Through privatization policies in 1997, all government hospitals’ cleaning, laundry and maintenance services have been privatized via concessions given out to GLCs. UEM Edgenta Mediserve is one such concessionaire providing these services for all the government hospitals in the northern states of Malaysia. While Edgenta UEMS is its subsidiary and cleaning contractor there in Government Hospitals.

In spite of the whole world thanking frontline workers for putting their lives at risk to fight COVID-19, this government linked company Edgenta UEMS has gone on a spree of attacks against its workers and union members; union busting! Members of the National Union of Support and Allied Services Workers in Hospital have been subjected to constant harassment, victimisation and union busting activities.

Since early this year 2020, the hospital janitors have been confronted by the following problems:

– Edgenta UEMS has embarked on widespread union busting activities in all its hospitals, attacking union members and worksite committee members.

– Union members especially worksite committee members have been subjected to deliberate changing of their working hours and shift unilaterally without prior consent from them.

– Workers active in union have also been punished by arbitrarily transferring them out to Hospitals far away from their residence.

– Workers are forced to work longer hours without overtime pay.

– Forbidding union activities – disallowing union worksite committees to have discussions with workers even during their legitimate break time, threatening disciplinary action against union officials. Intimidating workers by taking photos of workers meeting union worksite committee, threatening disciplinary action.

– Blatant discrimination of union members, by not allowing them an opportunity to work overtime to increase their earnings. Employers openly intimidate that those involved in union will be denied overtime work.

– Constant verbal harassment and intimidation by Edgenta UEMS supervisors towards union worksite committee.

– Furthermore, Edgenta UEMS has denied proper PPE equipment when they clean COVID-19 wards and facilities, putting them at great risk of infection.

– Inadequate supply of, especially, facemask and gloves.

– Denied special government allowance of RM600 (USD 138 per month) to frontline workers. Edgenta UEMS only paid a one off token sum of RM300 (USD 69). While doctors, nurses and other medical staff have been paid the front liner assistance payment, cleaners are denied. Workers only earn minimum wages of RM1100 (USD 253) per month. No annual increment in wages, so all workers irrespective of their years of service earn only a meager wage. No increment of eligible number of annual paid holidays or sick leave in accordance with workers seniority.

– Discontinuing subsidized transport services for workers to travel to and from Hospitals to work, causing further hardship and extra cost to workers.

The latest development is 5 unionists were arrested on 2^th June 2020 when they protested in front of Ipoh General Hospital against union busting by Edgenta UEMS. Those arrested were released on 3^rd June, but charged in Ipoh Magistrate Court on 4^th June for breaching rules of Movement Control Order.

Thus the union urgently seeks solidarity and condemnation messages (as attached below) to Edgenta UEMS and the Human Resources Minister of Malaysia to immediately stop these union busting activities against frontline Hospital workers in these critical times as we are struggling to fight COVID-19.

Regards,
M.Saraswathy
National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services Malaysia
Tel: +6016 558 7144 ; +6010 2580455
Email : sivarajan.a gmail.com

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Please send your messages via email to:

1.Dr. Nik Fawaz Nik Abdul Aziz, Head, Healthcare Support (Concession), Managing Director,
Edgenta Mediserve Sdn Bhd - nik.fawaz uemedgenta.uemnet.com

2.Ramlan Khamis , General Manager, Edgenta UEMS - ramlan.khamis edgentauems.com
enquiries edgentauems.com

3.Graeme Walwyn, Chief Operating Officer UEM Edgenta - graemewalwyn hotmail.com

4.Dato Seri M. Saravanan, Human Resources Minister, Malaysia. - saravanan mohr.gov.my

Please send a copy of the message to int.psm gmail.com

Malaysian Government Linked Company (GLC) - Edgenta UEMS Attacks Frontline Hospital Workers And Union

Despite several meetings and memorandum of understanding between the Edgenta UEMS and National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services Malaysia, it has been reported to us that serious violations of rights of workers and unions still continue at the workplace.

At a time when the whole world is appreciating the great services of hospital frontliners, your company Edgenta UEMS furthermore a government linked company is harassing and intimidating these hospitals cleaners continuously. Amongst the gross violations are;

– Denied proper PPE equipment, such as face visors /face shield when they clean COVID-19 wards and facilities, putting them at great risk of infection.
– Inadequate supply of facemask and gloves.

– Denied special government allowance of RM600 (USD 138 per month) to frontline workers. Edgenta UEMS only paid a one off token sum of RM300 (USD 69). While doctors, nurses and other medical staff are provided front liner assistance payment, cleaners are denied.

– Discontinuing subsidized transport services for workers to come to the Hospitals to work, causing further hardship and cost to workers.

– Union members especially worksite committee members have been subjected to deliberate changing of their working hours and shift without prior consent from them.

– Workers active in union have also been punished by arbitrarily transferring them out to Hospitals far away from their residence.

Workers demanded to work longer hours without overtime pay.

– Forbidding union activities – disallowing union worksite committees to have discussions with workers during break, threatening disciplinary action against union officials. Intimidating workers by taking photos of workers meeting union worksite committee, threatening disciplinary action.

– Blatant discrimination of union members, by not giving them an opportunity to work overtime to increase their earnings. Employers openly intimidate that those involved in union will be denied overtime work.

– Constant verbal harassment by Edgenta’s UEMS supervisors towards union worksite committee.

Edgenta UEMS as a company claiming to practice high safety and ethical standards, but the ongoing intimidation and harassment by your down line staff at the Hospitals attacking the workers and our union members is contradictory to the values that you uphold. These situations should not have arisen. Having been drawn to your attention, they should have been promptly resolved, and workers’ rights recognized and respected. That is not happening.

Thus we call on you to personally and immediately intervene to stop these blatant union busting activities as these actions against our most valuable workforce, the cleaners whom are key front liners in Hospitals, is unacceptable and vehemently condemned.

Yours sincerely,

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