UNI Apro Commerce – Stepping up in Malaysia

Workers form trade unions to create a harmonious conducive working environment that will translate into better bottom line for employer, customer satisfaction and better working conditions

It was an ambitious task that took place in Malaysia when a campaign was launched in 2008 to organise the retail commerce workers into trade unions. Headed by Bro. Shafie BP Mammal, UNI MLC President with a team of committed organisers, today the Commerce scene in Malaysia is one that had seen the birth of 12 trade unions with a sign up membership of nearly 18,000 members.

In discussions with the members in the varies multinational retail companies in Malaysia, the issues raised about the increasing working pressure, long working hours and employers exerting flexible working hours that had resulted in erosion of the workers quality of life were of great concern to the workers.

“We are not against employer or our company” said a member, “we form trade unions to create a harmonious conducive working environment that will translate into better bottom line for our company (employer), customer satisfaction and better working conditions for all”.

UNI, UNI Apro and UNIONEN (LO TCO Sweden) team in this trip managed to meet with ordinary members of the trade unions, walk around a few of the workplaces to get the general idea of their working environment, met with employers and had frank discussions with the organisers.

UNICOM Malaysia organisers were clear that there is a need for workers in this sector to have a platform to improve their working conditions and build better industrial relationship. Union density and bargaining for a collective agreement is the task undertaken by the registered trade unions.

In the 2nd National Forum on Retail Sector which was officiated by Y.B. Tuan Haji Shamsuddin Bardon, Executive Director of MEF and attended by nearly 150 participants from the UNICOM Malaysia, it was clear that there is mutual understanding between the employers and employers that the industrial relations can be further improved. It was also hoped that the skills recognition via certification of the industry can be realised with the assistance of the government.

Bro. Shafie BP Mammal who oversees the campaign highlighted that the trade unions are empowered to solve their own member’s issues and they are provided assistance via advices and trade union training to better represent the members under their care. UNICOM Malaysia has already assisted in representing workers under their care via the grievance handling procedures at company level to solve issues and also in the industrial court. “Everyone is an organiser in UNICOM!” said Bro. Shafie and rightly so as although some members had left the company, when they started working in another place they then start to organise in the new company.

The evaluation team : Roger Hemming, Marie Kihlberg Nelving, Ann Lidman, Anders Edlund, Maria Hammarlund, Theresa Moller, Adriana Rosenzvaig and Alice Chang.