KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition MPs are expected to support the Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill 2022 when it is tabled for the second reading in Parliament later today.
This comes despite pushback from some employers and a group that claims it would negatively impact unions and worker solidarity.
Former human resources minister M. Kula Segaran said he had no objection to the bill, although certain concerns needed to be addressed.
“We don’t see how we should object because it is an improvement, but my only concern is whether there was sufficient consultation with the stakeholders,” the DAP Ipoh Barat MP told The Vibes when met yesterday.
Freedom of association is nothing new, it was adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1947.
“It’s been 72 years, so there are some progressive things such as balloting, formation of unions, and providing bargaining power.”
Kula Segaran also said once certain issues were ironed out with the bill, workers would be empowered to nominate the union of their choice to represent them, which he noted was a “progressive” move.
However, Kula Segaran lamented that only 5% of the nation’s workforce was currently represented by unions.
“During my time (in the ministry), I was pushing my officers to speak to workers about the positives and negatives (of union memberships) and not expect them (workers) to come to five-star hotels (for briefings),” he said.
Kula Segaran said this in a rare show of support for his successor Datuk Seri M. Saravanan who held a special briefing on the tabling of the bill with opposition members in Parliament yesterday afternoon.
During the briefing, Saravanan said the Trade Unions Act 1959 has received 10 amendments since it was first passed in Parliament, with the last amendment taking place in 2007 to keep up with socioeconomic needs of the time.
Saravanan said the latest amendment aims to provide freedom for employees and employers to join and establish trade unions of their own choice.
He also said it would improve the provisions under the act by taking into account the main principles in Convention 87 of the ILO in relation to freedom of association and protection of the right to organise, apart from adapting to the provisions contained in the labour chapter of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Sivarasa Rasiah (Sungai Buloh-PKR) echoed Kula Segaran’s support for the passing of the bill, but pointed to a potential overreach regarding the Trade Union Affairs Department when it came to taking action against union representatives involved in criminal activities, as stated in Schedule 4 of the Bill.
“If such (criminal) activities occur, the department should not be handling them as they are the responsibility of police,” Sivarasa said.
“Aside from that, I think everybody (from the opposition) will support the bill.”
Despite his concerns, a ministry official later clarified with The Vibes that action will only be taken against a union representative upon the advice of authorities such as police and other enforcement agencies. – The Vibes, October 4, 2022
