MALAYSIAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & EMPLOYMENT LAW Author: Maimunah Aminuddin

1. MALAYSIAN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & EMPLOYMENT LAWAuthor: Maimunah Aminuddin Chapter Five Trade Unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

2. Preview • Reasons for joining a trade union • Purpose of trade unions • Definition of “trade union” • Membership of a trade union • Registration of trade unions • Control of trade unions • Current status of trade unions • The MTUC and the MEF Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

3. Trade union • The Trade Union Act sect 2 defines TU as • ‘any association or combination of workmen or employers…whose place of work is in West Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak…’ • Within any particular establishment, trade, occupation or industry or similar trades, occupations or industries; and • Whether temporary or permanent; and • Having among its objects one or more of the following Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

4. Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

5. Reasons for joining a trade union Employees join trade unions: • To improve their economic situation • To ensure their rights at work are protected • For social reasons Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

6. Definition of trade union The legal definition of “Trade Union” in the Trade Unions Act has implications: • Membership of a union is limited to workers working in Peninsular Malaysia, or Sabah or Sarawak • Unions with membership from a variety of industries not permitted • Employerscan form unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

7. Trade unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

8. Reason for forming the unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

9. Purpose of trade unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

10. Membership of trade union Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

11. Membership of a trade union Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

12. Golongan atau individu yg tidak boleh memasuki/menjadi ahli kpd sesuatu kesatuan • Mana-mana berumur 16 tahun ke bawah; • Mana-mana pelajar di institusi pendidikan yg ditubuhkan oleh atau di bawah undang-undang bertulis, kecuali diambil bekerja sbg pekerja dan berumur 18 tahun ke atas; • Mana-mana orang yg bekerja atau terlibat dalam tred, atau pekerjaan atau perusahaan yg mana (pada pandangan Pendaftar Kesatuan Sekerja) tidak serupa kpd tred atau pekerjaan atau perusahaan dalam kesatuan yg didaftar; • Mana-mana pegawai di sektor awam seperti yg dinyatakan dalam Seksyen 27(2) Akta Kesatuan Sekerja, kecuali dgn kebenaran YDP Agong:- • Contoh i) kakitangan Polis Diraja Malaysia ii) kakitangan angkatan Tentera Malaysia iii) kakitangan Penjara iv) pegawai-pegawai kerajaan tertakluk dibawah undang-undang bertulis yg dilarang membentuk kesatuan sekerja sendiri.

13. Membership of a trade union, cont. Police, Armed Forces and Prison service employees canNOT join any trade union. Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

14. Membership of a trade union, cont. Managers, Executives, Confidential Staff and Security Staff can only join a union whose members are in the same category. Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

15. Registering the formation a union • What are required? • What are the process? • The do s and don’t s Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

16. Registration of a trade union Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

17. The process of getting recognition Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

18. Perception and acceptance of the employer on TU Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

19. How to make employee non unionized Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

20. Control over trade unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

21. Current status of trade unions in Malaysia • Number of unions steadily growing • Number of members increasing • Density reducing • Most unions have less than 500 members • Two types of union – national and in-house Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

22. Types of unions Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

23. CUEPACS • CUEPACS is a federation of trade unions of government workers • Serves as spokesman for public service workers • Membership is open to all trade unions registered under civil services or public organizations, inclusive Sabah and Sarawak Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

24. Who are the members • Setiap kesatuan sekerja yang berdaftar yang ingin menjadi anggota CUEPACS hendaklah memberi notis kepada ahli-ahli 14 hari sebelum Mesyuarat Agung dan meluluskan satu ketetapan dalam persidangan perwakilan atau mesyuarat agung iaitu bersetuju menganggotai CUEPACS. Selepas itu kesatuan sekerja berkenaan hendaklah menghantar permohonan kepada Setiausaha Agung CUEPACS untuk dibentangkan dalam Mesyuarat Majlis Kongres. • Jumlah keanggotaan CUEPACS telah berkurangan disebabkan banyak Jabatan / Agensi Kerajaan telah diswastakan dan mereka menyertai MTUC. • Banyak kesatuan sekerja sektor awam yang baru daripada Universiti telah bergabung dengan CUEPACS. Keanggotaan gabungan CUEPACS terkini adalah terdiri daripada 100 kesatuan sekerja sektor awam Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

25. CUEPACS WANTS TAX CUT FOR CIVIL SERVANTS _prior to Budget 2013 announcement Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

26. The budget 2013 announced….. • 29 September 2012 • KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The 1.5 months’ bonus to 1.3 million civil servants was the best so far said Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS) president Datuk Omar Osman He said CUEPACS also welcomed the construction of 123,000 units of affordable houses at strategic areas in Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam (Selangor), Johor Baharu (Johor), Seremban (Negeri Sembilan) and Kuantan (Pahang) next year as it was among items relevant for civil servants. However, he was still hoping the government would lower the interest rate for housing loans from 4 per cent to 1 per cent, to reduce the burden of housing loans for civil servants in the country. Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

27. Key players other than employee TUs, cont. The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) • The MTUC is NOT a trade union. It is registered under the Societies Act. • The MTUC’s members are individual or private trade union from a variety of industries which choose to affiliate with it. • The MTUC speaks on behalf of unions and workers on issues related to the welfare of workers. Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

28. MTUC • The objectives are • Providing advisory service to its members • Presenting the labour viewpoint to the government • Presenting workers’ view on national issues • Helping to organize workers who do not belong to a union • Providing trade union education • Carrying out research on matters of trade union interest Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

29. Key players other than employee TUs, cont. The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) • The MEF is NOT a trade union. • The MEF speaks on behalf of employers. • The MEF carries out research. • The MEF advises its members on employment related issues. Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

30. MTUC pickets over move to amend employment law.docx • Minimum wage gazetted.docx Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law

31. Review • Reasons for joining a trade union • Purpose of trade unions • Definition of “trade union” • Membership of a trade union • Registration of trade unions • Control of trade unions • Current status of trade unions • The MTUC and the MEF Malaysian Industrial Relations & Employment Law