Pekerja tak ada Kesatuan Sekerja boleh MENANG bila berjuang bersama - syabas pekerja Atlas Ice?

Rakyat/Pekerja di Malaysia biasa tunggu orang lain berjuang untuk mereka - sendiri tak mahu berjuang...tak mahu ambil risiko. Ada pula ambil sikap 'biar sahaja' apabila ditindas...

Keadaan sama dengan KESATUAN SEKERJA - tunggu pemimpin sahaja bertindak (atau pemimpin mahu tindak sendiri) - tidak mahu berjuang bersama ahli Kesatuan...Bilakah kali terakhir anda lihat/dengar mengenai pekerja keluar beratusan berjuang untuk hak...

BERJAYA - Pekerja Atlas Ice (Cawangan Batu Caves dan Kepong) telah bersatu dan berjuang BERSAMA untuk hak mereka  telah berjaya ...

Keadilan boleh dicapai pekerja jika ada kesangguppan berjuang? Sumbangan KWSP?

Hampir RM800,000 berjaya dituntut oleh 100 pekerja Kilang Atlas Edible Ais di Kepong dan Batu Caves!

Post Berkaitan:- 

ATLAS EDIBLE AIS workers complain about EPF Officer, and Employer failings in EPF Contributions?

Pekerja Atlas Ice - Majikan Gagal Membuat Caruman KWSP Untuk Komisyen/'Profit Sharing"?

Pekerja ini tidak ada KESATUAN SEKERJA - namun mereka telah 'organize' dan datang bersama dan berjuang untuk hak mereka...akhirnya telah berjaya tak sampai 7-8 bulan... 

Pihak KWSP(seorang pegawai) mula-mula cuba menafikan hak mereka tetapi ini tidak memecahkan semangat pekerja ini yang telah terus berjuang untuk mendapatkan hak mereka...

BERSAMA - itulah cara perjuangan yang digunakan. Jika Kesatuan hanya diwakili kepimpinan sahaja, ianya amat sukar - kerana majikan tak takut - tetapi jika ia perjuangan semua atau majoriti besar pekerja, keadaan lebih cerah bahawa kejayaan akan tercapai... Secara perbandingan, ramai tempat kerja yang ada Kesatuan Sekerja...bila majikan secara salah mencabul hak, tak pun kita nampak ratusan atau ribuan ahli keluar mengambil tindakan. Pos terdahulu, yang menunjukkan bahawa tindakan bersama semua ahli/pekerja akan berjaya adalah - 

PERJUANGAN TERBUKA - DIHEBOHKAN PENCABULAN HAK - Banyak Kesatuan Sekerja kini, mungkin ada berjuang, tapi kita tak nampak kerana kebanyakkan perjuangan di buat secara 'senyap-senyap' - ahli sendiri pun kemungkinan tidak tahu atau dimaklumkan oleh pucuk kepimpinan...Perjuangan pekerja Atlas Ice dihebohkan melalui media sosial dan juga media...

PERJUANGAN MESTI BERTERUSAN SAMPAI DAPAT - Kini cara perjuanga hanya kadar keluarkan satu kenyataan media atau buat satu piket atau hantar satu surat tidak akan berjaya...ia mestilah perjuangan berterusan sampai dapat. Di negara lain, termasuk negara jiran Thailand, jika pemimpin atau ahli dibuang kerja secara salah, pekerja akan keluar berpiket atau protes berhari-hari, berminggu-minggu, berbulan-bulan...sampai dapat. Ada juga akan 'mogok'...


MEDIA sama ada 'mainstream' atau 'alternatif' pun sedih sekali tidak melapurkan banyak tentang penindasan dihadapi pekerja, perjuangan pekerja dan/atau juga kemenangan pekerja...

Malaysian Airlines - 99% person voted for NUFAM, but BAD law says still no union recognition?

About 700 plus turned up and voted - 700 voted for the union, 2 voted against, and 5 votes were spoilt votes.(based on information received from NUFAM).

See earlier post:-

Malaysian Airlines - Secret Ballot for Union Recognition after MAB fails to accord recognition to NUFAM?

 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS REGULATIONS 2009

 11  Formula to ascertain percentage of membership

(1) The percentage of membership shall be calculated bases on the following formula:

(2) The strength of the membership shall be determined on a simple majority vote basis.

Flight Attendants from Malaysian Airlines came and voted but unfortunately 1,200 did not manage to turn up and cast their ballots. Why? Flight attendants fly around a lot making it not easy..After a long flight, they may have arrived at KLIA at 6.00 am - but could not yet vote since voting started at 9.00 am. There are many reasons why they did not turn up...some may even be afraid, for after all their employer REFUSED to accord recognition to NUFAM when NUFAM applied. Only when the Employer says "NO", will the Minister step in and a 'secret ballot' is conducted...unfortunately, there was no postal ballot here as was in our General Elections...

According to the current BAD law, the flight attendants at MAS needed 51% votes in favour of the Union to enable the Minister to compel[ORDER] Malaysian Airlines Berhad(MAB), the new company running the Airlines to RECOGNIZE the Union.

BUT, Malaysia's draconian law says otherwise....the law says that all those who did not manage to cast their votes would be deemed to have voted AGAINST, and with 1,900 flight attendants qualified to vote, the 1,200 that did not manage to case their vote would be deemed to have voted against... Hence, the Union would have only managed to get about 42%..according to the formula in the current unjust law.

REASONABLE CONCLUSION would have been that the Union was victorious - since there were only 7 votes that were not for the Union. All 1,900 had the right and 'opportunity' to vote - and so, the outcome result just like in any election/voting should have been victory...

