Putra Jaya,
Today at sharp 10.30am, more than 200 workers organized by JARINGAN RAKYAT TERTINDAS, JERIT along with PARTI SOSIALIS MALAYSIA, PSM gathered in front of the Human Resource Minister’s building to protest the recent proposed amendments in the Industrial Relations Act (IRA) and the Trade Unions Act (TUA) by the Minister. The amendments would to be tabled at the next Parliament sitting (27/8/07) and if the bill is passed, then the workers will lose the right to picket, the right to association and lower compensation for unlawful dismissal cases filed in Industrial Court.
The Factory and Union Workers Coalition(GPKK) in JERIT learned about the proposed amendments only 2 weeks ago since the minister failed to inform even MTUC (Malaysian Trade Union Congress) about the bill! Within just one week the Coalition managed to gather 3,000 signatures from the public to protest the malicious amendments meant to squash the workers rights, said the Coalition’s national coordinator Comrade S. Parameswari. She also added that JERIT send a letter by hand to the Minister informing him of their urgent need to meet him and submit memorandum today.
The memorandum incorporates 3 major demands:
– To Stop All Proposed Amendments In The Industrial Relations Act And Trade Union Act Immediately
– To Implement Minimum Wage Act, RM900 And COLA RM300 Now
– Execute Promises Made: Amend The Industrial Relations Act To Allow Automatic Recognition of Workers Union
The Memorandum also affirmed that in previous meeting with JERIT in April 2004 and 2006, the Head of HR Secretary, P. Manogaran and Deputy HR Minister has made statement that IRA is being amended to make unions get automatic recognition if the employers failed to respond within the given time period of three weeks!
The 100m long stretched picket line opposite the Minister’s office continued till about 12.30pm. The workers holding banners calling the government, “Minister – Don’t Trade Workers Rights”, Minister- You are the Capitalists Slave”, Minister- Don’t Wager on Our Lives”, “JERIT Protest Violation of Workers Rights and Constitutional Rights”. Also loud chanting by the workers demanding the Minister to come down and to stop the amendments got the attention of the government servants in the vicinity. Off course they (the civil servants) are much happier group since they got their salary increment and cola after about 20 years of struggle!
There was also a eerie performance by a group of workers, all wearing black and signboards hanging over their neck showing the recent amendments of laws affecting workers rights and symbolically portraying a slave master (Employers/Capitalists) and his servant (the government) exploiting the workers till they fall to their limbs and a voice echoing whether workers have truly gained independence while the government celebrating 50 years independence?
The entire event went very smoothly with some of the workers leader taking turn to give speech on the issue. Comrade Helen, a unionist who was sacked for initiating union at her work place (Kamaya) when addressed the crowd said that as a member of JERIT, she came many times in the last 3 years to meet the Minister but never once he turned up and he always has some excuses and this time she wants the minister to come down and collect the memorandum.
Few other workers were also interviewed and they affirmed that their salary is very low and even RM1, 000 is insufficient to run a family nowadays and they want the minister to know how much the people are suffering and one after another, the comments are consistent that the government is always taking side with the wealthy and powerful.
Meanwhile PSM Secretary General, Comrade Arutchelvan and Comrade Sivarajan of PSM negotiated with the ministry’s officials, Mr. Kesavan and the District Police Commissioner, Mr. Razak on the demand of the workers to meet the MINISTER. Unfortunately, only the Head of the Minister’s secretary, Thomas George was available.
After 2 hours of pressuring, the workers who came as far as Sg. Siput, Ipoh, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur were very upset and angry with the Human Resource Minister, Fong Chan Onn for refusing to meet them, though he was only 5 minutes away, attending the Cabinet Meeting!
Finally, the workers agreed to meet the third highest rank officer in the Ministry- The Chief Secretary after a lot of pleading done by the police and the Head of departments. The workers leaders than decided that they wanted to submit the memorandum ijn full view of the workers and demanded the Chief Secretary meet and receive the memorandum himself and not in an isolated air-condition room.
Thomas George with heavily protected by the Light Strike Force and policemen when he came down to meet the workers. He appeared very nervous and kept looking at his officers and the chief police officers for protection while the the worker leaders gave him a lashing. The normal tactic of spending 2 minutes to collect the memorandum and rush off into his air-cond room failed. Instead our comrades gathered around him and Comrade S.Parameswari, the spokesperson lambasted him with warnings that the Minister must stop the amendments in the IRA and TRA otherwise the workers will make nationwide police report and leafleting condemning the government as well as organize picket on the 31/8/07….independence day celebration.
