Hard Won Victory for Commerce Workers in Malaysia!

Commerce workers at Robinson & Co. in Malaysia have voted in favour of the union, Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Robinson & Co. (Malaya) Sdn. Bhd., and are now poised to win recognition to represent employees at Robinson & Co. from the labour ministry and the company. The union can now begin negotiating their first collective agreement.

 Robinson employees also voted to join the UNI Malaysia Labour Centre.

is significant win for retail workers in Malaysia comes after months of behind the scenes work by the President of the UNI Malaysia Labour Council, Mohammed Shafie and his team of organisers. The vote in favour of unionisation was passed with a 56.52% majority.

Head of UNI Commerce Alke Boessiger, who was visiting workers in Malaysia, said, “UNI is breaking through in Malaysia! This is a great victory for our Malaysian affiliate union, and all the Robinson workers. This victory proves that retail workers are joining together all over the world for collective agreements, dignity and safety in the workplace and workers’ rights. “Including You” is the theme of the UNI Global Union World Congress in Cape Town in December and the message of inclusivity and union growth is alive and well across the globe, including now at Robinson in Malaysia. UNI Boleh! Robinson workers Boleh!”

Alke Boessiger also made store visits to Japanese owned supermarket Aeon with organisers from the UNI Malaysia Labour Centre and met with the union committee at IKEA Kuala Lumpur.

http://uniglobalunion.org/news/hard-won-victory-commerce-workers-malaysia