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT 1967

9  Claim for recognition 9

(3) An employer or a trade union of employers upon whom a claim for recognition has been served shall, within twenty-one days after the service of the claim-

(a) accord recognition; or
(b) if recognition is not accorded, notify the trade union of workmen concerned in writing the grounds for not according recognition; or

(c) (Deleted by Act A1322:s.8)

(3A) Upon according recognition to the trade union of workmen concerned under paragraph (3)(a), the employer or the trade union of employers concerned shall notify the Director General.

(4) Where the trade union of workmen concerned receives a notification under paragraph (3)(b), or where the employer or trade union of employers concerned fails to comply with subsection (3), the trade union of workmen may, within fourteen days-

(a) of the receipt of the notification; or
(b) after the twenty-one day period in subsection (3) has lapsed,

report the matter in writing to the Director General, failing which the claim for recognition shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.

(4A) Upon receipt of a report under subsection (4), the Director General may take such steps or make such enquiries to ascertain-

(a) the competence of the trade union of workmen concerned to represent any workmen or class of workmen in respect of whom the recognition is sought to be accorded; and
(b) by way of secret ballot, the percentage of the workmen or class of workmen, in respect of whom recognition is being sought, who are members of the trade union of workmen making the claim.

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT 1967
12  Trade unions not accorded recognition


Where a claim for recognition-

(a) has been withdrawn by the trade union of workmen concerned after a report has been made by the trade union of workmen to the Director General under subsection 9(4); or
(b) has been decided by the Minister under subsection 9(5), resulting in the trade union of workmen concerned not being accorded recognition,

such trade union shall not make any further claim for recognition in respect of the same workmen or class of workmen until six months have elapsed from the date of such withdrawal or decision.

FOR GREATER JUSTICE FOR WORKERS AND THEIR UNIONS... 

* Every worker should have the RIGHT to join a trade union or not. [So, if only 20% of the workers want to join a trade union - why should these workers be denied the the right to RECOGNITION which will give them the right in law to a Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA)] To force all workers to join a trade union, or even VOTE in secret ballots for union recognition may be considered a violation of worker rights...

* The need to get the support of the majority of ALL qualified employees who can join a trade union to gain recognition is not just. Justly, this requirement should be changed to 20% from the present 50% plus one. It is unjust to deny the rights of those workers who want a trade union, just because the majority of the employees do not want to join union, or are simply 'disinterested'.

* If a Union can show that it represents more than 20% of employees qualified to join the trade union, it should suffice to get recognition of employer. A Union only needs to PROVE its membership - presentation of membership list should suffice. No need to waste time with 'secret ballots'...worse case scenario - Statutory Declarations of all members of Union confirming their membership in the Union.

* If the employer and the Union decide to enter into a Collective Bargaining Agreement, irrespective of the number of members it has, the LAW and/or the GOVERNMENT should not interfere...'Law sets minimum standards to ensure worker rights are respected - hence employer can always have a higher or better standard...

* Good employers will support worker and trade union rights - and will simply accord recognition, and not deny or delay worker's right to a trade union, including right to enjoy the benefit of the Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA)...now goverment-owned, government-controlled and/or government-linked companies should NEVER be seen not respecting worker and trade union rights. MAB, the wholly owned by government company, should never have even refused to accord recognition to NUFAM....that forced a 'secret ballot'...

See earlier posts:-

54 groups and unions:- Malaysian Airlines Must Respect Trade Union and Worker Rights Cease Anti-Union activities against NUFAM and its members

47 Groups :- WORKER AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS MUST BE PRIORITIZED FOR THE WELLBEING OF THE WORKER AND THEIR FAMILIES

 

Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP) - Bayaran bulanan kepada pekerja yang hilang kerja? Bukan untuk bantu jelas hutang majikan kepada pekerja?

Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP) akhirnya akan dilaksanakan di Malaysia tak lama lagi ...tetapi jangan terlalu gembira lagi kerana kerajaan UMNO-BN bukan boleh dipercayai sangat. 

Initiatif membantu pekerja tak ada kerja(termasuk juga yang kehilangan kerja) pernah dahulu diberikan harapan - tetapi akhirnya ia disalurkan kebanyakkan kepada majikan dan pihak ketiga - untuk memberikan latihan perlu kepada pekerja supaya dapat pekerjaan kembali - program baru dibawah Skima Pembangunan Sumber Manusia [Human Resource Development Scheme). Majikan diberikan kewangan untuk melakukan ini. Satu program latihan pekerja yang lain pula ada memberikan pekerja elaun RM500 atau kurang semasa jalankan latihan. 

Apakah sebenarnya Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP) yang akhirnya diluluskan PM Najib? Intipati skim ini tidak dinyatakan dengan jelas di mana-mana, dan nyata ramai ada pemikiran berlainan mengenai apakah skima ini.

Berdasarkan lapuran media, PERKESO dan KERAJAAN

- Akan memberikan bantuan kewangan kepada pekerja warganegara Malaysia yang kehilangan pekerjaan. [Perkeso pula kata ianya akan diberikan kepada mereka yang kehilangan kerja dan yang telah memberikan sumbangan kepada PERKESO/SOCSO)

"Pekerja akan mendapat bantuan saraan sementara dan mencari pekerjaan baharu melalui program perkhidmatan pekerjaan...the scheme was expected to provide aid to laid-off workers who are looking for another job and who contribute to Socso. - Deputy Human Resources Minister Ismail Muttalib.