The beautifully and gallantly decorated Putrajaya celebrating the 50 years of Merdeka looked pale and sad when confronted with the huge banners and pickets of sufferings brought by the workers.
PSM CC member, Comrade Saraswathy reminded the crowd at the end that the proposed amendments are very drastic and it is a betrayal to the workers. “The minister who is the player in the game is actually minister for the capitalists and not the workers because he was willing to amend the labor law to make the sacking of workers easier, then he backstabbed the workers by proposing a law that would curb right to form union and then he wants to help the employers to get more profit, so he reduced compensation for unlawfully dismissed workers and beyond all that he wants his masters to be happy, so his government refuse to consider minimum wage of only RM900 that the workers are demanding for last 10 years! We cannot go backward, we must put a stop to all these.”
With such strong message the protest was ended with the ever-meaningful slogan, “Long Live Workers, Long Live Workers Struggle”
Released by
Letchimi Devi (PSM)
Workers’ groups: Minister a liar!
Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Shouts of Menteri penipu! (the minister is a liar) echoed around the human resources ministry in Putrajaya, shattering the peace of the morning in this corner of the administrative capital.
A huge banner congratulating Malaysia on its 50th birthday was stretched across the massive red brick building, but some 100 picketeers representing workers’ groups were obviously not in festive mood.
They dared minister Fong Chan Onn to step out of his office, insisting they would not move an inch until he personally accepted their memorandum against proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act and Trades Union Act.
Representatives of the Coalition of the Oppressed (Jerit), pro-tem Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM), Coalition of Factory Workers and Unions (GPKK), among other groups, were clearly fired up.
Their anger was directed at the ministry’s move to "bulldoze through the amendments which will ...reduce workers to the status of slaves”, as PSM pro-tem secretary-general S Arutchelvan put it.
Their banners and placards read ’Minimum wage now!’, ’Stop violating workers and constitutional rights’ and ’Ministers are slaves to capitalists’.
“We are protesting against a blatant lie, against workers oppression, against a system interested only in profit and (which is) apathetic about the plight of workers," explained Jerit co-ordinator S Parameswari.
The amendment bills were tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on July 3, and are expected to be debated at the upcoming sitting which begins on Monday.
Explaining why the ministry is accused of lying, she said union representatives had met secretary-general P Manogaran in 2004. They were told the ministry was drafting a bill that would provide for automatic recognition of unions if employers do not reply within 21 days of an appeal being submitted.
“In 2006, we met Deputy Minister Abdul Rahman Bakar, who said the same thing. But without consultation, the ministry is now proposing to reduce workers’ rights to justice! Liars!” she exclaimed.
The Trades Union Act currently states that newly-established unions can apply to the employers for recognition. If there is no response within 21 days, the matter will be referred to the Industrial Relations Department (IRD) for a decision.
Under the proposed amendment, however, the unions will have to submit a written appeal yo the IRD within 14 days. If this is not done, unions will not be recognised.
Workers’ groups see this as denying the right to form a union.
Official ’warned’
After an hour of persistent shouting, the groups met with IRD officer K Kesavan. The discussion led to the compromise that ministry secretary-general Thomas George would receive te memorandum.
Kesavan explained that the minister was attending the weekly cabinet meeting, and was then required to attend a meeting in Penang.
Hearing this, GPKK president Helen Mary Johnson shouted “Liar! Liar! Typical excuses by the minister. He is afraid!”
After another hour’s wait in the scorching sun, the groups were relieved when George appeared at the entrance to accept the memorandum and a petition containing 3,000 signatures.
He appeared surprised to receive a warning that the groups would pursue the matter "until it is thoroughly resolved”.
“If the minister does not respond to our demand, we will lodge police reports around the country against him,“Parameswari told him sternly.”We will (swamp) all members of Parliament with letters and stage a massive picket on Merdeka day.”
Malaysiakini was stopped by security personnel from approaching George for his comments.
Picketing rights curtailed under new laws
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz, Aug 20,
Restrictions against unionised workers from picketing on a trade dispute which has been brought to the Industrial Court will in the future apply even to non-unionised workers.
This was the warning issued today by national treasurer of the pro-tem Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) A Sivarajan against the proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act and Trade Unions Act.
Given that only seven to ten percent of the country’s ten million workers are unionised, the new laws will have far-reaching effects on workers’ right to freedom of expression if they are passed by Parliament, said Sivarajan.
The proposed amendments were tabled on July 3 and are scheduled to be debated in Parliament’s next sitting, which is set to begin on Wednesday.
