MALAYSIA: Factory Workers Prepared to Go to the Parliament

13/8/2006 Ipoh, MALAYSIA

During the Perak’s Workers Solidarity Night held on 12 August, Coalition of Factory Workers and Unions (GPKK) launched its call for mobilization on 27 September 2006.

On 14 December 2003, in a gathering of factory workers organized by GPKK, a campaign of 6 demands was launched. The campaign since then received tremendous response from people especially the working class in Malaysia. These 6 demands are:

- Enact Minimum Wage Act (900 ringgit Malaysia per month)
- 8 hour working day, including breaks. No to forced overtime!
- 90 days of maternity leave
- Special fund for retrenched workers
- Bonus of minimum 2 month a year and 6 % annual increment of salary
- Every factory is ought to have union, and all unions should be recognized automatically.

In order to gain support on the campaign, a signature drive has been launched which GPKK targeted to get 100 000 of signed postcards. The coalition will be handling over the collected postcards to Prime Minister, on 21 September 2006, at Parliament.

GPKK is one of the coalitions that formed the Oppressed People Network (JERIT). JERIT is a grassroots movement that evolved from ordinary working class and communities that fighting to defend people’s fundamental rights to social justice. The reason of formation of GPKK, is to fill the vacuum of organised progressive working class movement which has been crushed decades ago. In Malaysia today, among the 10 million workforces, merely 8 % of the workers are unionized. In the midst of threats from neoliberal policies of the ruling class, it is definitely essential for the workers in Malaysia today to organize and fight back.

Perak’s Workers Solidarity Night is an annual event organized by workers in the State of Perak. And this year Solidarity Night is the 5th one. Workers from various factories attended the dinner and showed their talents by performing songs, dances and sketch. Representative from Malaysian Trade Unions Congress and members of Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) also participate in the event in solidarity with the workers struggle.

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