- Akan diberikan juga kepada mereka yang meninggalkan kerja (resign)

...Ismail said the under-employed people quit jobs to get better jobs and the insurance scheme would also include them...

- Untuk pekerja sektor swasta sahaja (mengapa tidak termasuk pekerja sektor awam juga - yang boleh juga kini kehilangan kerja. Ramai kini digaji sebagai pekerja kontrak jangka pendek. Pekerja sektor awam juga boleh kehilangan kerja termasuk juga melalui 'retrenchment'...

Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP) yang bakal dinikmati 6.5 juta pekerja tempatan dalam sektor swasta dengan jangkaan bayaran faedah boleh dibuat mulai 1 Januari 2019.

Kerajaan patut membantu semua pekerja yang kehilangan kerja, dalam apa cara pun termasuk sama ada mereka telah sendiri meletak jawatan. Pekerja yang meletak jawatan tanpa mempunyai kerja lain yang menunggu berbuat demikian kerana keadaan kerja tidak baik (mungkin ada diskriminasi, hasutan, ganguan seksual, penipuan oleh majikan, termasuk juga mereka yang terpaksa kerana tak ada pilihan lain...). Kadar bantuan klas ini mungkin lebih rendah daripada mereka yang dibuang kerja akibat 'retrenchment' atau dibuang kerja atas alasan disiplin(yang mungkin juga 'union busting). Modal Negara Thai adalah baik( sila lihat post:-  Malaysian workers want UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS just like Thailand?)

MASALAH LAIN YANG HARUS DISELESAIKAN - Tetapi bukan melalui 'Skim Insurans Pekerjaan'...

- Masalah ramai syarikat majikan muflis dan masih berhutang kepada pekerja ...mungkin gaji dan OT berbulan-bulan, serta juga Faedah Henti Kerja. Ini adalah hutang majikan kepada pekerja - di mana, kerajaan yang sepatutnya memastikan semua majikan menjelaskan keberhutangan pekerja(khususnya mereka yang bergaji RM5000 sebulan atau kurang - Akta Kerja 1955).

- Majikan yang selalu melepaskan diri adalah majikan yang merupakan SYARIKAT...di mana undang-undang kini tidak membenarkan Pengarah Syarikat, CEO dan/atau Pemilik syarikat dikejar untuk menjelaskan hutang syarikat kepada pekerja yang tertunggak...[Tetapi jika Majikan merupakan PEMILIK TUNGGAL(Sole Proprietor) atau PERKONGSIAN(Partnership) - setiap pemilik dan 'partner' boleh dikejar secara peribadi untuk mendapatkan apa yang terhutang kepada pekerja]. Pengarah dan Pemilik Syarikat, selepas syarikat 'muflis'(digulung) kekal kaya raya...

- Justeru, undang-undang syarikat harus dipinda, supaya pekerja dibenarkan terus mengejar Pengarah dan Pemilik Saham secara peribadi untuk mendapatkan apa yang masih Syarikat Majikan berhutang kepada mereka. [Jika syarikat membuat pinjaman dari Bank, Bank biasa menuntut Jaminan Peribadi daripada Pengarah Syarikat - justeru jika 'syarikat' tak ada duit, Bank boleh mengejar Pengarah secara peribadi untuk dapatkan apa yang masih syarikat hutang kepada bank...]. Justeru, mengapa pekerja juga tidak dibenarkan mengejar individu ini secara peribadi untuk mendapatkan balik apa yang mereka hutang pekerja...rumah pengarah atau BMW mereka boleh dijual dan wang itu boleh  digunakan untuk bayar keberhutangan kepada pekerja...

- Bila majikan tak bayar gaji/elaun - serta merta pihak penguatkuasa boleh masuk dan memastikan majikan segera membayar...Kegagalan pegawai penguatkuasa hak pekerja Kementerian Sumber Manusia bertindak dengan segera yang membawa kepada situasi ramai syarikat yang sudah tutup masih berhutang kepada pekerja..

- Jika syarikat majikan dipercayai mahu cabut tak bayar keberhutangan mereka kepada pekerja, pekerja juga boleh segera pergi ke Mahkamah Magistret dan/atau Mahkamah Tinggi dapatkan perintah tahan akaun syarikat(dan/atau harta syarikat dilupuskan) sehingga majikan menjelaskan keberhutangan mereka. Mahkamah juga ada kuasa untuk minta Majikan mendeposit wang sekuriti di Mahkamah...Malangnya ramai pekerja serta Kesatuan Sekerja tidak gunakan cara ini...apa yang kini dibuat adalah aduan/tuntutan di Kementerian Sumber Manusia - tetapi malangnya kelewatan Jabatan Kerajaan ini menjalankan tugas...membenarkan majikan 'cabut lari' ...[Mungkin juga ada elemen 'rasuah'?]...

MASALAH KINI, adalah setengah NGO dan juga Kesatuan Sekerja nampaknya keliru dan mahukan Skim Insuran Pekerjaan ini menjelaskan keberhutangan tertunggak majikan kepada pekerja...faedah henti kerja/dll. SAYA TAK SETUJU. Kenapa pula mahu bantu 'Majikan'? Tak lojik juga jika pekerja diminta membayar untuk skim insuran yang membantu melupuskan keberhutangan majikan kepada pekerja...

