PARTI RAKYAT MALAYSIA - PRM: April 2013

Friday, April 5, 2013

PRM & 86 others - "RENESAS MUST IMMEDIATELY ACCORD RECOGNITION TO THE UNION AND REINSTATE WAN NOORULAZHAR"

Joint Statement- 4/4/2013

RENESAS MUST IMMEDIATELY ACCORD RECOGNITION TO THE UNION

AND REINSTATE WAN NOORULAZHAR

We, the 87 undersigned civil society organisations, trade unions and groups call on RENESAS Semiconductor KL Sdn Bhd (formerly known as NEC Semiconductors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd] to respect the freedom of association and the right to effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, being one of the basic rights of workers and one also one of the core values of International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s. RENESAS must stop obstructing or delaying, and immediately accord recognition to Electronic Industry Employees Union Western Region, Peninsular Malaysia (EIEUWR)/ Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Barat Semenjung Malaysia(KSIEWBSM)[UNION] so that workers at RENESAS can at last begin to enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining agreement. It has been more than 3 years since the UNION first applied in January 2010 for recognition by RENESAS.

In Malaysia, after being registered, recognition by the employer is needed before the UNION can start negotiating and enter into any Collective Bargaining Agreement with the employer company. The UNION has to submit a claim for recognition, and within 21 days, the company can accord recognition or not. If not, then the Director General of Industrial Relations (DGIR) steps in and start the process of conducting a secret ballot to ensure that more than 5o% plus one of the qualified workers is for the union – then the union is accorded recognition, and thereafter can effectively represent the workers.

Even though about 70% (1,300) of RENESAS’s workers eligible to be members of the union were already members of EIEUWR when the first application was made by the UNION to the company for recognition, RENESAS did not accord recognition and after more than 3 years and RENESAS still refuses to recognize the UNION.

On 18/1/2010, EIEUWR submitted the 1^st application for recognition to RENESAS. The company responded that there was a pro-tem in-house union, which was unregistered, also seeking recognition. The Director General of Industrial Relations (DGIR) rejected this reason. Then, RENESAS claimed that they did not receive the claim for recognition, when the application had been hand delivered personally by Wan Noorulazhar, the Union President, and RENESAS acknowledged receipt. The DGIR later asked the Union to send again their claim for recognition.

The 2^nd claim for recognition was submitted on 17/8/2010, this time by acknowledged receipt registered post, and again RENESAS claimed they did not receive it, and the UNION also did not receive back the duly signed acknowledged receipt card from the postal services.

The 3^rd claim for recognition was submitted to RENESAS on 8/10/2010, and this time using the National Courier Poslaju. After receipt of the UNION’s letter, RENESAS send it back to Poslaju asking that the letter be returned to the UNION. Poslaju provided a letter confirming this. RENESAS could not deny receipt this time, and rightfully the DGIR should have done the needful which was to the conduct of a ‘secret ballot’. But, there was inaction on the part of the DGIR for many months despite repeated demands by the UNION, and finally on 12/8/2011, the UNION had a picket in front of the Ministry of Human Resources. The DGIR then informed the UNION that the said relevant documents had been misplaced, and the blame was put on the Deputy DGIR responsible, who allegedly has since then been removed from that position. The DGIR then asked the Union to submit yet another claim for recognition.

The 4^th claim for recognition was made on 8/9/2011. RENESAS’s now challenged the validity of the registration of EIEUWR(the UNION) itself, and the qualification of the UNION’s General Secretary, one Bruno Gentil Pereira. When the Minister rejected this objection on 9/4/2012, RENESAS proceeded to filed a High Court case to challenge the Minister’s decision on 8/5/2012, whereby on 28/6/2012, the High Court dismissed the RENESAS’s application. RENESAS then appealed to the Court of Appeal who also unanimously dismissed the case on 5/12/2012.

After the High Court dismissed RENESAS application on 28/6/2012, there was no court order stopping the DGIR from proceeding with the secret ballot but the DGIR did not do anything.

After much protestation by the Union, the DGIR finally started the process by writing to RENESAS to submit Form B, as required by law, on about 14/12/2012. RENESAS did not comply and a second letter was sent by the DGIR on 14/1/2013. RENESAS again did not comply, and now it is believed that a third letter has been sent by the DGIR.

When, and if the day finally comes for the ‘secret ballot’, the workers entitled to vote would be the workers as of the date the claim was submitted, being 8/9/2011 but with the existence of short-term contracts, many of the pro-union workers may no more be employees of RENESAS, and this will prejudice the UNION, who still will have to show that it has the support of at least 50% plus one of the number of qualified employees as per the list of qualified employees on 8/9/2011. The tactic of delaying the secret ballot works in favour of the employer, and prejudices the UNION.

Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah, an employee of RENESAS who is the President of the UNION was dismissed on 26/8/2011 by RENESAS whereby the alleged misconduct, was that his actions were ‘contrary to explicit company policies’. He allegedly made statements about treatment of workers in a closed Facebook Group, whose members were fellow workers. The alleged misconduct It had nothing to do with his work performance. The wrongful dismissal case is now before the Industrial court.

The current trend at the Industrial Courts when it makes a finding the worker has been wrongfully dismissed by the employer is not to order reinstatement, but to rather order compensation. If not reinstated, workers of RENESAS would be deprived of a leader. RENESAS can at any time reinstate Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah without loss of benefits.

On 14/3/2013, EIUWR and the workers of RENESAS again had a protest picket at Putrajaya.

We call on RENESAS Semiconductor KL Sdn Bhd to immediately accord recognition to Electronic Industry Employees Union Western Region (EIEUWR), and immediately reinstate Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah and all other worker leaders terminated.

Senator Syed Shahir bin Syed Mohamud

Charles Hector

Mohd Roszeli bin Majid

Pranom Somwong

Badrulzaman bin Mohd Ghazali

For and on behalf the 87 organisations listed below

ALIRAN

Andhra Pradesh State Domestic Workers' Union, India

Asia Monitor Resource Centre(AMRC)

Asia Pacific Forum on Women , Law and Development ( APWLD)

Asia Floor Wage Alliance- SEA Office

Building and Wood Workers International Asia Pacific Regional Office (BWI APRO)

Center for Migrant Advocacy ,Philippines

Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) Sri Lanka

Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)

CIMS- Centre for Indian Migrant Studies

Clean Clothes Campaign

Committee for Asian Women, Bangkok

Community Action Network (CAN), Malaysia

Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India

Dignity International

GoodElectronics

GoodElectronics Thailand (GET)

Hope Workers' Center, Taiwan

Hsinchu Catholic Diocese Migrants and Immigrants Service Center (HMISC), Taiwan

Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com

IDWN( International Domestic Workers’ Network)

IMA Research Foundation, Bangladesh

International Campaign for Responsible Technology, US

International League of Peoples' Struggle – Canada

Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), Cambodia

LIPS (Lembaga Informasi Perburuhan Sedane/Sedane Labour Resource Centre) Indonesia

MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture)

Malaysian Physicians for Social Responsibility

MAP Foundation, Thailand

Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network, Berkeley, CA USA

Migrant Care

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)

Migrant Forum India (MF India)

Migrant Forum Lanka (MFL)

Migrants Rights Council India

Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)

NAMM (Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia)

NDWM - National Domestic Workers' Movement, India

NLD-LA (National League for Democracy-Liberated Areas), Malaysia

Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization (PRWSWO)

Parti Rakyat Malaysia(PRM)

People & Planet, UK

Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS)

PINAY Quebec

Progressive Labor Union of Domestic Workers- Hong Kong

PSWS (Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor)

Pusat KOMAS (KOMAS)

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Bangladesh

SALT (School of Acting Justly Loving Tenderly and Walking Humbly)

SBMI (Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia)

Solidarity of Cavite Workers (SCW), Philippines

State Enterprises Workers' Relations Confederation (SERC), Thailand

State Railway Workers' Union of Thailand (SRU), Thailand

SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia)

Tenaganita, Malaysia

The Alliance of Progressive Labor - Hong Kong

Tourism Employees Association of Maldives

Women's Rehabilitation Center (WOREC) Nepal

Workers Assistance Center, Inc, Philippines

Workers Hub For Change (WH4C)

Women Workers Lead

Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)

Youth For Peace/Peace Institute of Cambodia (YFP/PIC)

Malaysian Unions

Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Timur Semenanjung Malaysia (KSIEWTSM)

Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Selatan Semenanjung Malaysia

Kesatuan Sekerja Pekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Utara

Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja MHS Aviation Berhad

Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Polyplastics Asia Pacific

Paper & Paper Products Manufacturing Employees' Union Of Malaysia (PPPMEU)

TNBJOU (TNB Junior Officers Union), Malaysia

Malayan Technical Services Union (MTSU)

NUBE (National Union of Banking Employees), Malaysia

Association of Maybank Executive

Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja Pekerja Perusahaan Alat Alat Pengangkutan Dan Sekutu(NUTEAIW)

Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Perubatan Dan Kesihatan Swasta-[Union Of Employees In Private Medical And Health Services]

Kesatuan Eksekutif Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd

Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn.Bhd.

