exclusive More than 4,000 workers have been de-unionised because their company products were classified under 'electronics'.

The workers hail from Hiroshige (Nilai), Wong Engineering (Penang), Soritsu Technology, Kobe Precision and TEM Casting Products (the last three in Shah Alam).

Malaysian Trades Union Congress secretary-general G Rajasekaran said these companies produce iron and copper casts, fabricated metal products and materials used in electrical and electronic appliances.

"These are not electronic products," Rajasekaran told malaysiakini.

Rajasekaran said Trade Unions director-general Izhar Harun classified these companies under 'electronics' after the workers submitted an application to their employers for recognition of their union.

The workers have registered with the Metal Industries Employees Union last year.

When the union applied for recognition, their employers objected, and Izhar had to intervene in the matter.

However, it was only about a year later that the workers were told about their de-unionised status.

Rajasekaran said this was simply "an excuse" to restrict workers from organising themselves despite laws in the country giving them the right to association.

Since early 1980s, electronic workers are banned from forming a national union. However, they are allowed to form in-house unions.

But the process of setting up in-house unions was lengthy, involving many bureaucratic levels, union representatives say.

Activists who initiate such unions were often penalised by the management, resulting in the pursuit being abandoned.

Shocked

Rajasekaran said MTUC had met with Trade Union Affairs officials in the Human Resources Ministry regarding the matter.

He said he showed the chief secretary of the Trade Union Affairs Department the metal parts (photo) and asked for clarification on how the materials were classified.

"The chief secretary was at a lost for words when we told him the materials were considered electronic products. He said he had no authority to handle the matter. We could see clearly that he was shocked," he said.

Rajasekaran said MTUC will request for a meeting with Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn soon.

He believed that workers from 20 other companies are facing similar problems.

A memorandum detailing the problems of Malaysian workers when seeking union recognition will also be submitted to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Rajasekaran said.

"We are not asking for something so big. This is a basic human right."