FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Happy Workers’ Day to all UTES members. Let us together celebrate our day this year with the hope to see a brighter future and to see the light at the end of the tunnel on the employment, issues and challenges ahead of us. Generally workers continue to get raw deal in regards to the terms and condition of employment.

Though the issue of ESOS was settled amicably, other issues in hand are yet to be settled. The outsourcing plan was put to hold for the time being but we never know it may be activated anytime. As far as outsourcing is concerned, we see that it is a global trend but we are not sure whether it is applicable in our nation. The main consequence of outsourcing is the existing staff will be out of work/job and hence will be made redundant and leading to retrenchment. On the other hand the government is talking about tenaga insan & modal insan. But the workers down there is flooded with worries on whether they can secure employment until retirement. The deployment of secondees is still pending and we look forward to see the issue settled before the year end.

Nothing much to celebrate after 50 years of Merdeka.

1. The Government and rich employers have worked closely together to discriminate

and marginalize workers in private sectors. Amongst many examples are:-

· Opposition to increase retirement age (which will reduce reliance on foreign workers)
· Failure to introduce minimum wages,
· Opposition to national retrenchment scheme
· Making it extremely difficult for trade unions to operate and obtain recognition
· Imposing 24 months limit to back wages to workers who are dismissed without just cause

or excuse
· Certain service industries refused to recognize service charges as wages to avoid EPF,

SOCSO and Overtime calculations and pay basic salary as low as RM250
· Timber industry workers denied Overtime, Annual leave, Rest Days, Holidays.
· Management of GLCs forget employees - care only about high flyers
· Privatization of government agencies are discriminatory to employees
· Daily wages as low as RM12.00 a day in timber camps which is below the poverty line of

RM642.00. Many other workers’ salary is below the poverty line.

2. All these will ultimately result in the distortion in bargaining power that are skewed

heavily in favor of employers and ultimately drive down wages.
3. Government itself has tried its best to address the needs of civil servants and public

sector employees and has given salary increases up to 42%. However even

Government Linked Companies - GLCs like Telekom Malaysia have worked to serve

higher-ranking managers and executive officers only. Private sector employees are left

in the lurch over rising prices. Employers, led by MEF and STA are turning a blind eye.

4. Perfect example is that after giving license to MEF to deny employees earning

RM2000 to RM2500 fundamental protections under the law, it now rubs salt into the

wound by granting billionaires timber employers license to deny workers in timber

camps and factories in non-urban areas the same impunity. Now workers are denied

their fundamentals rights to:

· Public holidays,
· Half an hour rest after 4 hours of work,
· A rest day after working continuously for 6 days,
· Overtime payment
· Public Holidays
· And even annual leave.

5. Long house dwellers and natives have long formed the backbone of the timber and

construction industry.

6. The cozy relation between government and employers has contributed to the huge

number of house break-in and other crimes against properties like motor theft, cable theft

and snatch thieves.

7. It is no coincidence that the crime rate has increased in tandem with the influx of foreign

workers, both legal and illegal. It has also increased with the huge increase in the cost of

living that is not matched by wages increase.

8. Employers employed foreign workers not because Malaysians shun such jobs, but because

employers through their economic might and close link with the government have

managed to suppress wages.

9. As a result locals either leave state for jobs elsewhere (or turn to crime) - and hence

opening the door for RM12.00 (according to Sarawak Timber Association) -a-day foreign

workers, who will need to rely on multi-tasking (including crime to supplement their

income). Or security guards having to work 24-hour shifts to earn overtime to

supplement their income, and who will be too sleepy to look out for burglars.

10. Now every Malaysians are paying the price in terms of high crime rate. Of course the rich

billionaires will be protected in their heavily fortified mansions or holiday homes overseas.

11. We would like to call on the Government, GLCs, employers and those in government who

are closely linked with employers to:

· Rescind the exemptions given to MEF & STA
· INCREASE WAGES by introducing a fair minimum wage- This will encourage employers

to invest in research and development to increase overall productivity ad efficiency.
· Creating decent jobs to deter foreign workers and reduce crime
· Increase retirement age for all workers to spur productivity and raising income levels

and reduce foreign workers.

12. With the increase in the life expectancy of Malaysians, a later retirement age would raise

income level, ensure adequate retirement savings and reduce reliance on foreign

workers. It is opportune for the government together with the private sectors to raise

the retirement age from 55 to 60. Productivity and efficiency is not an age issue.

13. Just compare Changi airport in Singapore where Singaporeans in their late fifties and

early sixties are efficiently maintaining the airport, while KLIA is flooded with

Bangladeshis.

14. Do it before it is too late or before the patience of Sarawakians wears thin.

15. For too long our elected representatives in the state have ignored the plight of workers,

especially in the Private sectors. Most of them are connected with employers in more

ways than one. We urged them to be more sympathetic and have the workers at

heart.

With this note, I would like to urge members to continue giving their undivided support to the union. Think of our livelihood, our family and our children who still need us to provide for them to be the model citizen of the nation.


HAPPY WORKERS’ DAY 2008


HIDUP UTES



MOHAMAD IBRAHIM BIN HAMID ABS
President