SKIM INSURAN PEKERJAAN - hanya harus digunakan untuk membayar pekerja yang hilang pekerjaan sejumlah wang setiap bulan(di Thailand, ianya adalah 50% gaji bulanan atau RM1,500, yang mana kurang) untuk jangkamasa tertentu(di Thailand, skim ini hanya membuat bayaran untuk tempuh maksima 6 bulan sahaja atau sehingga mereka dapat kerja baru). Harus diingat, skim ini membantu pekerja dari segi pendapatan bulanan perlu sehingga mereka mendapat kerja baru. Pekerja pada masa yang sama perlu buktikan usaha mencari kerja, dll...Kita tak mahu pekerja sengaja malas cari kerja baru kerana mahu dapatkan bayaran maksima untuk 6 bulan.

Bantuan kewangan sedemikian perlu kerana tiap-tiap bulan, pekerja terpaksa membayar bil letrik, air, talipon, pembetungan, internet, sewa rumah, bayaran pinjaman, dll - Kalau tak ada pendapatan, susah pekerja sekeluarga ...dan mungkin mereka akan akhirnya kehilangan semua sekali...kalau tak dapat kerja cepat... 

BANTUAN GUAMAN PERCUMA - kini boleh diperolehi oleh pekerja di Pusat Bantuan Guaman Majlis Peguam, yang terdapat di semua Negeri. Bantuan akan diberikan saperti nasihat guaman percuma, bantuan menyediakan tuntutan yang perlu difailkan di Jabatan Sumber Manusia/KWSP/PERKESO/dll, serta juga peguam untuk bertindak dalam kes pekerja, untuk pekerja yang berkelayakkan - di mana pekerja bergaji RM5,000 kebawah kemungkinan besar layak. Resolution for Provision of Legal Aid for Workers adopted in Malaysian Bar AGM

Kesatuan Sekerja dan MTUC juga boleh membantu - tetapi masalah kini caj yang dikenakan setengah Kesatuan mungkin masih tinggi.

Yayasan Bantuan Guaman Kebangsaan (YBGK) pada masa ini hanya menyediakan bantuan untuk kes jenayah dan jenayah Syariah - Mungkin kerajaan UMNO-BN boleh juga melebarkan skop untuk memberi bantuan kepada kes hak pekerja dan kesatuan sekerja...

Insurance scheme to help those who lose jobs

Minderjeet Kaur

 | March 9, 2017 

The Employee Insurance Scheme is expected to be undertaken by Socso and implemented in 2018.

DEWAN RAKYAT

KUALA LUMPUR: The Employee Insurance Scheme (EIS) to give out financial aid to jobless Malaysians is expected to be implemented next year, says Deputy Human Resources Minister Ismail Muttalib.

He said the scheme would be run by the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

“The National Economic Council passed the scheme on Jan 9. It will be discussed by the cabinet as soon as possible.

“The law providing this is expected to be tabled this year for implementation in 2018,” Ismail said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.

He said the scheme was expected to provide aid to laid-off workers who are looking for another job and who contribute to Socso.

Ismail was answering a question by Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PKR -Kuala Langat).

Sani urged the ministry to implement the scheme as soon as possible as some of the poorer countries such as Vietnam had implemented the scheme several years ago.

Another backbencher, Jasin MP Ahmad Hamzah said the unemployment rate in the country was increasing with 512,000 jobless workers.

He added the number of under-employed workers was also on the rise with 500,000 people.

Ismail said the under-employed people quit jobs to get better jobs and the insurance scheme would also include them. - FMT News, 9/3/2017

Khamis, 23 Mac 2017 @ 6:08 PM

Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan dilaksana 2018

Oleh Nazura Ngah

nazura_ngah@bh.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak berkata, kerajaan bersetuju melaksanakan Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan (SIP) yang bakal dinikmati 6.5 juta pekerja tempatan dalam sektor swasta dengan jangkaan bayaran faedah boleh dibuat mulai 1 Januari 2019.

Perdana Menteri berkata, pelaksanaan SIP yang menjadi jaringan keselamatan sosial akan dibiayai melalui caruman daripada pekerja dan majikan dengan dana SIP akan ditadbir urus oleh Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO).

Beliau berkata, SIP bertujuan membantu golongan pekerja yang kehilangan pekerjaan untuk mendapat bantuan kewangan dan mencari pekerjaan baharu.

Sehubungan itu, katanya, satu undang-undang baharu sedang digubal dan akan dibentangkan pada sesi persidangan Parlimen, Jun depan dan dijangka dikuatkuasakan pada 1 Januari 2018, manakala bayaran faedah boleh dibuat mulai 1 Januari 2019.

"Pekerja akan mendapat bantuan saraan sementara dan mencari pekerjaan baharu melalui program perkhidmatan pekerjaan.

"Ini meliputi bantuan carian kerja, kaunseling kerjaya dan pemadanan pekerjaan. Selain itu, pekerja yang kehilangan pekerjaan akan diberikan latihan secara latihan semula atau peningkatan kemahiran bagi mempertingkatkan kebolehkerjaan mereka," katanya dalam satu kenyataan, hari ini.

Perdana Menteri berkata, kerajaan percaya inisiatif pelaksanaan SIP itu adalah satu dasar jangka panjang yang akan memberi impak positif, khususnya kepada golongan pekerja dan majikan.

Beliau berkata, pengalaman negara lain menunjukkan SIP bertindak sebagai penstabil ekonomi dan membantu mengekalkan aktiviti ekonomi secara mapan khususnya ketika kegawatan.

