KULIM – Imagine earning the same basic salary with a RM5 annual increment for the last 33 years and seeing new employees taking the same pay from the day they joined.
This seems to be among the grouses of employees of a multinational manufacturing plant here.
Before the year was out, more than 600 workers of Yokowo Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd started picketing against their employers demanding a salary increment, contractual bonuses, and other benefits.
They started their picket outside the factory in Lunas on December 27 and December 28 when the company management refused to come to a compromise on its first collective agreement (CA) with their union.
Metal Industry Employees Union’s senior industrial relations officer for northern region V. Vijayan said the union has dropped several demands during the dialogue with the company management.
“We dropped several of our demands, due to current situations and after-effects of the movement control order, but maintained only four points in the CA. However, the management failed to see a compromise to settle the deadlock.”
He said the union only focused on four points to conclude the CA discussions – that is CA revision every three years, contractual bonus of 1.5 months, yearly salary increments of 6%, and salary adjustment every three years.
“The discussion between the management and union on December 8 ended in a deadlock when the management refused to come to a compromise. The management only offered to adjust the CA every four years, 0.7% contractual bonus and 2% of salary increments and adjustments.”
Vijayan said the manufacturer has been operating since 1987 and paying RM1,321 in basic salary for workers with 33 years of service and a similar salary scale for those who joined after January 2020.
He added the company had a revenue of more than RM200 million in 2020, with RM15 million in profit.
A company director has yet to respond to calls for comment on the issue.
Yokowo Electronics manufactures broadcasting equipment such as antennas, connectors, microwave test tools, medical devices, and other related equipment. – The Vibes, January 6, 2022
