MTUC hanya minta gaji minima RM1,200 - sepatutnya minta RM1,500 - RM2,000?

Gaji Minima - persoalannya adalah berapakah gaji perlu untuk menampung kehidupan pekerja sekeluarga di Malaysia?

Di setengah negara kadsar gaji minima berbeda berasaskan lokasi majikan - mungkin lebih tinggi di kawasan bandar, dan kurang di kawasan luar bandar. Kos hidupan nyata berbeda? 

BR1M - Jika kerajaan akur kepada hakikat bahawa setuap keluarga(household) yang berpendapatan RM4,000 ke bawah perlukan bantuan finansial, mengapa jumlah Gaji Minima yang dituntut MTUC sangat rendah? Satu keluarga(household) maksima ada 2 orang yang kerja makan gai - Suami(Bapa) dan Isteri(Emak) - di mana rasional kita minta gaji minima sekurang-kurangnya RM2,000.

Kalau pekerja minta RM1,200 sahaja dan pihak kumpulan majikan tidak mahu gaji minima dinaikkan, kekal pada RM900 - kerajaan akan biasanya memilih satu angka dipertengahan - mungkin RM1,050? Justeru, saya berpendapat bahawa MTUC sepatutnya menuntut RM2,000 berasaskan Br1M atau sekurang-kurangnya RM1,500 supaya kita berpeluang mendapat gaji minima RM1,200..

MTUC’s May Day wish: RM1,200 minimum wage

FMT Reporters

April 27, 2015 

Union turns to Prime Minister Najib Razak to make its wish come true on Friday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Talks on a new minimum wage have failed after the National Wages Consultative Council had met for the third time and the unions were now turning to Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general N Gopal Krishnam said they want the government to fix the minimum wage at RM1,200 per month and are hoping Prime Minister Najib Razak would announce it on Labour Day this Friday.

The minimum wage for private sector workers was set in January 2013 at RM900 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM800 in Sabah and Sarawak. It must be reviewed every two years under the Minimum Wages Order 2012.

“We now hope the prime minister will make an announcement in his Labour Day message,” said Gopal Krishnam in a report carried by The Malaysian Insider.

There are about 14.2 million workers in private sector, including foreigners and most of those in the lowest income group are finding it difficult to cope with the increased cost of living especially after the 6% Goods and Services Tax (GST) was introduced on April 1, say unionists from both the private and public sectors.

Steve Shim Lip Kiong, the former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, is the chairman of the wage council which has five representatives from the government, and 18 from among unionists, employers and economists.

Congress of Unions in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Azih Muda said a higher minimum wage is needed to help civil servants cope with the rising cost of living.

Azih said the average wage increase in the public sector was between 2% and 2.5% while the cost of living had increased from 8% to 10% when the GST was introduced.

Cuepacs, which said that about 40% of civil servants were earning about RM850, has been pushing since earlier this year to match the minimum wage of RM1,200 that has been mandated by law for the public sector employees.

Azih is also hoping Najib would announce a review of the 252 salary schemes and allowances of civil servants on Labour Day, or Worker’s Day, which is celebrated worldwide on May 1.- FMT News,

Malaysia needs strong trade and workers’ unions (an opinion)

Malaysia needs strong trade and workers’ unions – Ganeshwaran Kana

Published: 6 April 2015 7:22 AM

The concern over trade or workers’ unions in Malaysia has never been remarkable. Having repressive laws that inhibited the influence of trade unions even since t colonial era, Malaysians paid little attention to the role of trade unions in a society’s welfare. Moreover, with hudud and GST clogging up the public sphere, probably less Malaysians are concerned over the relevance of trade unions.

Trade unions are instrumental in creating and strengthening collective bargaining power between the employees and employers. A good relationship between a strong trade union and the employer helps the workers to enjoy more benefits and see better pay commensurate with increased productivity. Strong trade unions are pertinent in making sure the rights of the workers are not violated by the employers, besides being a medium to boost labour productivity.
Historically, the colonial master, the British Empire was never fond of workers’ unions. The British introduced the Societies Ordinance as far back as 1889 to prohibit the growing influence of the working class, apart from the nationalist fighters. The Communists, who have been painted negatively in Malaysian history, played a vital role in the growth of trade unions of Malaya back then. The Malayan Communist Party led the Open Front comprising of other political parties and organisations in the aftermath of the recapture of Malaya by British force. On this front, the General Labour Union (GLU) played a crucial role in fighting for Malayan independence. This GLU was later divided into two; one in-charge of Singapore’s labour unions, whilst Malaya’s was taken care by the Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Union (PMFTU). The Communists also played a role in controlling the PMFTU and advocating against liberation of Malaya.