"SIP juga akan menambah baik kecekapan pasaran buruh melalui pemadanan penawaran dan permintaan yang lebih efisien, seterusnya meningkatkan produktiviti dan daya saing industri," katanya....Berita Harian Online, 23/3/2017

 

Putrajaya to introduce Employment Insurance Scheme

Thursday March 23, 2017
07:56 PM GMT+8

Najib said the law is expected to be enforced from January 1 next year, while the interest payment can be made from January 1, 2019. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The federal government has agreed to implement the proposed Employment Insurance Scheme (EIS) which will affect an estimated 6.5 million workers in the private sector, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today.

He said a new law is being drafted and will be presented at the next parliamentary sitting in June.

He added that the law is expected to be enforced from January 1 next year, while the interest payment can be made from January 1, 2019.

“The government believes the EIS initiative is a long-term policy that will give a positive impact especially to workers and employers,” he said in a statement this evening.

He also said the insurance scheme has been proven to act as an “economic stabiliser” and helped sustain the economy in countries that have adopted it, especially during a crisis.

He added that the scheme will help improve the labour market’s efficiency by making companies more competitive, which will result in increased productivity.

The Bill was proposed by the government following concerns that the economic downturn would force companies to retrench workers.

However, employers are opposed to the scheme, claiming that its introduction will raise their operating costs and could affect businesses severely amid an economic slowdown.

A total of 91 industry organisations across various sectors registered their objection to the Human Resource Ministry as the EIS will require contribution from both employers and employees.

The industry players said they are already paying retrenched workers benefits.

They further argued that the entire country’s workforce paying contributions would only snowball into a fund of RM1.142 billion, while payout would only amount to RM17.13 million as there are currently just 0.03 per cent of workers who are not part of any existing retrenchment benefit list.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/putrajaya-to-introduce-employment-insurance-scheme#sthash.0ShtviLy.dpuf

Thursday, 13 April 2017 | MYT 7:28 PM

Socso in defence of employment insurance scheme

by daniel khoo

KUALA LUMPUR: The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has come out in defense of the proposed Employment Insurance Scheme (EIS) that has been objected to by various quarters.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed (pix) said the benefits of such a scheme will see up to 300,000 workers being potential beneficiaries of the system.

"The retrenchment figures in the past 10 to 20 years as reported to the government is about 30,000-40,000. Note that employers with five or less workers are not compelled to report to us.

"Our current unemployment rate is about 3.5% this translates into about 500,000 people,” Azman said at a press briefing on Thursday.

"Out of this figure, about 40 to 70% had some kind of employment before. So 137,000 to 300,000 are potential people who will be potential beneficiaries of the EIS,” he added.

He said the contribution rates for the EIS by both employers and employees have not yet been set and will soon be determined.

Asked if there would be a fixed contribution by the government for such as fund, Azman said that this matter has not been decided yet.

"The government has already given an allocation of RM500mil during the Asian financial crisis.

"During the recent USA subprime crisis, the government allocated another RM650mil.

"The government has promised another RM80mil to start with and they have given us a grant of RM52mil to kick this off.

"At the moment we are using whatever grants we have got to start the implementation of the EIS as we would need some resources to start this off,” he said.

Commenting on concerns by employers who have voiced their concerns of rising costs of doing business through the respective associations and bodies, Azman said he was aware of their concerns.

"No doubt that costs (of doing business) will always be there. Majority of employers have less than five workers, so you take five workers, say contribution for each worker is RM5 and one year’s total contribution is about RM300 and this is not much. We are engaging with the employers and we know their concerns,” he said.

"Some have also raised concerns on whether they can get back the money they have contributed but the concept of this is the pulling of resources together and sharing of risks.

"It’s like car insurance, if we don’t get into accidents we will not get back our money. Similar also to health insurance and personal accident insurance,” Azman added.

He said that the monies received will not be outsourced to a third party insurance provider to be invested or managed but will be managed internally by Socso.

Commenting on this issue Universiti Malaya’s director for social security research centre Prof Datuk Norma Mansor said that retrenchments cannot be anticipated and that the present workforce should be forward looking on this matter.

"During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, nobody ever thought that the crisis then would ever happen.

"We can be myopic from the way we think, we want the numbers now but this is not about now but rather the future.

"Some may say that now may not be the best of times, but when then would it be a good time? We need to think how are we to support our people in times of need,” she said.

"Companies will need to upgrade and innovate themselves through the adoption of technology when the country moves up in our level of development.

"When this happens, people will be retrenched. So retrenchment does not just happen in times of economic distress but during times when industries are upgraded,” Norma added.

The cabinet had last month approved for the EIS to be implemented by January 2018.

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/13/socso-defends-employment-insurance-scheme/#Ykxir4WuVPtEz51t.99

Malaysian Airlines - Secret Ballot for Union Recognition after MAB fails to accord recognition to NUFAM?

Flight attendants at Malaysian Airlines are having their secret ballot to gain recognition from Malaysian Airlines - 19, 20, 21,25 and 26th April 2017.  

About 1,900 flight attendants are qualified and will be voting -National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM)needs more than 950 flight attendants to come and vote for the UNION (remember those who do not manage to vote, even if they are for the union, will be considered as having voted against the Union)

Malaysian Airlines now owned by the new company Malaysian Airlines Berhad(MAB), has rejected the recognition of NUFAM, a union representing flight attendants in the Malaysian Airlines and other airlines in the country. Now because of this rejection, the 'secret ballot' is ongoing, and if more than 50% of all employees(who qualify to be in this union) come and vote in favour, then  the Minister will 'order' that MAB recognize NUFAM as the union representing flight attendants in Malaysian Airlines...

