UA Zensen, Japan. Forum

UNI-APRO, UA-ZENSEN JAPAN & UNI-MLC MALAYSIA FORUM

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO GROW COMPANIES AND UNIONS, KUALA LUMPUR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Forum on “Management & Union Working in Partnership to Grow Company and Union” was held in partnership with UA Zensen, Japan and was attended by Malaysian affiliates from the various commerce unions in Malaysia on the 05^th December 2013 at Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur. 

 “We hope that unions can adopt a democratic industrial relation with their companies so that they can secure the decent work agenda based on labour laws,” said Hiroshi Yamakawa, Assistant General Secretary of UA Zensen, Japan. Along with Yamakawa was a delegation from the Federation of AEON Group Workers’ Union with Kenji Niizuma, President, Tetsu Murakami, Chairperson of the International Group, and Mana Okada, Vice Chairperson of the International Group.

Kenji Niizuma shared the structure of AEON Retail Workers’ Union in Japan and its industrial relations principles. The union hopes that by expanding its business, the AEON company can contribute to the development of each country and improve the economic and social status of workers by developing democratic labour movements.

Christopher Ng, Regional Secretary of UNI Apro, highlighted that the hostile image of trade unions need to be revamped so that unions and managements can build trusting partnership for a harmonious industrial labour movement. The forum also included an interactive session moderated by Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal, President of UNI Malaysian Labour Centre, with Satoshi Tamai, UNI Apro Director of Organising, Rajendra Acharya, UNI Apro Director of Trade Union Development Activities, and Alice Chang, UNI Apro Director of Commerce. The speakers shared their experiences and case studies on how to establish trade unions. They added that unionists need to put on more confidence, to be a good listener, and to use creative ways to organize and reach out to different profiles.