Workers Unions Can Solve Forced Labour Issue Says Mtuc

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Several Malaysian companies, including those manufacturing latex gloves and palm oil-related products, have been banned by the US over forced labour claims. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: The issue of forced labour can be resolved if the government makes it compulsory for companies to have workers’ unions, says the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).
Its secretary-general, Kamarul Baharin Mansor, said many companies implicated over forced labour did not have such unions.
“The government should strengthen workers’ unions. It should make it compulsory for companies to set up such unions,” he said in a statement today.
“This will help the government in solving the forced labour issue.”

He said workers’ unions could be the “eyes and ears” for the government by carrying out their own checks on the companies.
“This policy is in line with the government’s ratification of Convention 98 (C98) of the International Labour Organization which sets out the right to organise unions and collective bargaining,” he said.
Kamarul also urged the human resources ministry to increase its number of officers, saying it was impossible for the present 400 officers to check every company which hired foreign workers.
He said each time the ministry investigated alleged forced labour activity at a company, it was already too late as the factory was forced to shut down and its workers laid off.
“The workers are laid off because restrictions have been placed on goods produced by the company.
“(If necessary), the government has to take drastic measures by charging the company and sending its directors to prison for committing forced labour,” he said.
Last month, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) revealed that eight out of 1,000 workers in the oil palm industry were in forced labour.
Several Malaysian companies, including those exporting latex gloves and palm oil-related products, have recently been banned by the US Customs and Border Protection over forced labour claims. - FMT

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