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One of the Issues of the Trade Union

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One of the Issues of the Trade Union
Minimum wages rate

One of the current issues that the Trade Unions concerned about is the suggestion of setting a minimum wage rate by the Prime Minister. Setting a minimum wage rate is about setting a basic salary for all employees. This can ensures that all employees can be protected from getting a low paid. The minimum wage is said to be set at around RM800 to RM1000. How would trade union react to the above matter? How to enhance the role of trade union in protecting the welfare of the employees? All of the questions will be discussed below.

The Department of Trade Unions Affairs (formerly known as Registry of Trade Unions) was establish on July 1946 to enforce the Trade Union Enactment 1940. This Ordinance was then revised and renamed as Trade Unions Act 1959. Trade union is an association that acts as a voice of the employees. It is also said as a tools of communication between the employees and employers. Trade unions are created to protect the interest of the members (employees). Besides, it helps to build a better relationships between the employees and the employers. The trade unions also represent the employees with regards of trade disputes. Not just only that, trade union also helps to handle the collective bargaining with the employer in obtaining a collective agreement. The trade union is said to establish to fight for the rights for employees. It is also to helps in protecting the welfare of the employees.

Over the past 40 years, the government stated that the wage rate should be determined by the market force. But for the past 40 years, the government has been shown to be the pro-employers and pro-business. They concerns about their business rather than the welfare of the employees. The wage rate in Malaysia was being suppressed.This strategy of “market force” is said to be an unfair treatment to some of the employees. According to the 2010 National Employment Returns, there are about 34% of Malaysians earning with less than



Bibliography: Aminuddin, M. (2009) Malaysian industrial relations and employment law, 6th. edn., McGraw-Hill, Kuala Lumpur. Andrew Lo. 2011. Making a case for minimum wage rate. [ONLINE] Available at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/22/sarawak/8732933&sec=sarawak. [Accessed 01 April 12]. D 'Cruz, M.N. (2005) A handbook of Malaysian labor laws, Leeds, Kuala Lumpur. MTUC. (2009). Affiliates. Available: http://www.mtuc.org.my/affliates.htm. Last accessed 1th April 2012. Nanura. (2012). Minimum wage rate. Available: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/3/29/business/11007657&sec=business . Last accessed 1st April 2012 . Salamon, M. (1998) Industrial relations: theory and practice, 3rd. edn., Prentice Hall, Hertfordshire.

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