SAD - that MAB, 100% owned by the UMNO-BN Malaysian government, who came into being to take over Malaysian Airlines from Malaysian Airlines System Berhad(another wholly owned Malaysian government company), has objected to NUFAM's application for recognition, which has now forced this 'secret ballot'. 

Why did the Malaysian Airlines just not accord recognition to NUFAM - something that any worker rights respecting employer would have done? Why delay workers the right to a 'recognized union"? Remember, that in Malaysia only after the employer company recognizes the trade union, can the trade union start discussions and sign a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the employer...

The 'secret ballot' process is also very unjust. Why? Well, all those that could not turn up to vote would be considered as being against the union, even if they really are for the union. So, if there were 100 qualified flight attendants entitled to be members of the union, and 49 only managed to turn up and vote, and they all all voted in favour of the Union - they will still lose, because the 51 who never managed to turn up will be deemed to have voted against the union...so unfair and unjust. [We are talking about flight attendants here, and they are flying all over the world as part of their work - hence, it will be difficult for all of them to turn up and vote....]

More than 50% - What if 40% wanted the union - why should they be denied the right to a Collective Bargaining Agreement between their union, NUFAM, and Malaysian Airlines. Surely, a more just percentage should be 20%.

Why reduce to 20%? Well, nowadays many employees are precarious employees, i.e. on 'short-term contracts' - and these may not be so interested in a Union or Collective Bargaining Agreements, since by the time the Agreement finally comes into effect, these employees may no more be in the employer company. Different in the past, when almost 95% of the employees are regular employees - permanent employment until retirement...? Today, to still insist on more than 50% is absurd - it should be reduced to 20%.

MALAYSIAN AIRLINES have an history of union busting and anti-union behavior...

* Remember, how the Airlines Employees Union (a national union representing employees of all airlines) was deregistered, and its leaders were arrested under the Internal Security Act(ISA) in 1978-79 following an industrial action of Malaysian Airlines Employees.


* Effectively, the UMNO-BN government destroyed the then national trade union - which subsequently was replaced by a more 'docile' in-house union, MASEU (Malaysian Airline System Employees' Union Peninsular Malaysia) and several other in-house unions. Then all these in-house unions were effectively 'extinguished' when Malaysian Airlines was handed over to a new company, Malaysian Airlines Berhad(MAB). Being in-house unions, this meant that all these unions must be formed and registered all over again. The only union that survived this transfer of assets to another company was NUFAM (a new national union). 

To facilitate the transfer, or more likely to prevent existing liabilities of the old company being made liabilities of the new company, an Act of Parliament was passed. They could have had provisions in this new law that allowed existing in-house unions to simply change their name and continue to be the union of the employees of the new company - but that clearly was not the UMNO-BN government's intention...so all in-house unions effectively 'killed'..

*NUFAM tried to get recognition of Malaysian Airlines System - Well, Malaysian Airlines Systems, was not for trade unions - also objected to recognition of NUFAM, forcing also a 'secret ballot' that resulted in favour of NUFAM -62.73% of all qualified employees indicated that they were with NUFAM. Even after, the relevant Minister decided that NUFAM be accorded recognition, Malaysian Airlines System Berhad challenged the Minister's decision in court..., and of course, it all 'ended' when all assets of Malaysian Airlines System Berhad was transferred to the new company, Malaysian Airlines Berhad(MAB)

See earlier post:-

MAS must withdraw the legal suit challenging the recognition of NUFAM - members need their Union during this precarious period in MAS.

* Will the flight attendants at Malaysian Airlines finally have a recognized union? Or will this right to a recognized union still be delayed....It really all depends on the UMNO-BN government of Malaysia as this is still a wholly government-owned company...

See earlier posts:-

54 groups and unions:- Malaysian Airlines Must Respect Trade Union and Worker Rights Cease Anti-Union activities against NUFAM and its members

47 Groups :- WORKER AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS MUST BE PRIORITIZED FOR THE WELLBEING OF THE WORKER AND THEIR FAMILIES

 

 

 

Jangan diskriminasi rakyat Malaysia dan hanya prihatin tentang keluarga 112,635 peneroka Felda?

Kerajaan harus jangan lupakan(atau diskriminasikan) mereka yang bukan peneroka FELDA...

FELDA adalah program kerajaan - bukan hak milik peneroka dan/atau keluarga mereka - ia milik semua rakyat Malaysia. 

Mereka yang miskin, tak ada tanah, sumber pendapatan dan kestabilan ekonomi telah dipilih dan bantu sejak 1956 - lebih kurang 112,635 peneroka Felda mendapat manfaat ini..dan sepatutnya kini sudah boleh berdikari...

Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) was established on July 1, 1956 under the Land Development Ordinance of 1956 for the development of land and relocation with the objective of poverty eradication through the cultivation of oil palm and rubber. ...In 1990, FELDA was no longer recruiting new settlers.

Warga miskin, yang sanggup melakukan kerja bertanam getah, kelapa sawit dan koko(?) telah dipilih sejak tahun 1956 sehingga tahun 1990. [Lihat pos sebelum ini:- Should the 1956 FELDA Scheme to help the poor be re-introduced?

Yang dipilih diberikan kawasan tanah untuk bertanam tanamanan yang ditetapkan - semasa pokok tumbuh, menunggu masa hasil dikeluarkan, program FELDA ini memberi bantuan kewangan menyara diri peneroka dan keluarga ... Selain daripada kawasan tanaman, tanah tambahana  diberikan untuk membina rumah tempat tinggal.  