Looking at the possible damage that can be caused by such labour unions in many issues and particularly opposing the Federation of Malaya 1948 proposal, the British oppressors enforced registration of all trade unions. Government servants were prohibited from joining unions of non-government employees. This was in pursuit of a divide in unity of the domestic workforce. Further action was taken to mandate registration of trade unions in which trade unions’ membership could only be opened to workers’ in similar occupation and industries. This rendered PMFTU as illegal and further weakened trade unions’ activities in Malaya.
A comprehensive analysis of current legislation pertaining to Malaysia’s labour laws show that such provisions introduced by the British still exist.
Malaysia’s legislation on employment and industrial relations comprises of the Trade Union Act, Industrial Relations Act and the Employment Act. There are many existing provisions that weaken the influence of trade unions. For example, trade unions can only be regional, and not national, which means that a trade union can be formed to cover Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah or Sarawak, but a single trade union cannot include all three.
Besides, workers’ unions used to be not permissible in industries conferred with “pioneer” status under Section 15 of Industrial Relations Act, but has since been annulled after an amendment in 2007. To note, whilst trade unions can be formed within the electrical sector, in the electronics sector, trade unions were limited to “in-house establishment”, which means a trade union within a company and not inclusive of employees of the company’s subsidiary workers. This rule was only relaxed in 2009 when the Cabinet allowed regional trade unions for the electronics sector.
Thus, the status quo is establishment of four regional trade unions in Peninsular Malaysia – Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern. However, the rule is not fully liberalised since the Electronic Industry Employees Union covers only workers in Peninsular Malaysia, not
including workers of East Malaysia. As aforementioned, apart from not allowing civil servants to join trade unions with non-civil servants, only workers from similar occupation can form a trade union. This essentially means, while lorry drivers can form a trade union, it cannot include teachers and bankers. Effects of Poor Labour Law
Such rules and provisions fragment the workforce and weaken collective bargaining power. This opens the way for “capitalists” to ill-treat the workers and not pay sufficient wages. This explains why there are claims of employers not adhering to the minimum wage rule and mistreating the employees. A study by Verite (a global NGO) and funded by the United States Department of Labour, found evidence of abuse of workers' rights in Malaysia's RM241 billion electronics industry.
Malaysia’s 1st Human Development Report specifically touches on effects of weak workers’ unions in Malaysia. The share of wages of national income has actually decreased from 33.8% in 1970 to 32.9% in 2012. In contrast, corporate profits have increased from about half of the national income to nearly two-thirds during the same period. Malaysia’s share of wages is low in comparison to other countries: South Korea’s share is 50.6%, Singapore’s 42.3% and the United Kingdom’s 62.6%.
It also reported that trade union density has dropped by about 40% since 1982 and currently only 8% of Malaysian workers belong to a union. This is despite the growing number of union members and trade unions in Malaysia.

In the past, workers’ who tried to fight for the rights of the other workers have been suspended and even fired. For instance, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) took serious action (sacking, issuance of show-cause letter) over many employees after nearly 700 Railwaymen’s Union of Malaysia (RUM) picketed against the mismanagement of KTMB. They asked for the resignation of KTMB’s President, Datuk Kadir Elias.
Although the affected workers were re-instated, they were required to sign a memorandum which included a reduction of salaries, according to the President of RUM, Abdul Razak Md Hassan who refused to sign.
Apart from that, President of the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM), Ismail Nasaruddin was terminated by Malaysian Airlines Systems Berhad (MAS) for the issuance of a media statement urging MAS CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya (now former CEO) to resign. It was mentioned by NUFAM that the CEO had failed to take care of the workers’plight since his appointment. The list goes on and on about such actions by employers that weaken and inhibit the activities of the trade unions.
Malaysia’s productivity level, despite being lower than many developed nations such as Japan and Singapore, is actually growing ahead of other emerging economies. Data from the Malaysia’s Productivity Report 2013/2014 shows that productivity between 2009 and 2013 has increased by 11.7%.
But the bigger question is, has the salary increased as much too?

To recall,a  minimum wage policy was introduced after it was noticed that salary increment fell behind productivity growth. A few years ago, a World Bank report noted that in the past decade, Malaysia’s productivity growth was 6.7%, whilst the salary increment was merely 2.6%. Such a scenario may re-emerge, and thus strong trade unions (especially a national-level trade union comprising of all workers) can work towards helping the workers get the compensation that they deserve.

For that, Malaysia needs strong amendments to the existing laws with the workers’ welfare in mind, while at the same time, being fair to the employers. However, recent announcement by Deputy Human Resource Ministers, Datuk Seri Ismail Abdul Mutalib that the government will propose amendments to the Trade Unions Act 1959 to ensure it will be in tandem to the TPP trade agreement, creates more questions.

First, is the TPP sure to be ratified? Second, will the workers’ rights be trampled in order to satisfy foreign multi-national corporations (MNCs)?

Malaysians need to voice out for stronger trade unions; for your own benefit. – April 6, 2015.

