KUCHING: The Sarawak Bank Employees Union has called on the state and federal governments to stop playing politics with the plight of Sarawakian workers.
“They must make sure the Sarawak Labour Ordinance is on par with the federal government’s Employment Act (Amendment) 2012 and the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019, without further delay,” said SBEU chief executive officer Andrew Lo.
“The awkward situation of “one country, three sets of labour laws” must be ended as it only resulted in Sarawakian workers being sacrificed,” he claimed.
Lo raised the issue while commenting on the recent passage of the Trade Union (Amendment) (TUA) Bill by Dewan Negara.
He said SBEU believes its passage will lead to more effective unions.
It will make it easier for workers to join unions and contribute to efforts to raise the workers share of gross domestic product (GDP) which is at a historical low, said Lo.
“The passage of TUA means that all labour laws amended to improve the rights and benefits of workers, including the Industrial Relations Act, Employment Act and Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 are passed.
“We however deeply regret that the Sarawak Labour Ordinance is still not amended despite the Employment Act having been amended twice in 2007 and 2021,” he said in a statement.
He stated the delay is unacceptable as workers in Sarawak, especially the non-unionised employees are worse off than their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia, thus offending their constitutional right to equality under the law.
