Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) workers will be receiving a 10 percent pay increment, a bonus for the year, and full salaries before the Hari Raya celebrations next week, announced the Indah Water Union.

Union executive secretary, V Selvam, today confirmed that the union has succeeded in achieving all its three targets for the year.

However, he declined to provide further details of the bonus settlement since it has yet to be approved by the finance minister.

"The management knew how serious we were especially as we have 98 percent membership of all IWK workers," said Selvam when asked why the management agreed to the union's demands after only one day of discussion.

The union had threatened to go on a nationwide picket after the Raya holidays should their demands not be met.

Negotiations were held on Dec 6, involving a 10-person team from the union and three representatives of the IWK management, led by the human resource general manager, Rozi Baharuddin.

Last year, the union also turned out victorious after a direct negotiation with the company CEO, Suhaimi Kamalralzaman, in which two principle demands were satisfied - a five percent increment and one-month bonus.

"The management acknowledged that this year's increment should be higher as they have to make up for the two-year salary freeze between 1998 and 1999," said Selvam in reference to the agreement between the workers and the management following the onset of the Asian economic crisis.

Recognition in January

Indah Water Union's 98 percent membership translates to over 1,000 members, making it the most represented union affiliated with the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC). However, the union is still awaiting recognition by the director-general of the Industrial Relations Department.

The executive secretary said that a recognition notice had been handed in to the IWK management in July last year. The IRD, to whom the matter was then referred, carried out a membership verification exercise in September this year.

"We expect recognition to be conferred sometime in January next year," said Selvam.

The union representative added that although no hitches are expected in the recognition process, the delay had been frustrating and the lack of an official status had affected the union's bargaining power.