Women workers to benefit from new association<\/p>\n
V.K. Chin, The Star, Asia News Network, Selangor, Malaysia<\/p>\n
The proposed Malaysian Association of Working Women (MAWW)
\nshould give the trade union movement, especially the Malaysian
\nTrades Union Congress (MTUC), some serious food for thought.<\/p>\n
According to MAWW's pro tem president Silam Hassan, the new
\norganization was necessary because many of the issues affecting
\nwomen workers were not properly dealt with by the existing
\nunions.<\/p>\n
This is just telling the trade unions that they have been
\nneglecting the rights and benefits of the female workers or at
\nleast such issues have not been given prominence by the movement.<\/p>\n
After so many years, perhaps the time has come for the women
\nworkers to have their own body to highlight and champion their
\nproblems and surely it has its work all cut out.<\/p>\n
With women forming almost half the workforce, it is only
\nlogical that there is an association especially as almost all the
\npresent trade unions are male-dominated.<\/p>\n
However, Silam is quick to point out that MAWW is an
\nassociation and not a trade union in order to attract women
\nemployees from all levels and this will make it numerically
\nstronger to lobby for its cause.<\/p>\n
So its membership will be open to all women workers
\nirrespective of their positions and this should be welcomed by
\nfemale executives who find themselves mostly in limbo as there is
\nno organization to represent them.<\/p>\n
They cannot be union members because as executives they are
\nnot allowed to join a trade union and so if they should be given
\nunfair treatment, such as being paid a lower salary than their
\nmale colleagues or not being promoted because of their sex, there
\nis no one to help them.<\/p>\n
With the proposed association, such executives can at least
\napproach MAWW to make representations on their behalf to their
\nemployers or to the relevant ministry or department dealing with
\nsuch cases.<\/p>\n
If MAWW should remain neutral and non-political, then it
\nshould be able to attract members in droves and can be an
\norganization to be reckoned with in championing the rights of the
\nfemale workers.<\/p>\n
Two of the outstanding issues concerning women workers are
\nmaternity leave and child-care support and those who take leave
\nfor this purpose may be blacklisted by their employers.<\/p>\n
Some of them will lose out on wages and seniority if they
\nshould take more than the stipulated two-month maternity leave
\nand this is something that the new association would like to put
\nright.<\/p>\n
If properly organized and with the right leadership, MAWW can
\nbe a powerful lobby to get both employers in the public and
\nprivate sector to provide more facilities to encourage married
\nfemale workers to remain in the workforce.<\/p>\n
Otherwise many of them will just leave to look after their
\nchildren because of the lack of support by the employers and the
\ndifficulty in getting good maids to care for their loved ones.<\/p>\n
The new organization should get the full support of both the
\nMinistry of Women and Family Development and the Ministry of
\nNational Unity and Social Development, which are responsible for
\nlooking after the welfare of women in general.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/women-workers-to-benefit-from-new-association-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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