The 1,200-strong Union of Forestry Employees Sarawak (UFES) has claimed that the corporatisation exercise involving the Forestry Department has not complied with Public Service Department procedures.

UFES secretary Mohd Ali Yaacub levelled the charge at a press conference yesterday, following a dialogue session in Sibu for more than 200 of the department's personnel.

The dialogue, to discuss the corporatisation exercise, was attended by the Ministry of Resource Planning and Development permanent secretary Hamzah Drahman, Sarawak Forestry Director Cheong Ek Choon and several human resource officers from the Chief Minister's Department.

Procedure disregarded

Citing circular JAP Bil 6/2000, Mohd Ali said any government agency that is to be privatised must first set up a task force, among other measures.

"The forestry department's failure to do so has caused confusion and raised a number of problems for workers," he alleged.

Mohd Ali said the union was not against the exercise, but that it was dissatisfied with the way it was being implemented. He urged the relevant authorities to hold more discussions with the union.

"We will not accept the (establishment of) Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) Sdn Bhd if the implementors cut corners or disregard procedures and the rights of staff members," he said.

He also said the union was seeking to negotiate a collective agreement with the SFC management. To facilitate this, he said the SFC should set out terms and conditions of service for the staff before sending out offer letters to prospective employees.

"I am amazed that the corporation has not made clear-cut offers. It is not right to expect the workers to agree blindly to non-existent terms and conditions of service," he pointed out.

"We have found out that the workers are expected to accept their lot while waiting for the corporation to come up with the terms and conditions of service. But how are we going to accept something that does not exist?"

Increment sought

On staff salaries, Mohd Ali said the union had sought an increment of 17.5 percent which was fixed about seven years ago. This would increase to about 30 percent under the corporatisation exercise.

"The move to corporatise the department has been postponed seven times since 1997. If various problems are not resolved, then implementation may not be achieved in June as targeted," he added.

SFC, set up with an expatriate from Canada as its chief executive officer, operates from the Sarawak Timber Association's new building in Kuching. It will take over many of the forestry department's key functions and operations.

The corporation has been placing job advertisements in local newspapers to fill numerous vacancies at managerial and professional levels.

UFES is unhappy because intake of its members may be reduced, while many may find it difficult to fit into the new scheme of things.

Malaysiakini

understands that the union hopes to persuade SFC to retain current employees o­n improved terms of service.

Future needs

The state government established SFC to outsource management of forestry resources and conservation and to ensure that the timber industry complies with international standards and practices in extraction.

Timber is a major source of income for the state, accounting for nearly RM6 billion in foreign exchange, mainly from the export of round logs, plywood and other timber and timber-based products.

Sarawak produces about 11 million cubic metres of logs per year, of which about 60 percent is retained for domestic processing. It is now planting up to two million hectares of forest plantations to ensure ready supply for processing and manufacturing industries.

Replanting is being undertaken by six large timber companies o­n logged-over areas or forest areas which have already reached the end of their harvesting cycle. These are being rehabilitated with the planting of fast-growing timber species.