By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 20: Trade unions in Sarawak should be given a greater role in formulating labour and industrial relations policies to ensure workers’ voices are heard directly by the government.
According to the president of the Union Network International-Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC), Datuk Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal, this would strengthen the tripartite relationship involving the government, employers, and workers.
“I am appealing to the State government to recognise trade unions in Sarawak as strategic partners. They can serve as a communication bridge between workers and the government,” he said after the opening ceremony of the Perkeso UNI-MLC Seminar in Miri today, as reported by TVS.
The one-day seminar brought together 70 participants from across Sarawak and eight from Sabah to increase awareness of social protection and workers’ rights through collaboration with Perkeso.
Mohamed Shafie noted that most discussions on industrial development and workforce issues currently involve only the government and employers, even though trade unions also have valuable perspectives that could contribute to policymaking.
“Why not bring the unions together as one coalition? They can provide positive input on productivity, discipline, performance, and industrial relations,” he said.
Commenting on labour law developments, Mohamed Shafie said amendments introduced by the federal government had harmonised several provisions between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, including workers’ rights.
“There used to be differences between Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia. Today, many matters have been standardised, including the duration of maternity leave. That is a positive development,” he said.
However, he stressed that the implementation of every amendment must be closely monitored to ensure workers genuinely benefit from the changes.
“What matters now is implementation. We need to see whether the minimum wage and other amendments are being fully enforced. This is where a system of checks and balances is needed,” he explained.
He said unions’ membership networks enable workers’ concerns to be conveyed directly to the government without the need for third-party intermediaries.
“If we can establish a new network between the government and trade unions, I believe it will create a more harmonious working environment and benefit all parties,” he said. — DayakDaily