Electrical Industry Workers' Union (EIWU)

Kesatuan Pekerja Pekerja Fujikura Federal Cables Sdn Bhd

Kesatuan Pekerja Pekerja Kelab Semenanjung Malaysia

Kesatuan Eksekutif Airod (KEA)

UNI Global Union-Malaysia

MTUC Pahang

MTUC Penang Division

MTUC Bahagian Melaka

Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Cawangan Pulau Pinang

MTUC Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan

Senator Syed Shahir bin Syed Mohamud - Senator in the Malaysian Parliament, the Immediate Past President of the Malaysian Trade Union Congress(MTUC), and Executive Secretary to the National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industries Workers.

Charles Hector - human rights defender and lawyer

Mohd Roszeli bin Majid - Vice President (Private Sector) Malaysian Trade Union Congress(MTUC), and also the President of the TNB Junior Officers Union

Pranom Somwong - Workers Hub For Change(WH4C), Asia Pacific Forum on Women , Law and Development ( APWLD),

Badrulzaman bin Mohd Ghazali - the President, Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja MHS Aviation Berhad(MHSEU)

Thursday, April 4, 2013

PRM & 86 lagi - "RENESAS HARUS SEGERA MENGIKTIRAF UNION DAN MENGEMBALIKAN PEKERJAAN WAN NOORULAZHAR"

Kenyataan Media Bersama – 4 April 2013

RENESAS HARUS SEGERA MENGIKTIRAF UNION

DAN MENGEMBALIKAN PEKERJAAN WAN NOORULAZHAR

Kami, 87 pertubuhan masyarakat sivil, kesatuan dan kumpulan yang bertandatangan di bawah memanggil RENESAS Semiconductor KL Sdn Bhd (sebelum ini dikenali sebagai NEC Semiconductors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd] untuk menghormati kebebasan berasosiasi dan hak pengiktirafan efektif untuk adakan collective bargaining, yang merupakan satu hak asasi pekerja yang juga satu daripada nilai asas International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s. RENESAS mesti berhenti tindakan menghalang atau melewatkan, dan segera memberikan pengiktirafan kepada Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Barat Semenjung Malaysia(KSIEWBSM)/ Electronic Industry Employees Union Western Region, Peninsular Malaysia (EIEUWR)[UNION] supaya pekerja di RENESAS boleh akhirnya mula menikmati faedah collective bargaining agreement. Kini sudah lebih 3 tahun sejak UNION mula menuntut pengiktirafan RENESAS pada January 2010.

Di Malaysia, setelah didaftarkan, pengiktirafan majikan diperlukan sebelum UNION dapat mula berunding dan memasuki apa-apa Collective Bargaining Agreement dengan syarikat majikan. UNION perlu menghantar tuntutan pengiktirafan, dan dalam masa 21 hari majikan boleh mengiktiraf atau tidak. Jika pengiktirafan tidak diberikan, pihak Director General of Industrial Relations (DGIR) akan mencelah dan memulakan proses ke arah mengadakan undi sulit (secret ballot) untuk mendapat kepastian bahawa sekurang-kurangnya 50 peratus campur 1 jumlah pekerja yang berkelayakan menjadi ahli UNION mahukan kesatuan – lepas itu Union akan diberikan pengiktirafan dan boleh mula merepresentasi pekerja dengan berkesan.

Walaupun lebih kurang 70% (1,300) pekerja RENESAS yang ada kelayakan menjadi ahli Union sudah menjadi ahli EIEUWR pada masa permohonan pertama untuk pengiktirafan di buat oleh UNION kepada RENESAS, RENESAS tidak member pengiktirafan dan kini selepas 3 tahun, RENESAS masih enggan mengiktiraf union.

Pada 18/1/2010, UNION menghantarserahkan permohonan pertama(1) untuk pengiktirafan kepada RENESAS. Respon RENESAS adalah bahawa ada sebuah jawatankuasa protem in-house union lain yang juga meminta pengiktirafan. Director General of Industrial Relations (DGIR) menolak alasan ini. Kemudian RENESAS mendakwa pula bahawa mereka tidak menerima permohonan pengiktirafan, walaupun permohonan pertama ini telah di hantarserah kepada RENESAS oleh Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah, Presiden UNION, dan RENESAS telah mengesahkan penerimaan. Pihak DGIR akhirnya meminta UNION untuk hantar lagi permohonan untuk pengiktirafan.

Tuntutan kedua(2) untuk pengiktirafan telah di hantar pada 17/8/2010, kali ini mengunakan pos berdaftar akuan terima, di mana sekali lagi RENESAS mendakwa tidak menerima permohonan UNION. Malangnya, UNION juga tidak menerima kembali kad akuan terima dari pihak pos.

