General Secretary USDAW Visits Malaysia 12th – 14th August 2011

Bro John Hannet the General Secretary of the Union Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) from the United Kingdom visited the UNI Global Union-Malaysian Liaison Council (UNI-MLC) and its affiliates in Malaysia on 12^th – 13^th August 2011.

Bro. John’s special interest was with TESCO Store Employees Union in Malaysia. He was accompanied by Bro. Christopher Ng. the Regional Secretary of UNI-APRO and Sis. Alice Chang, the Director of Commerce Sector of UNI-APRO.

In Kuala Lumpur Bro. John was accorded a very warm welcome at the UNI-MLC HQ by Bro. Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal, the President of UNI-MLC and Project Manager of UNI Global Union Projects in Malaysia on 12^th August 2011. It was followed by a presentation of UNICOME activity and the organizing efforts by UNI-MLC and UNICOME. Details of organizing activities in TESCO Store (M) Sdn. Bhd. by UNI-MLC organizers and TESCO Union were discussed.

Bro. John was happy with the progress being made by UNICOME and TESCO Union in Malaysia. He exchanged views with TESCO employees on organizing Retail Sector workers and informed that his meeting with the TESCO Store (M) Sdn. Bhd. Management in the morning was quite positive and he was willing to assist the TESCO Union in Malaysia when the need arises.

Meanwhile, Bro. Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal, Bro. Christopher Ng and Sis. Alice Chang met Mr. Shamsudin Bardin, the Executive Secretary of the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) and exchanged view on organizing the Retail Sector and Employer – Employee Relations in the sector.

Mr. Shamsudin Bardan is a close associate of the UNI Global Union-Malaysian Liaison Council (UNI-MLC) and he is always open to discussion on Employer – Employees Relations.

On the same day (12^th August 2011) Bro. John, Bro. Chris and Sis. Alice together with Bro. Shafie and all the UNICOME organizers met the TESCO Union Executive Committee and members at a “Buka Puasa” (Breaking the fast session) session in Mutiara Damansara. TESCO Union members aired their struggles and grievance to Bro. John and Bro. Chris. Bro. John assured the TESCO Union members that they were on the right track and go on aggressively to organize more of the TESCO Stores in other cities in Malaysia.

On the 13^th August 2011 Bro. John, Bro. Chris, Sis. Alice & Bro. Shafie make a visit to the National Union of Commercial Workers (NUCW) to meet Bro. Nordin President of NUCW, Bro. Mustafa Kasim General Secretary of NUCW and Executive Committee of NUCW for a short meeting.