INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT AMENDMENT BILL 2019
KUCHING: Malaysia Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak believes that the Industrial Relations Act (IRA) Amendment Bill 2019 is a game changer.
MTUC Sarawak secretary Andrew Lo said that the bill will pave the way for the ratification of ILO Convention 87 that gives workers, among many other benefits, the fundamental right to join a union of their choice.
“It will help to propel the way for equitable industrial relations and empower workers to have better bargaining position to improve the terms and conditions of their employment,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said that this would, in turn, lead to high income for the workers and high productivity.
“Employers will have to invest in innovation, smarter human resources management, and manpower planning instead of forever relying on low-skill foreign workers,” Lo said.
He added that this would increase employers’ competitiveness in a global economy.
As stiff challenges would still have to be faced, he called on like-minded employer groups and union leaders to join them in working together to push the country forward in line with international standards.
“Self-serving worker leaders and employer representatives who want to continue to cling to the previous self-defeating and dysfunctional system should have the decency to respect and support the will and supremacy of Parliament. Otherwise, if they have any dignity left, they should resign,” said Lo.
On behalf of all workers and unions in Sarawak in particular and Malaysia in general, MTUC Sarawak expressed its appreciation for MPs and senators for voting to pass the IRA Amendment Bill 2019.
