Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
They are also labelled as human capital in the production of goods and services
in a labour market which is increasing becoming informal and women workers are
abused and discriminated against.
<p>“Women in Malaysia are meeting the labour shortage and this term used
in the Ninth Malaysia Plan and the World Bank is incorrect. We are not ‘human
capital’. Women workers must be seen as people and not human capital in
globalisation,” said Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez at the Committee
for Asian Women (CAW) regional conference.</p>
<p>CAW chairwoman Jurgette Honculada said that under globalisation, women have
filled the labour shortages but working conditions have not improved.</p>
<p>Unregulated labour market and bad working conditions</p>
<p>“Over the last two decades, the highest number of women have entered the
labour market but working conditions and wages still have not improved.”</p>
<p>She said that because of globalization and mass migration (especially undocumented
migrants), the Asian labour market was becoming unregulated by law and society.</p>
<p>This has made it difficult for women workers to unionise and as a result were
paid below minimum wage with dangerous and discriminatory working conditions,
said Jurgette during a press conference today.</p>
<p>“The labour market is increasingly becoming informal, where women workers
are lowest paid and labour standards are not followed,” she said.</p>
<p>“The bias is most evident when women are retrenched first. Women also
work as home-based workers, street vendors, domestic workers, waste recyclers,
migrant workers and sex workers.”</p>
<p><b>Workers rights weak and protection lacking</b></p>
<p>Jurgette said labour movements suffer from a loss of membership due to a growing
informal labour market and was a threat to workers rights and also had weakened
their bargaining power with employers.</p>
<p>“The labour movement is not strong enough to fight against the ongoing
challenges or find alternative ways to organize the large labour force of women
workers.”</p>
<p>She also took to task “conservative trade unions” and the male dominance
and undemocratic practices within the membership. She said such practices have
weakened the labour movement’s capacity to deal with the impact of globalisation.</p>
<p>CAW is a network of 39 women workers group from 14 Asian countries that aims
to promote workers’ human and labour rights.</p>
<p>They are calling Asian governments to:</p>
<p> * Stop selling away women’s rights by engaging with free trade agreements
that cause serious impacts on people’s livelihood;</p>
<p> * Stop deregulating labour legislations which lead to further loss of protection
for workers;</p>
<p> * Recognise informal economy workers as workers and regulate labour laws to
ensure their rights are fully protected;</p>
<p> * Respect the principle of people’s democracy and human rights that ensure
worker rights are not being eroded, such as the freedom of association and assembly;</p>
<p> * Respect the rights of migrant workers and ensure their rights to freedom
of association and assembly are not curtailed;</p>
<p> * Ensure peace and safety for all citizens and non-citizens, especially workers
in the country;</p>
<p> * Not engage in discriminatory practices against certain sections of society,
especially women, the poor and minorities.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com