Tuntutan ketiga(3) telah dihantar kepada RENESAS pada 8/10/2010, kali ini mengunakan Kourier Nasional Poslaju. Selepas menerima surat UNION, RENESAS telah secara salah cuba menghantar surat UNION kembali kepada Poslaju dengan permintaan surat dikembalikan kepada UNION. Poslaju telah memberikan surat mengesahkan perkara ini. Kali ini, RENESAS tidak boleh lagi menafikan penerimaan, dan sepatutnya pihak DGIR mula melakukan apa yang perlu untuk tujuan mengadakan undi sulit. Tidak ada apa-apa tindakan di pihak DGIR walaupun UNION berkali-kali menuntut tindakan, dan akhirnya UNION terpaksa berpiket pada 12/8/2011 di hadapan Kementerian Sumber Manusia di Putrajaya. DGIR kemudian memberitahu UNION bahawa document relevan hilang/salah letak, dan Timbalan DGIR dipertanggungjawabkan untuk kesalahan tersebut, di mana beliau sejak itu itu ditukar jawatan. Pihak DGIR kemudian meminta pihak UNION untuk membuat satu lagi permohonan pengiktirafan.

Tuntutan keempat(4) dibuat pada 8/9/2011. RENESAS kali ini membalas dengan mencabar, antara lain, pendaftaran UNION EIEUWR itu sendiri, dan kelayakkan Setiausaha Agung UNION (General Secretary), iaitu Bruno Gentil Pereira. Bila Menteri menolak bantahan ini pada 9/4/2012, pada 8/5/2012, RENESAS membuat permohonan kepada Mahkamah Tinggi mencabar keputusan Menteri, di mana Mahkamah Tinggi telah menolak permohonan RENESAS pada 28/6/2012. Selepas itu, RENESAS, merayu kepada Mahkamah Rayuan, yang juga sebulat suara menolak rayuan RENESAS pada 5/12/2012.

Selepas Mahkamah Tinggi menolak permohonan RENESAS pada 28/6/2012, tidak wujud apa-apa perintah Mahmah menghalang pihak DGIR meneruskan dengan proses undi sulit tetapi DGIR tidak berbuat apa-apa.

Selepas banyak protes daripada UNION, DGIR akhirnya pada 14/12/2012 memulakan proses dengan menulis surat kepada RENESAS meminta mereka menghantarserahkan Borang B, sebagaimana diperlukan undang-undang. RENESAS tidak menghantar Borang B, dan surat kedua bertarikh 14/1/2013 telah dihantar oleh DGIR kepada RENESAS. RENESAS tidak melakukan apa yang diperlukan, dan kini pihak DGIR dipercayai sudah menghantar surat ketiga.

Bila akhirnya sampai tarikh undi sulit, pekerja yang berhak mengundi adalah pekerja yang layak pada tarikh tuntutan pengiktirafan dihantarserah, iaitu 8/9/2011 tetapi dengan kehadiran kontrak kerja jangka pendek, ramai pekerja yang sokong UNION pada masa itu sudah tidak lagi berada di RENESAS, di mana ini akan memprejudis UNION, yang masih perlu menunjukkan sokongan dengan memperolehi undi sekurang-kurangnya 50% campur satu berdasarkan senarai pekerja layak pada 8/9/2011. Taktik melambatkan proses undi sulit menguntungkan pihak majikan, dan memprejudiskan UNION.

Wan Noorulazhar, pekerja RENESAS yang juga Presiden UNION lah dibuang kerja pada 26/8/2011 oleh RENESAS di mana kesalahan yang didakwa majikan adalah bahawa beliau telah melakukan tindakan bercanggah dengan polisi khusus syarikat ‘contrary to explicit company policies’. Beliau didakwa membuat kenyataan mengenai cara RENESAS melayan pekerja di dalam sebuah kumpulan Facebook tertutup, di mana ahli kumpulan itu ada rakan pekerja. Salahlaku ini langsung tidak ada kena mengena dengan work performance. Kes pembuangan kerja secara salah kini di Mahkaman Perusahaan.

Trend masa kini Mahkamah Perusahaan adalah bila didapati pembuangan kerja secara salah dilakukan adalah untuk tidak memerintahkan pekerja diambil balik sebagai pekerja tetapi mengarahkan majikan membayar pampasan. Jika tidak diambil balik sebagai pekerja di RENESAS, pekerja di RENESAS akan kehilangan pemimpin. RENESAS sebenarnya boleh pada bila-bila masa mengambil kembali Wan Noorulazhar sebagai pekerja tanpa kehilangan faedah.

Pada 14/3/2013, EIUWR bersama pekerja RENESAS telah sekali lagi mengadakan piket protes di Putrajaya.

Kami menuntut RENESAS Semiconductor KL Sdn Bhd untuk segera mengiktiraf Electronic Industry Employees Union Western Region (EIEUWR), dan segera mengambil balik sebagai pekerja Wan Noorulazhar bin Mohd Hanafiah dan mana-mana pemimpin pekerja yang telah dibuang kerja.