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?
This was the warning issued today by national treasurer of the pro-tem Parti
Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) A Sivarajan against the proposed amendments to the Industrial
Relations Act and Trade Unions Act.
<p>Given that only seven to ten percent of the country’s ten million workers
are unionised, the new laws will have far-reaching effects on workers’
right to freedom of expression if they are passed by Parliament, said Sivarajan.</p>
<p>The proposed amendments were tabled on July 3 and are scheduled to be debated
in Parliament’s next sitting, which is set to begin on Wednesday.</p>
<p>“The new laws will give even more control to the authorities over workers
and curtail their right to freedom of expression,” said Sivarajan when
contacted today.</p>
<p>Sivarajan said this will be among the main issues raised with the Human Resources
Ministry when hundreds of workers assemble this Wednesday in Putrajaya to demonstrate
against the proposed changes to the labour laws.</p>
<p><b>‘Picket this Wednesday’</b></p>
<p>According to him, the 200-300 workers taking part in the demonstration will
travel from Sungai Siput and Tanjung Malim in Perak, Rawang, Shah Alam, and
Klang in Selangor and Negri Sembilan.</p>
<p>While most will be from the manufacturing and services sectors, the workers
are protesting because of the detrimental effects of the proposed amendments
on workers as a whole, he added.</p>
<p>PSM, which is organising the demonstration together with grassroots rights
group Jerit, will also call for the implementation of a minimum wage law for
workers in the public sector. </p>
<p>Both groups and the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) had earlier objected
to what they regard as the arbitrary and unilateral move of the ministry to
bulldoze the amendment bills through Parliament. </p>
<p>Initially indignant when it was believed that workers’ unions and major
private firms had not been consulted prior to the tabling of the amendments,
they were incensed upon realising that the new laws were actually proposed following
pressure from the Malaysian Employers Federation.</p>
<p>The groups have also objected to the bills on the grounds they will limit compensation
for a worker who has been unjustly-sacked for up to two years from the time
of his or her dismissal. </p>
<p>In the case of a worker who has taken five years to settle at the Industrial
Court, therefore, he or she would only receive a 24-month pay and the remaining
three years worth of compensation will not be paid.</p>
<p>The bills also contain a proposal that a dismissed worker, even one nearing
retirement, will not be able to sue for loss of future earnings.</p>
<p align="center"><img src="images/news/2007/23447.gif" width="435" height="385"></p>
<p><i>Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/71381</i>
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