“The new laws will give even more control to the authorities over workers and curtail their right to freedom of expression,” said Sivarajan when contacted today.
Sivarajan said this will be among the main issues raised with the Human Resources Ministry when hundreds of workers assemble this Wednesday in Putrajaya to demonstrate against the proposed changes to the labour laws.
‘Picket this Wednesday’
According to him, the 200-300 workers taking part in the demonstration will travel from Sungai Siput and Tanjung Malim in Perak, Rawang, Shah Alam, and Klang in Selangor and Negri Sembilan.
While most will be from the manufacturing and services sectors, the workers are protesting because of the detrimental effects of the proposed amendments on workers as a whole, he added.
PSM, which is organising the demonstration together with grassroots rights group Jerit, will also call for the implementation of a minimum wage law for workers in the public sector.
Both groups and the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) had earlier objected to what they regard as the arbitrary and unilateral move of the ministry to bulldoze the amendment bills through Parliament.
Initially indignant when it was believed that workers’ unions and major private firms had not been consulted prior to the tabling of the amendments, they were incensed upon realising that the new laws were actually proposed following pressure from the Malaysian Employers Federation.
The groups have also objected to the bills on the grounds they will limit compensation for a worker who has been unjustly-sacked for up to two years from the time of his or her dismissal.
In the case of a worker who has taken five years to settle at the Industrial Court, therefore, he or she would only receive a 24-month pay and the remaining three years worth of compensation will not be paid.
The bills also contain a proposal that a dismissed worker, even one nearing retirement, will not be able to sue for loss of future earnings.
NEW IR LAWS MAKES INDUSTRIAL COURT REDUNDANT BADAWI AND FONG – CAPITALIST’S STOOGE
Kuala Lumpur, 16 August 2007
This morning, representative from Coalition of Factory Workers and Union (GPKK-JERIT), National Union of Banking Employee (NUBE) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia slammed the proposed new amendment to the Industrial Relation(IR) Act which is planned to be passed on the 27 of this month.
The new Amendment to the Industrial Relations Act 1967 and Trade Union Act 1959 would further cut back benefits and curb union activism. The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) has already declared that the new bill is unconstitutional, anti human rights and against the ILO Convention.
Capitalist stooge – Fong Chan Onn who previously said that minimum wage act is against the philosophy of the country tried to quietly table this bill. This bill was finalized without the consent and discussion with the MTUC though MTUC is a party to the tripartite agreement between the Government and Employers. Looks like the workers representatives have been conveniently left out of this major discussion.
The move by the Government to table the new IR now and who just a few weeks ago decided against tabling the Minimum Wage Acts only shows its double standard and its incestuous relationship with capital. When it comes to protect the workers interest- bills cannot be passed and when it comes to exploiting the workers- bills can go through.
JERIT representative, Sivaranjani expressed the movement desire to fight this bill. She said that thousands of leaflets has been distributed nation wide and workers can express their dissatisfaction by singing the protest petition which is available on-line and on paper. If the bill is not withdrawn, JERIT would organize its first IR amendment protest outside Fong Chan Onn’s office next Wednesday to co-incide with the Cabinet meeting.
Earlier, PSM Secretary General, S.Arutchelvan said that the IR bill is the latest and continuous attack on the working class. These are neo-liberal policies intensified during Abdullah Badawi tenure as Prime Minister. He said the bill is designed to please the capitalist in the expense of the working class. He also said that, capitalist all over the world are doing this cut backs to increase their profits during a period when the workers movement is facing its toughest crisis.
Flextronics Manufacturing Union Industrial Relation Officer as well as PSM Central Committee member, V.Selvam said that the new bill would legitimize victimization. He said under the new amendment, recognition of Union will be made more difficult and non-unionized workers will be prevented from conducting picket to highlight their plight. He said the laws are to help the capitalist and is a move to take away the little powers held by the Industrial courts now.
Mohd Dauzkaply Nor from NUBE attacked the Government for not being transparent and questioned if this is “Islam Hadhari” which the Government is trying to promote hitting the workers in their stomach.
Besides this, other amendment would be to limit the maximum claim for backdated wages to 24 months. The bill will also kill off loss of future earnings especially for senior workers as they now cannot make any claims of loss of future earnings which the courts are currently granting.
All this amendment would only make the Industrial court role more redundant. Courts now have to limit their payment to workers when workers are victimized. Badawi and Fong have now proven their affliction which is not difficult to predict.
The Press Conference held at the PSM Hq was attended by workers activist and unionist.