EIEUNR seeks better terms for secret ballot process in global Molex plant

 

Alleging union-busting tactics that halted a secret ballot process last week, Malaysia’s Electronics Industry Employees’ Union, Northern Region (EIEUNR) will seek improved terms in its next attempt for its recognition process at Molex (M) Sdn Bhd.

The EIEUNR union leaders have been called to attend an urgent meeting tomorrow, March 4, with the Industrial Relations Department (IRD) in Penang to discuss the union’s allegations with Molex representatives.

EIEUNR general secretary David Arulappen said they were also expecting to renegotiate the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding that would facilitate the activities in the lead up to and on the secret ballot day.

The foremost criteria, he said, would be for EIEUNR to have an audience with workers in the factory as an indication of the employer’s goodwill in allowing them to explain the secret ballot process.

“Workers had revealed to us, with credible proof, that the company’s human resources (HR) director had threatened to cut benefits should the union win the secret ballot.

“So, this time around, we want to be invited to employee briefings and explain to workers, on every shift, the purpose of the secret ballot and how it would be carried out.

David Arulappen

“The reason for this secret ballot is because Molex didn’t voluntarily recognise our majority support in the factory,” Arulappen said, describing Molex as a global manufacturer of electronics components such as connectors, semiconductors, fibre optics cable assemblies, membrane switches and sockets.

Molex remains mum

Last week, Arulappen told Malaysiakini that this was not the first time the union was faced with the electronics manufacturer’s union-busting tactics and their last attempt at a secret ballot process in 2016 saw zero turnout.

The union had also written to the Molex board of directors based at the company’s headquarters in the United States but it has not received any response.

The letter was copied to other local and global trade union bodies and workers’ rights organisations like the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC), lndustriALL Global Union’s Geneva office, Electronic Watch, Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the United States Embassy in Malaysia.

When contacted by Malaysiakini following the postponement of the secret ballot, Molex Malaysia’s human resources director Mohamed Faisal Khairudin too had nothing to comment on the matter.

Make secret ballot available to all

Arulappen said the union would also ensure that the secret ballot would be carried out over two or three days to allow workers from all shifts to participate in their right to organise in the factory, which is based in the Perai Industrial Area in mainland Penang.

“In a factory that runs on a 24-hour rotating shift, workers are placed on 12-hourly shifts but if the secret ballot was held from 10 am to 10pm on a single day, workers from two other shifts will not be able to participate.

“We will also ensure that the secret ballot is held to coincide with the time workers change shifts to better facilitate workers from two shifts.

“This is also important because there is always one shift that is resting,” he explained.

Use employee ID to register

Arulappen said workers forgetting to bring their identification cards (ID) to qualify them to vote was another popular reason that contributed to workers losing their chance to cast a ballot.

“We will propose that the workers be allowed to use their company ID tag and employee number to register to vote.

“If a worker’s employee number is a reference used in the company’s remuneration processes, then we don’t see why they cannot use the same employee number (on their work ID cards) to register and cast a ballot.

“This would especially be useful to women, who usually just hop on and off the factory transport without a handbag or purse,” he said.

Arulappen added that the factory also employed Nepali migrant workers who would be required to display their passport and that the company ID card could help ease this process. - Mkini