Decent Work Agenda by 2010

According to Bernama, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said his ministry will have the national ‘Decent Work Agenda’ implemented by 2010. The Decent Work Agenda, themed ‘Realising Decent Work’, was visualised through the ministry’s Strategic Plan from 2008 to 2010, focusing on six priority areas.

These areas include creating job opportunities and ensuring workers rights, ensuring harmonious industrial relations, and solving industrial disputes with fairness and justice.

Dr Subramaniam, in his message in conjunction with World Day for Decent Work tomorrow, was reported to have said:

To meet this challenge, the ministry has launched the National Blueprint for Skills Development and Training from 2008 to 2020, themed “Skilled Workforce – Driving Global Competitiveness in Malaysia.

“Driving Global Competitiveness in Malaysia”? Sounds a bit like a PR spin. What about the big Nike conundrum in August this year? What about those construction workers who died on site in April?

 

This notwithstanding, Dr. Subra was reported to have said that since August 99,801 inspections were conducted in various work premises to ensure employers provided a safe and healthy working environment for workers. This is well and good, but out of those 99,801, it would be good to know how many were fined, or had committed offences, and what exactly is being done to rectify the wrongs.