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9 October, 2000The MTUC, with the full support of its affiliates, organises protest regarding long delays for settling industrial disputes.
MALAYSIA: In protest at the long delays of the Ministry for Human Resources for settling industrial disputes, in particular over union recognition claims, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has announced it will stage a picket outside the Ministry tomorrow, October 11, 2000.
The general secretary of the MTUC, G. Rajasekaran, who is also general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation Malaysian Council, states that according to Section 9 of the Industrial Relations Act, union recognition claims should be settled within 21 days. However, in reality, it is taking from 12 to 18 months, thus showing that employers simply disregard the law and the Ministry takes no action to see to the rapid settlement of the claims.
The Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions reports that Rajasekaran will send a memorandum to the Minister of Human Resources, "urging him to take immediate and positive steps as well as highlighting an astounding figure of 4,000 cases which have been pending for a total of two to three years in the city of Kuala Lumpur and the Federal Territory alone."
In related information on the trade union climate in Malaysia, the ICFTU's recently published annual survey of violations of trade union rights in 113 countries during the period from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999, states that "workers in Malaysia continue to be denied their rights to join a trade union of their choice, and to freely organise and bargain collectively because of government policy, restrictive legislation, and bureaucratic practices. There continue to be many obstacles to establishing trade unions. These include legislative obstacles to organising workers in a company, dismissals of union organisers, the slow and cumbersome recognition process, and legal obstacles to using industrial action to obtain recognition. (Click on the associated link to read the full text of the ICFTU survey on Malaysia.)
The general secretary of the MTUC, G. Rajasekaran, who is also general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation Malaysian Council, states that according to Section 9 of the Industrial Relations Act, union recognition claims should be settled within 21 days. However, in reality, it is taking from 12 to 18 months, thus showing that employers simply disregard the law and the Ministry takes no action to see to the rapid settlement of the claims.
The Asian and Pacific Regional Organisation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions reports that Rajasekaran will send a memorandum to the Minister of Human Resources, "urging him to take immediate and positive steps as well as highlighting an astounding figure of 4,000 cases which have been pending for a total of two to three years in the city of Kuala Lumpur and the Federal Territory alone."
In related information on the trade union climate in Malaysia, the ICFTU's recently published annual survey of violations of trade union rights in 113 countries during the period from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 1999, states that "workers in Malaysia continue to be denied their rights to join a trade union of their choice, and to freely organise and bargain collectively because of government policy, restrictive legislation, and bureaucratic practices. There continue to be many obstacles to establishing trade unions. These include legislative obstacles to organising workers in a company, dismissals of union organisers, the slow and cumbersome recognition process, and legal obstacles to using industrial action to obtain recognition. (Click on the associated link to read the full text of the ICFTU survey on Malaysia.)