Nine employees of Kiswire Sdn Bhd in Johor have claimed they were sacked for union activities but their management said they were dismissed for sleeping during working hours.

The nine, who were terminated on Jan 27, also claimed Kiswire, a Korean company, had instructed its workers to reject membership of the Metal Industry Employees Union (MIEU).

An in-house union for the factory had been approved by the Human Resources Ministry on Aug 15 last year but the company had rejected setting one up, said MIEU president Kamarus Zaman Mansor, spokesperson for the nine, today.

On Oct 15, the ministry invoked its powers under Section 9(5) of the 1967 Industrial Relations Act and recognised Kiswires in-house union which is affiliated to MIEU.

Since the union was approved, the management tried to employ all kinds of dirty tricks to stop the union from being established, said Kamarus, adding, The company has totally disregarded the ministrys orders and the countrys labour laws.

Kamarus said the company had also prevented its workers from attending the unions annual general meeting in a public venue in Pasir Gudang last week. The management had told the workers that the meeting was illegal as it did not have a police permit.

He said the company was against the in-house union as it (the company) wanted to delay discussions on a collective agreement involving 200 workers.

The company is expecting a proposal soon from the union on the collective agreement. We believe the termination of the nine workers, who are committee members of the union, has something to do with the CA, said Kamarus.

Photographic evidence

Kamarus urged Kiswire to re-instate the terminated workers immediately and without conditions. He said MIEU would be filing an unlawful dismissal suit against the factory under Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act..

Kiswire human resources manager Zainuddin Abdul Majid, when contacted, denied allegations that the company had attempted to sabotage the workers union activities.

He said the company had conducted proper domestic inquiries for the nine and had then decided to terminate them due to disciplinary problems.

They were sleeping in the factory next to our heavy industry machines. It is very dangerous, we have photos to prove that they were sleeping, Zainuddin said.

He also denied that the company had pressured the workers to reject membership in MIEU.

The union leaders were frustrated that they did not get any support from the workers so they made up this story. But weve got evidence that it was they who asked the workers not to sign the MIEU membership forms, he said.

Zainuddin said there was no need for a union in Kiswire as its employees enjoyed excellent benefits including RM2,000 monthly salaries, housing subsidies and daily allowances.

Most of the people who want to set up the union are lazy workers. If they are good in their job, dont you think the company knows how to appreciate them? he asked.