* Ganeshwaran Kana is an Economics undergraduate in University of Malaya and the director of Economic Cluster, Anak Muda Harapan Malaysia. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/malaysia-needs-strong-trade-and-workers-unions-ganeshwaran-kana#sthash.JUUPfDkx.dpuf

MEMORANDUM NASIB DAN MASA DEPAN 6,000 PEKERJA MALAYSIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM (MAS) - 23 Mac 2015

MEMORANDUM
NASIB DAN MASA DEPAN 6,000 PEKERJA MALAYSIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM (MAS)
23 Mac 2015
MEMORANDUM
NASIB DAN MASA DEPAN 6,000 PEKERJA
MALAYSIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM (MAS)
 

Kami Pemimpin-Pemimpin Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia yang mengadakan Sidang Akhbar Bersama di Hotel Crystal Crown, Petaling Jaya pada 23 March 2015 iaitu :-

1. Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)
2. UNI-Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC)
3. International Transport Federation Malaysia (ITF)
4. ASEAN Services Employees Trade Union Council Malaysia (ASETUC)
5. Gabungan Kesatuan Kesatuan Sekerja Dalam Syarikat GLC & Penswastaan (GLC)
6. Public Services International Malaysia (PSI)

 
Ingin menyampaikan rasa bimbang dan memandang serius terhadap nasib dan masa depan 6,000 pekerja MAS yang bakal diberhentikan kerja kesan dari penstrukturan semula syarikat penerbangan kebanggaan Negara seperti yang dilaporkan oleh media perdana sejak akhir-akhir ini.

Kehilangan 6,000 pekerjaan kepada pekerja Syarikat MAS adalah sesuatu yang amat serius dan bakal menghilangkan punca pendapatan kepada ramai ahli keluarga mereka. Syarikat MAS juga merupakan Syarikat Berkaitan Kerajaan (Government Link Company – GLC) dan keputusan memberhentikan 6,000 pekerja bakal memberi impak yang negatif kepada dasar-dasar penswastaan negara yang dicetuskan oleh Mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Kami juga mendapati pihak Khazanah Nasional dan Syarikat MAS telah gagal mengadakan proses rundingan secara telus dengan semua Kesatuan dan Persatuan yang sah mengikut Akta Kesatuan Sekerja 1959 dan Akta Pertubuhan 1966.

Adalah sesuatu yang amat malang bagi pekerja-pekerja MAS apabila mereka bakal kehilangan pekerjaan secara beramai-ramai ketika kerajaan sedang berusaha mengujudkan Negara berpendapatan tinggi menjelang tahun 2020.

Kami dengan ini ingin memohon kerajaan di bawah kepimpinan YAB Datuk Seri mempertimbangkan dan melaksanakan cadangan-cadangan berikut :-

1. YAB PERDANA MENTERI dan Kerajaan hendaklah segera campurtangan bagi menyelamatkan syarikat MAS.

2. MEMBATALKAN semua proses pemberhentian pekerja MAS serta merta dan menyelamatkan pekerjaan 6,000 pekerja Syarikat MAS.

3. RUNDINGAN SEGERA hala tuju Syarikat MAS dan masa depan pekerja pekerjanya dilakukan oleh Kementerian Sumber Manusia, Khazanah Nasional dan Syarikat MAS dengan SEMUA Kesatuan Sekerja dan Persatuan di Syarikat MAS yang sah mengikuti Akta Kesatuan Sekerja 1959, Akta Pertubuhan 1966, Akta Kerja 1955 dan Akta Perhubungan Perusahaan 1967.

4. PROSES RUNDINGAN penstrukturan Syarikat MAS dilakukan dengan telus dan mematuhi Perlembagaan Negara dan Undang-Undang Pekerjaan

5. SYARIKAT MAS hendaklah mematuhi sepenuhnya Perlembagaan Negara dan Akta Perhubungan Perusahaan 1967 dan segera berusaha mengujudkan Keharmonian Perhubungan Perusahaan dengan pihak Kesatuan yang sah mewakili pekerja-pekerja Syarikat MAS berdasarkan Akta Kesatuan Sekerja 1955.



,,,,ada lagi 2 perenggan disusuli dengan tandatangan yang saya tidak dapat copy-paste di Blog ini - mungkin saudara boleh melawat laman web MTUC untuk melihat memorandum lengkap.

Rapatkan hubungan antara ahli kesatuan perlu untuk Union KUAT

Syabas NUBE - aktiviti sedemikian perlu untuk memperkasakan Union
Kepada semua NUBE Members yg telah mendaftar untuk menyertai

NUBE IPOH SOLIDARITY TOURNAMENT 2015

Tempat : AMPANG
                SUPERBOWL
                IPOH PARADE

Masa     : 9.00am

Sila hadirkan diri pada masa yang ditetapkan bagi memudahkan urusan pendaftaran,pengagihan t-shirt & perjalanan pertandingan.

Hadiah2 berupa wang tunai,pingat serta cabutan bertuah menanti para pemenang!!

Tq & regards.

QUALITY UNION,QUALITY LIFE!