalangan mereka tidak dapat kembali ke jawatan mereka pada peringkat akhir penyelesaian.

Pendaftaran kesatuan dan pengiktirafan mengambil masa terlalu lama, apatah lagi majikan  membuat permohonan bagi semakkan kehakiman dan rayuan kepada mahkamah. Kelewatan ini, tertangguh bertahun-tahun dan sekaligus menafikan hak pekerja dari tertakluk kepada fungsi penuh KESATUAN SEKERJA dan memperolehi manfaat dari Perjanjian Bersama.

Apa yang paling membimbangkan ialah beberapa tindakan ‘union busting‘ sedang dilakukan oleh syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan Malaysia atau syarikat yang ada hubungkait seperti KTMB, MAS, WESTPORT dan DRB-HICOM.

OLEH YANG DEMIKIAN, KAMI MENYERU SUHAKAM, MAJLIS PEGUAM NEGARA DAN SEMUA KUMPULANHAK ASASI MANUSIA BERGABUNG BERSAMA BAGI MENYERU KERAJAAN MALAYSIA UNTUK:

1. Mengakhiri segala bentuk aktiviti union busting, dan menghormati serta promosi hak-hak asasi pekerja;

2. Memperkenalkan lebih undang-undang yang lebih berkesan yang akan menghalang majikan dari melakukan ‘union busting‘, memecat atau mengambil tindakan disiplin terhadap pemimpin-pemimpin kesatuan dan ahli kesatuan yang menyertai kegiatan kesatuan. Majikan harus menghentikan tindakan mengambil tindakan undang-undang dan disiplin terhadap pemimpin dan ahli kesatuan yang melakukan aktiviti-aktiviti kesatuan, mempromosikan hak-hak pekerja, dan berjuang menegakkan ketidakadilan di tempat kerja;

3. Salah laku Pekerjaan perlu secara tegas dihadkan kepada salah laku yang berkaitan dengan tempat kerja, dan bukannya menghalang kegiatan kesatuan dan pekerja yang menuntut hak serta menegakkan keadilan atau mempromosikan hak asasi pekerja;

4. Memulihkan dan mengambil semula kerja semua pemimpin kesatuan dan anggota yang telah dipecat, ditamatkan kerja, dihentikan, digantung kerja dan dikenakan tindakan disiplin kerana terlibat dalam aktiviti kesatuan;

5. Mempercepatkan proses pendaftaran dan pengiktirafan kesatuan sekerja;

6. Mempercepatkan proses menyelesaikan pertikaian perhubungan perusahaan dan kes-kes pemberhentian kerja serta salahlaku;

7. Menamatkan segala bentuk kegiatan UNION BUSTING.

Bagi maklumat lanjut sila hubungi Sdra. N. Gopal Kishnam (Setiausaha Agung MTUC) H/P: 019-3174717.

Source: MTUC Website