Workers voted yes to union in Malaysia’s timber company

Last 15 April, the BWI-affiliated Timber Employees Union of Peninsular Malaysia (TEUPM) became the sole and exclusive bargaining organisation of workers at the Hok Lai Timber Company, after it won in a certification of election determined through secret ballot. 

According to TEUPM leader Norazlan Yaacob, Hok Lai Timber fully cooperated with the conduct of the election, expressing no resistance to the idea of workers organising to form a union. However, he said that the company was surprised with the outcome of the election, with majority of its workers voting in favour of forming a union. Yaacob said that a total of 137 workers voted, with more than 80 percent voting preferably for the establishment of a workplace union. 

The union got a big boost from migrant workers employed at Hok Lai Timber. The workers lamented that the company was not prompt in releasing their salaries. They also said that they have a hard time applying for paid leaves compared to local workers.

TEUPM said that the formal recognition it received from the industrial relations department also helped them in being certified as the sole and legitimate union of Hok Lai workers. 

Hok Lai Timber is one of the major manufacturers and suppliers of plywood, veneer, timber and wood pellet. Its factories are located in Bidor, Perak, Malaysia. The company is PEFC-certified.