GUPPY UNION GET HARRASED AGAIN!

GUPPY UNION GET HARRASED AGAIN!

Cheras Jaya, Monday, 27th. November 2000

Today two office bearers of the Guppy union, Zaidah and Visalatchy were told

to attend a domestic Inquiry. The domestic Inquiry was called after the

Company- Guppy Plastic Industries Sdn. Bhd. were unhappy of the reasons

given by the workers in respond to a show cause letter.

The workers received show cause letters last week alleging they did not

attend work without permission. Though both the union members have notified

the company about their absence, yet they were still called for an Inquiry.

It is no secret that the workers were called up because they held important

position in the union and the company was not very comfortable with this.

They wanted to punish them for attending court cases of fellow union members

who were sacked.

In 1998, the company sacked three key office bearers of the union. The three

were sacked immediately after the Company knew that they were the union

leaders. The three sacked were Chairperson Koyilvani, Secretary Roshamiza

and Treasurer, Kanniamah. The three were sacked without a Domestic Inquiry

being called. Their case is now pending in the Industrial Court. The company

dreamed that with the sacking of the three, the union would eventually die

off. That didn't happen and in-fact the 200 odd union members elected the

three again to their respective positions.

Today at the companies gates, another drama unfolded. The Guard with the

instruction from the company refused to allow the Union members, witnesses

and the Union IRO officer to enter. The company cited that in a domestic

inquiry, only current workers could attend. A police petrol car also came

when were called by the company. The police disappeared quite fast after

knowing that there is no issue for their presence. The accused when met the

Company officers briefly, were told and reminded that their wages is being

paid by the company and they should only listen to the company. Then the

Domestic Inquiry was postponed indefinitely. The Union then lodged a report

at the Industrial Relations Department on the way the enquiry was planned

and questioned the whole notion of a due inquiry as stated by the law.

The workers of Guppy Union are proud to have an all women office bearers to

run the union. Since the formation of the union, a number of issues such as

transport allowance, work safety and wages have improved. The company do not

want to give recognition to the union and is trying very hard to get the

union closed. The company's efforts have failed so far. The three sacked

officer bearers were offered numerous settlements as long as they don't come

back to work. The three have strongly and principally stated that they want

to be back because they have still a lot of unfinished work to build the

union.