Felda eventually developed 317 schemes on some 811,000 ha (89 percent oil palm and 10 percent rubber) for 112,635 settlers

Wang rakyat Malaysia banyak dibelanjakan untuk lebih kurang 112,635 peneroka Felda ini. Apa yang peneroka membayar kembali, saya percaya, jauh kurang daripada apa yang telah dibelanjakan untuk setiap satu peneroka ini.. 

Setelah membayar kembali 'hutang' - peneroka Felda juga telah diberikan tanah ladang (serta rumah) berkenaan secara peribadi...{Pada mulanya, tanah ini tidak akan dipindahmilik kepada nama peribadi peneroka - tetapi kekal secara tanah bersama/kolektif komuniti Felda setempat, tetapi hasil desakkan peneroka, tanah kini dipindahmilik kepada nama individu peneroka...). 

Tanah FELDA berbeda daripada tanah lain, kerana satu syarat pemilikan adalah bahawa peneroka akan terus tanam tanaman getah/kelapa sawit - dan tanah ini tidak boleh dijual kepada pihak ketiga, dan seterus bila peneroka meninggal dunia ianya dibenarkan pindah milik kepada hanya 1-2 waris dengan syarat usaha tanaman diteruskan. Jika peneroka atau waris nak jual pun, saya percaya hanya boleh dijual kembali kepada FELDA sahaja..

Akhir program, setiap peneroka dan keluarga kini sudah memiliki cara untuk terus mendapat pendapatan... (tanah, berserta bantuan pertanian yang disediakan) Mereka terlepas daripada 'kemiskinan' ...

Program UMNO-BN ini, yang saya anggap berjaya...TETAPI program ini dihentikan pada tahun 1990. Sepatutnya, mengikut pendapat saya, ianya harus diteruskan, supaya lebih ramai yang miskin boleh dibantu supaya mereka sekeluarga akan akhirnya memiliki tanah dan mempunyai cara pasti mendapat pendapatan berterusan...

Selain daripada, tanah, rumah, bantuan uruskan tanaman dan hasil tanaman, wang rakyat juga digunakan untuk membina infrastruktur, bandar, hospital, dll..Anak peneroka juga telah dibantu berkenaan pendidikan, biasiswa serta untuk setengah 'pekerjaan'. Peneroka juga telah diajar menubuhkan 'koperasi'...dan berlabur...

Patutkah anak-anak peneroka FELDA kini terus 'dibantu'? Mengikut pendapat saya, tak perlu lagi bantuan 'istemewa' tetapi bantuan sama yang diberikan kepada semua rakyat Malaysia...Harus juga diingat, bahawa ada ramai lagi 'warga miskin' di Malaysia yang harus kita tumpukan perhatian...

Harus diingat juga FELDA milik rakyat Malaysia - Peneroka Felda dan keluarga mereka kini sudah tidak lagi miskin dan mempunyai masa depan yang baik ...Tetapi, apa yang dilakukan selepas ini juga penting - mereka perlu berdiri atas kaki sendiri dan sendiri terus berusaha...

Jika ada tanah pertanian, yang akan terus menjana pendapatan ...ada Koperasi yang boleh juga membantu...semua akan OK -- tetapi, jika malas kerja biasalah... Kerja kena dilakukan sendiri, dan mungkin juga bersama peneroka Felda yang lain ...tetapi jika hanya mahu 'outsourcing' kerja di ladang kepada 'pihak ketiga'(yang perlu dibayar 'upah' sahaja..pendapatan hasil tanah, tanaman dan pelaburan yang peneroka sekeluarga terima pun pasti kurang...

FELDA juga mempunyai hakmilik FELDA sendiri - ini bukan milik peneroka tetapi rakyat Malaysia. FGV(Felda Global Ventures), pula bukan lagi milik FELDA sepenuhnya tetapi pemilik saham...kerana siapa-siapa pun boleh beli saham...mungkin peneroka ada saham(berapa tak pasti), tetapi hak mereka kekal sebagai hak pemilik saham - lebih baik jangan gunakan nama 'FELDA' kerana ini juga mengelirukan rakyat. Siapa pemilik saham FGV - adakah kerajaan masih memiliki lebih 50% saham...atau sudah hilang 'control' dan kini milik pihak ketiga...banyak syarikat milik kerajaan (atau syarikat yang kerajan mempunyai kawalan kerana lebih 50% milik kerajaan) telah sedikit demi sedikit di bawah kerajaan UMNO-BN pergi kepada pihak ketiga (mungkin juga warga asing atau syarikat negara lain?)..

Saperti yang dikatakan, kawasan di mana peneroka Felda (lebih kurang 112,000 dan keluarga mereka ..kini campur isteri/suami dan anak-anak/cucu mungkin sudah menjadi 1 juta lebih pengundi) hasil daripada cara kawasan pilihanraya dipecahkan, sudah menjadi penting untuk PRU akan datang - Justeru UMNO-BN serta parti pembangkang memberikan banyak fokus kepada kawasan 'FELDA'...tapi jangan lupa rakyat Malaysia yang lain, di mana kini jumlah penduduk lebih 30 juta orang...

 

FELDA adalah asalnya program kerajaan untuk membantu rakyat miskin, yang tak ada tanah dan pendapatan memadai, untuk berdikari dan akhirnya menjadi rakyat yang tidak lagi miskin. Berbanding dengan BRIM, yang sebenarnya boleh dikatakan hanya 'sedekah' atau bantuan kewangan sementara membantu yang miskin dan/atau yang memerlukan, FELDA, pada asalnya, ada program membebaskan rakyat daripada kemiskinan yang sustainable...

