PICKET AGAINST TRIENEKENS SARAWAK SDN BHD

Dated 2nd day of January, 2009

Dear Members,

PICKET AGAINST TRIENEKENS SARAWAK SDN BHD

Please be informed that there will be a public protest against Trienekens Sarawak Sdn Bhd at 10.00 am, Sunday, 4th January 2009 at Sunday Market, Jalan Satok, Opposite Bangunan Satok.

The Company dismissed the President and General Secretary of the Trienekens Employees Union for writing a Union Circular asking its members to boycott the Company’s family day. (The boycott is because the Company’s arrogant management refusal to resolve the problems faced by its employees. More than 200 employees boycotted the event which was held on a Rest Day, Sunday)

The action by the Company is the greatest attack on the fundamental right for employees to be Trade Union officials. The Company has an exclusive privatisation contract for waste disposal for DBKU, MBKS and Padawan Municipal Council.

The wanton action of the Company is clearly an attempt to destroy the Union and is a clear violation of Section 59 of the IRA 1967 which makes it an offence for an employer to dismiss a workman because of his membership or leadership of a union.

UTES cannot see how writing or involved in writing a Union letter ON A NON-WORKED RELATED EVENT – FAMILY DAY can be an employee’s misconduct justifying dismissal.

It is sad that in this modern day and age, we still have employers in Sarawak believing that they are masters and workers are slaves.

We call on UTES’ members to take part in this peaceful protest to protect our fundamental right. Your support is crucial to save the job of the President and their General Secretary who are now jobless because they tried to resolve the problems of their fellow workers.

Thank you, make it an appointment to meet each other to wish a Happy New Year on the day whether rain or shine.

Yours fraternally,

MOHAMAD IBRAHIM BIN HAMID
President

TRIENEKENS SARAWAK -PICKET 4/Jan/2009

BERSAMA MENENTANG PENINDASAN

DATE :
4 JANUARY 2009 (Sunday)
TIME :
10.00 am
PLACE :
Satok Road (along the footpath near the Bus Stop at Sunday market)

KEY ISSUE – WE ARE GIVING OUR SUPPORT TO MTUC AFFILIATE
(TREINEKEN UNION) WHOSE KEY UNION OFFICIALS WERE BEING
DISMISSED FOR BOYCOTTING FAMILY DAY GATHERING.
THIS IS UNION BUSTING BY THE EMPLOYER.

RAIN OR SHINE…. MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO TURN UP
Give our support to our combrade in Trieneken, they have
given their support to us during our difficult time before.
JANGAN BIARKAN PENINDASAN DAN KEKEJAMAN TERUS BERLELUASA

Cartoon Snippets

The cartoon represents the characteristics of most management in an organisation. The donkey in the 2nd pic is what most management treated their employees.

UTES MotorCare

UTES is pleased to announce that we have negotiated a special motor insurance arrangement with TAHAN INSURANCE MALAYSIA BERHAD. This arrangement will provide better coverage and bring more benefits to our members in respect of motor insurance policy. Some of these benefits are as follow:

COMPREHENSIVE PRIVATE CAR POLICY

v Free umbrella for every Comprehensive policy
v Free Membership: TAHAN RESCUE 33 – Emergency & Breakdown Services
v Claims services
v Nil Excess for Own Damage (OD) claim when repaired at TAHAN’s panel workshops

On top of that, for each comprehensive private car policy (1st Party cover) purchased through UTES with TAHAN INSURANCE, members will be provided with Personal Accident (PA) Insurance at no cost, compliments from UTES.

PERSONAL ACCIDENT (PA) POLICY

The benefits of the PA cover are as follow: -

v Compensation of RM20,000 payable upon Accidental Death/Permanent Disablement
v Medical fees & expenses of RM500 payable upon hospitalization/treatment as a result of an accident
v Bereavement allowance of RM3,000 payable upon Accidental Death
v Hospitalization allowance of RM2,000 payable upon hospitalization exceeding 7 days as a result of an accident
v The above benefits can be extended to the immediate family members of UTES members

HASSLE FREE APPLICATION

Just fill in the form attached and fax or email to 082-426 361 / utesmotorcare@yahoo.com and our designated customer service personnel will attend to you promptly.

We accept payment by all major credit cards (VISA/MASTER). Cheques are to be made payable to TAHAN INSURANCE MALAYSIA BERHAD.

