Thursday, May 02, 2013

Finally Pakatan commits to specifics about worker rights - Chua Jui Meng's statement

At last, a firm commitment to abolish the 'contractor for labour' system.....from Pakatan Rakyat...

- to undo the wrongs of BN by amendment of labour laws...

Let us also get a commitment that laws be amended to restrict employment misconducts to just matters concerning work performance, and work time activities... too many union and worker leaders have been 'wrongfully dismissed' by reason of their being publicly critical of their employer.... 

Well, workers naturally use the 'name and shame' tactic against employers in their struggle for greater justice and rights for workers - besides an outright strike, that is the way workers exert pressure on their employers... 

Even union leaders discussing discrimination that occur at the workplace with other workers  in CLOSED Facebook Groups (only members in such closed groups can see the discussions, and in the one case where the employer used this, one wonders whether some employers are now invading the privacy of their workers or resorting to using 'spies' to find out what their workers are doing after office hours ...). Some employers are becoming worse than governments...trying to control their workers freedom of expression/opinion and even their right to organise workers and struggle for worker rights.... We may need a law that restricts the meaning employment misconducts to just matters concerning work performance, and matters that happens during working hours. 

In this regard, there have been an increasing number of cases wherein active union leaders have been dismissed. Often, the reason advanced by their employer is that they have brought disrepute and/or insulted the management of their employer-company – eg, Hata Wahari, the president of the National Union of Journalists, and more recently Chen Ka Fatt and Abdul Jamil Lalaludeen, respectively, honorary treasurer and vice-president of the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) were dismissed. In the latter two cases, the Nube leaders apparently had participated in a rally outside the United Nations building in Geneva where they carried a banner declaring “Maybank robs poor Malaysian workers” (Harakah, 7 Feb 2012). Workers should not be terminated, save by reason of non-performance of their job and/or some infringement/breach at the workplace or related to work. It is wrong to start dismissing workers because they criticise their employers. - Workers’ and trade union rights in BN-ruled Malaysia (Part 2)
 
 
Better, brighter future for workers under PR

ON THIS Labour Day (May 1, 2013) I would like to thank workers nationwide for their contribution to our national economy and nation building.
 
This nation has prospered on the sweat of your tireless labour and your unrelenting determination to provide a better future for your children and grandchildren.
A grateful nation recognises the sacrifices you have made to bring us to where we are today, and a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government will ensure that all your work shall bear fruit.
We will correct the current policies of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) government that favours large corporations over workers.
We will correct the changes made by BN-Umno to the Employment Act 1955, the Industrial Relations Acts 1967 and the Trade Unions Act 1959 that allows the insertion of a third party between employer and employee relationships, which enables employers to deny any responsibility when employees are unjustly or wrongfully terminated. We have seen cases where workers are terminated because of their trade union activities.

The Malaysia Trade Union Congress (MTUC) was against this amendment, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) was against this amendment, and PR stands against this amendment.
PR believes deeply that our national prosperity rests on the wellbeing of our workers. We will pursue a fairer and more transparent environment that will benefit both workers and employers, and contribute to greater productivity and profits for all. We will reverse the policies that create a hostile working environment for our workers and replace them with policies that cultivate smarter partnerships between trade unions, employers and employees.
To further the social safety net for our plantation workers and their families, we will establish a National Commodity Fund with an initial fund of RM100 million with the intention of helping those affected by sudden drops in commodity prices by giving them RM500 a month through our National Commodity Assistance scheme.
I urge you to study our policies and compare them against the regressive policies of the BN-Umno government towards you.
Therefore, come Sunday (May 5, 2013), I ask the workers of this great nation to seize the opportunity to elect a government that will safeguard your interests and the fruits of your labour.
Ini Kalilah! Ubah!
Dato’ Chua Jui Meng
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president
Johor PKR chairman
PKR Candidate for P140 Segamat - Chua Jui Meng Blog

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