Ia bukan program beri ikan untuk yang miskin - tetapi program yang mengajar yang miskin bagaimana dengan sendiri menangkap ikan yang juga memberikan mereka kepada akses perlu untuk mendapatkan penegetahuan perlu untuk menangkap ikan sendiri dan terus mendapatkan pendapatan perlu - tak perlu lagi perlu bergantung kepada 'kerajaan' atau siapa-siapa...

Justeru, rakyat miskin yang mempunyai kelayakkan, telah ditawarkan dengan peluang ini....tanah diagihkan kepada mereka untuk ditanam getah/kelapa/sawit/dll, mereka diberi pengetahuan dan latihan bagaimana menanam dan menjaga tanaman berkenaan, mereka dibantu juga dengan memberikan akses untuk jentera perlu, baja dan racun...dan untuk jangkamasa mereka menunggu tanaman mereka memberikan hasil, mereka juga telah diberikan bantuan kewangan bulanan untuk sara diri. Peneroka bukan sahaja diberikan tanah untuk bertanam, tetapi juga tanah untuk rumah untuk mereka tinggal. Bila tanaman mereka mula berhasil. ianya dibeli oleh FELDA/kerajaan dan/atau pihak ketiga...

Program asal FELDA terhenti pada lebih kurang 1990 - tak ada lagi orang miskin baru yang dibantu secara 'sustainable'... Kini, UMNO-BN kembali gunakan taktik 'beri ikan' sahaja...kebergantungan rakyat kepada 'hati baik' PM dan kerajaan diteruskan - kerajaan UMNO-BN kini tak mahu rakyat 'berdikari' - Mengapa? Mungkin taktik terus mendapat sokongan semasa PRU? Ini salah - sebab rakyat yang bergantung kepada 'kerajaan semasa' - tak BEBAS - tak bebas undi untuk kebaikkan semua di Malaysia kerana takut hilang 'sedekah'(bantuan/BR1M/dll)...Penjawat awam, ramai takut sokong selain daripada kerajaan semasa kerana takut hilang kerja ...kesan kepada kenaikkan pangkat/gaji. Rakyat, jika berterusan begini, tidak BEBAS...mereka sudah jadi 'hamba' kerajaan semasa...apa yang kita mahukan adalah kerajaan yang membantu rakyat berdikari dan BEBAS...Kerajaan adalah 'wakil rakyat' yang diberi amanah berkhidmat untuk kita semua ...bukan bertindak hanya untuk kepentingan diri atau untuk hanya kekal berkuasa..

 
 

 

Monday, 17 April 2017

Felda’s affordable housing scheme to take off this year

by afiq isa

When StarBiz caught up with him last week, Shahrir had just conducted a series of meetings with not only Felda’s employees but ministers. “The first 100 days have been interesting and rewarding for me. Felda is about land reform and our model is unique. I accepted the job because making the land reform model work resonates with me,” he said

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) has to return to its roots or balik asal and do more to represent the interests of its 112,000 settlers as a land reform agency, according to chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.

The Johor Baru MP was said to have been reluctant to take up the chairmanship at Felda in the beginning. However, he was persuaded to assume the reponsibility following the Prime Minister’s encouragement as well as by the mandate of carrying out Felda’s inititatives.

Shahrir is known to drop by his office in Menara Felda here even during the weekends to go over the agency’s affairs and formulate policy decisions in addition to his current responsibilities as MP.

When StarBiz caught up with him last week, Shahrir had just conducted a series of meetings with not only Felda’s employees but ministers.

“The first 100 days have been interesting and rewarding for me. Felda is about land reform and our model is unique. I accepted the job because making the land reform model work resonates with me,” he said.

Shahrir described the balik asal concept as returning Felda to its glory days.

“This means going back to being good at your job, and understanding that you should perform. We want to be seen as a great organisation and we want to be in touch with the people and communities,” he said.

The back to the roots philosophy will be the thrust for the agency’s new affordable housing policy as it aims to provide 20,000 houses under a new housing scheme to be carried out in partnership with Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB).

The terms for the settlers are generous as they only need to pay RM270 a month for a 1,000 sq ft house over a 25-year period under a similar model as SPNB’s existing rumah mesra rakyat scheme. Second generation Felda settlers will be eligible to apply and the houses will be offered via a balloting process.

“In previous housing schemes Felda used to do everything by itself. There are some problems by doing this because it then became contractor-driven and at the same time we forgot about the state having to get involved too because land is a state matter.

“To avoid delays, we decided to do this as a programme, not just as something that is part of the group’s profit and loss,” he explained.

Under the new arrangement, Felda will set aside land as part of the Group Settlement Act. The houses are estimated to cost around RM45,000 each with additional charges relating to the land plots.

The agency will also subsidise the substantial infrastructure costs for the new housing areas.

SPNB already has a project in Sungai Sayong, Johor in a Felda scheme, Shahrir pointed out.

“In a rural context, there is an issue with people having a pay sheet. Some do not have a fixed income or an EPF account. Since banks may not be able to give out loans, SPNB will deal with the payment collection and sort of finance the settlers,” he said.

Aside form an existing government subsidy amounting to RM200mil, the endeavour is estimated to cost Felda about RM500mil a year. Shahrir said this year would be crucial for the agency as it plans to roll out several pilot projects and explore potential avenues for financing.

“We may consider a long-term sukuk. Bear in mind we did not get government allocations for 20 years up until last year. We are confident of funding this project,” Shahrir said. - Star, 17/4/2017