(Please click on image below for print out)

UTES PROTEST! FUEL HIKE

AS USUAL, CONSUMERS PAYS THE PRICE

As expected, consumers are made to pay the price of decades of failed economic policies and mismanagement. The 78 sen increased in the price of petrol now means that the price has increased by more than 300% compared to 87 sen in May 2005.

Failed economic policies include a suppressing of exchange rate to make our country competitive to favour exporters which are mainly oil & gas, timber and oil palm. The government also suppresses wages by encouraging the influx foreign workers.

This fuel increase will surely lead to another round of price increase from anything and everything from Taxi fares to Bus fares, from cooking oil to a packet of nasi lemak.

Our experience point to the fact that in Malaysia, prices increase in commodities and basic items always benefit businesses, not ordinary workers. A classic example is that when the price of sugar increased by 10 sen a kilo, a cup of coffee also increased by 10 sen - as if you need a kilo of sugar for one cup of coffee.

As a result ordinary Malaysians simply cannot afford to pay market prices for petrol. Already the prices of our cars and toll (due to one sided deals signed with toll concessionaires) is among the highest in the world. Public transportation is hopeless in the cities and non existent in the rural areas. People have no choice but to own cars. Many owners have to take a nine-year loan just to pay off a basic car and their car value is now less than the loan outstanding.

This is a result of economic mismanagement that has marginalized the poor, created billionaires and has income disparity that is the second highest in Asia, behind only Papua New Guinea.


PETROL CHEAPER IN SINGAPORE

Contrary to government claims, Petrol is actually cheaper in Singapore, Japan or even the US when we take into account one of the fundamental principles when comparing prices across different countries - PPP - Purchasing Power Parity.

Put it simply, Singaporeans still pay much less for their petrol because Singaporean workers earn Singapore Dollars not Malaysian Ringgit. Even in absolute terms, for example, a typical clerical employee in Singapore earns SGD1200 per month compared to RM900 in Malaysia and RM600 in Sarawak. And Singaporeans only pay about SGD2.00 per litre

Per capital of income of Spore is RM100,000.00. Malaysia is only $20,000.00. Singapore does not produce a drip of its own crude oil.

Even in Japan & US (even with their high cost and standard of living), you will find the petrol price is relatively cheaper. Please note that minimum wage in US is about USD4 per hour and a high school teacher makes at least USD40,000 a year. And petrol price there is only about USD1.20 per litre.

We should ask question as to why the production cost, plus distribution cost, plus profit amount to 20% of the pump price. Malaysia is a net exporter of crude oil. And Petronas is rich enough to sponsor one of the most expensive sports – Formula 1.

We also call on the government to give a full transparent and detailed disclosure of the fuel subsidy. As well as the billions of profits of Petronas, independent power producers and other oil companies, oil palm and timber companies makes every year.

The government which has already burdened the public by mismanaging the public transport sector and inflicted a high prices for cars, burdened the motorists with extensive toll roads and suppressed wages……….and now WANTS market price for petrol.

UNIONS WANT SALARY TO GO UP BY ……………………%

Unions now have no choice but to demand for salary increase. Unfortunately employers are going to use the higher cost of business as an excuse NOT to grant salary increases.



MOHAMAD IBRAHIM BIN HAMID ABS
President

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

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTE ON ESOS

Finally the ESOS issue, which has dragged on from 6th March 2008, has been settled on 15 April 2008 after the Unions met with the Top Management Team together with representatives from the Board Of Directors in Kuala Lumpur on 15th April 2008. The meeting agreed to allocate an extra share of 500 shares each to the Non-Executive employees of TM Group who has served for more than 10 years

Subsequent Roadshow, together with the Unions, will be conducted soon to elucidate the detail of the scheme.

With the above settlement, the Unions have called off its proposed picket scheduled to be held on 25 April 2008 together with the rest of its action plan to submit a memorandum to the PM and to write an appeal letter to all Members of Parliament. The Unions has also agreed to lift its boycott on all TM meetings and official functions that has been in force since February 2008.

UTES Executive Council would like to thank all members for your patience and undivided support and we hope that support of this nature should continue.

However, other issues that have not been settled will be dealt with before the end of April 2008 when the three Unions NUTE,UTES & SUTE) will have another round of meeting with the outgoing CEO YBhg Dato Sri Abdul Wahid Omar and the incoming CEO YBhg Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa to discuss and resolve the outstanding issues in particular the issue on Outsourcing.

OUR STRUGGLE CONTINUES

Thank you and regards.


MOHAMAD IBRAHIM HAMID ABS
President