The right to form an independent union as opposed to a yellow, company union, is an issue that many workers around the world face. In Malaysia, timber workers have been fighting a long hard fight against their employer, Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), part of the global giant Avantha Group. SFI has stifled workers’ attempts to form their own union for over 20 years and latest reports indicate that it is preparing legal action against the workers. A global campaign has been set up to send protest letters to the company. Co-ordinated industrial action by workers at other sites of the Avantha conglomerate would also be effective in supporting the workers in Sabah.
The right to form an independent union as opposed to a yellow, company union, is an issue that many workers around the world face. In Malaysia, timber workers have been fighting a long hard fight against their employer, Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), part of the global giant Avantha Group. SFI has stifled workers’ attempts to form their own union for over 20 years and latest reports indicate that it is preparing legal action against the workers. A global campaign has been set up to send protest letters to the company. Co-ordinated industrial action by workers at other sites of the Avantha conglomerate would also be effective in supporting the workers in Sabah.
