Government’s foreign worker policy denies women gainful employment

MTUC appreciates DPM Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s efforts to increase employment opportunities for Malaysian women. However, there is no need to amend the 1955 Employment Act to promote flexible working time or working from home. There is nothing in the law to prevent such practices.

Employment Act Outdated
Indeed the Employment Act is outdated. The minimum standards law still promotes 48 hours working week and allows widespread discrimination in comparison with employees in the public sector. Last week the Labour Department ruled that an employer in Nibong Tebal was right in refusing to pay for treatment given by the company appointed medical practitioner. Our Labour Department says that under the law the employer is required to pay for consultation only.

Improve Minimum Standards
Therefore there is an urgent need to amend the Employment Act to reduce the 48 hour working time, increase the annual leave, sick leave, public holidays and healthcare benefits. Most importantly Government must establish a minimum wage.

Stop flooding the country with foreign workers
Datuk Seri Najib as the Chairman of Foreign Workers Task Force should stop flooding the country with foreign workers. As a first step, government should abolish the licenses issued to 225 foreign labour suppliers. As long as the government continues its policy of issuing unlimited work permits without assessing the Labour market needs, government will not be able to encourage employers to employ Malaysian women.

Employers who have no consideration for corporate social responsibility would prefer cheap foreign labour that can be hired and fired without notice. Their only consideration is profits.

22nd August 2008

PM SLAMS KHALID OVER CALL TO OPEN UITM TO NON-BUMIS

(NEW STRAITS TIME HEADLINES ON 13TH AUGUST 2008)
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s reaction against Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s suggestion to allocate 10% of the student intake to non-bumiputra’s is indeed most shocking. Prime Minister’s strong opposition against Khalid’s call has revealed that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s public assurances that all Malaysians will have a stake in the countries development agenda is merely a political statement. His outburst against Khalid Ibrahim confirms that he never meant to be fair to all Malaysians irrespective of race.

Congratulations Tan Sri Khalid for your broadminded approach. I agree with you that the training and skilled development opportunity accorded to non bumis will ultimately benefit the nation.

Controversy Over Terengganu Government’s Purchase Of Luxury Cars

Terengganu MB justified his decision to purchase a fleet of Mercedes because of the exhorbitant maintenance cost of Perdana V6. Former MB Idris says the figure quoted was not quite accurate.

It is strange that no one under the previous Terengganu Government made any effort to find out why the maintenance cost was skyhigh. Was it justified? The MB or any of his officials could have summoned Proton’s MD to explain. No one did anything. One of the authorised agents boldly admits that he imposed a 25% additional charge because the Government took up to 3 months to settle the bills.

At the nationally televised TV debate, Anwar said, Government can easily find a billion ringgit by merely plugging leakages in Government spendings. This controversy proves Anwar’s assertion is true.

Government Had Never Once Failed The People

The people must have confidence in the government’s ability to overcome any form of crisis, including the price hikes in oil and food. He said the government had proven time and again that it had never once failed the people

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
NST July 27,2008

It is true Government never failed the people once but many times.

During the 1998 financial crisis thousands of workers lost their jobs. Out of that at least 10,000 workers were thrown out without any notice and without any compensation for their long service. Government failed miserably to enforce the laws on payment of termination benefits.

Since then thousands more been cheated of their entitlement and the Government has done nothing whatsoever to put in place appropriate social safety nets to take care of workers affected by such measures by unscrupulous employers.

In May 2008, 100 workers were deprived of their jobs by Yong Kam Fook Plastics in Shah Alam. Many workers with 15 to 25 years left empty handed.

In July 2008 the Penang based Niko Electronics shut down and left 947 workers jobless. Again the employer absconded without any payment to the workers.

Mr Finance Minister these are only few examples of Government’s failure.

Labour Outsourcing Promotes Corruption, Cheating And Discrimination

Two Ministries are involved in bringing in migrant workers into the country. The Ministry of Human Resources has repeatedly asserted that under the Trade Union Act migrant workers are allowed to join a union.

But the Immigration Department vested with powers to issue work permits under the Immigration Act stipulate a series of condition in the Work Permit – one of which says migrant workers are not allowed to join any association.

Three years ago a group of workers from Bangladesh who were not union members, sought and obtained a favourable ruling from the Industrial Court which stated that wages and working conditions stipulated under the Collective Agreement should be accorded to all migrant workers as well, irrespective of their union membership status. Employer appealed against the decision all the way to the High Court and Court of Appeal and lost.

Following that case Government changed the recruitment procedure. Government licensed 226 Migrant Labour suppliers who have brought in more than 500,000 workers and supply them to many employers.

So the revelation of Enforcement Director on Sunday 20 July, 2008 confirms that Government deliberately created the Labour supplier system so that employers who actually engage their services will be permitted to apply discriminatory practices with impunity

Recent arrest of senior officials of Immigration Department and others linked with them by the anti corruption Agency appears to show that the Labour outsourcing system is promoting corruption at the expense of migrant workers. So it is understandable that Immigration Officials would defend the system.

It is now obvious that employers, especially major corporations, have played an influential role in the introduction of the labour supplier system.

Petronas to pay govt RM 6b special dividend

For the first time, Petroliam Nasional Bhd will be paying a special dividend of RM 6 billion to the government, bringing total payments to RM 67.6 million this year”

NST – July 16th.

With RM 67 billion, Government can easily reduce fuel price and put a lid on inflation.

By using the special dividend of RM 6 billion government can reduce the fuel price by 50 cents per litre which will remove a huge burden imposed on working families and industries.

Increase in freight charges and electricity tariffs have increased production costs: Manufacturers have to pass on this cost to the consumers. Furthermore with the increase cost our products may not be able to compete in the global market.

PLUG LEAKAGES

As Anwar eloquently told the nation during the televised debate on 15th July 2008, Government should plug leakages of funds through corruption, over payments, enriching cronies and such other abusive practices.

IPP’s benefit at the expense of people

Anwar disclosed that as a result of Govt’s long term contracts biased in favour of IPP’s, TNB is compelled to buy power at exorbitant cost and hold a reserve of 40% more than our requirement. Anwar asserted nowhere in the world this happens.

He argues that by reducing the reserve to 20% TNB will be able to save RM 1 billion.

PM’s Anti inflation Committee

PM is guilty of creating inflation and having done that he is now talking about steps to control inflation and provide handouts to affected rural families. By now Malaysians know fully well that PM’s statements are nothing more than mere rhetoric.

Police roadblocks create massive jam

Police said the roadblocks will continue as they have been ‘successful’.

What do they mean? They were successful in creating massive jams? Creating breakdowns? Ensuring that most people did not report for work on time? Disrupting production and productivity and finally and most importantly disrupting the right to dissent.

15 July 2008