Union doors to open for foreign workers: MTUC
Speaking to reporters after officiating the 9th International Employment Relations Association (IERA) conference and symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Zainal said he is currently preparing a report on the matter to be submitted to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"Foreign workers should be allowed to join unions. By doing so, their interests will be protected and covered by the CA," said Zainal.
However, he clarified that the foreign workers would not be able to hold any positions in the unions as it is stipulated by law that only Malaysians can do so.
Discriminated
Malaysia is a popular choice for foreign workers, especially those from Indonesia and Bangladesh. They are predominantly employed as labourers in the country's construction and plantation sectors.
Unlike unionised local workers, foreigners generally receive lower wages and are subjected to discrimination by their employers.
Zainal related a recent incident in Rawang, where an employer lost some 250 passports belonging to his foreign employees.
"Under our immigration laws, no one is allowed to keep another's passport," said Zainal who explained that employers resort to such measures because they are afraid that the workers would flee from their jobs.
He also revealed that foreign workers sometimes find themselves in a lurch upon arriving in Malaysia as there are no jobs available for them.
Zainal said he has suggested to the Malaysian government to conduct a government-to-government (G2G) discussions on the matter to enable foreign workers to be brought directly into the country without the need of going through employment agencies.
On another issue, Zainal predicted that about half the workers in Malaysia's electronic sector will be out of a job by the end of the year if the present American economic slowdown does not pick up.
"If the scenario remains the same, then some 90,000 workers from this sector will be out of a job," he said.
