Only About Six Per Cent Of Country's Workforce In Unions - Ramanan

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- Only around six per cent of the country's entire workforce is currently in workers’ unions, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.

He said the still-low participation rate shows that many workers do not yet fully understand the role and benefits of joining workers’ unions.

"But I believe we still have room for growth,” he said at the Peninsular Malaysia Workers’ Union Affairs Programme (PHEKS) 2026 grant presentation ceremony here today.

"I don't want our workers to start looking for a union only when faced with problems, as the role of workers’ unions is far bigger than that because they are not there merely to help resolve issues, but instead to help prevent the issues from occurring,” he said.

According to Ramanan, workers’ unions are not just organisations representing the voices of employees, but rather serve as the government's strategic partners in ensuring fair and inclusive economic development, while ensuring that harmonious industrial relations between the government, employers and workers will continue to be the foundation of the country's labour market stability.

Meanwhile, he said that effective use of grants and good governance practices would be among the government's considerations when providing additional allocation in the future.

Ramanan said the government has allocated RM6.1 million for the implementation of the PHEKS 2026 nationwide in a bid to strengthen the workers’ union movement and enhance the capacity of workers’ organisations in facing current labour market challenges.

Of the total, RM3.5 million has been set aside to carry out training, education, research, digitalisation and workers’ union governance empowerment programmes, while another RM2.6 million is for outreach programmes and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

He also stressed the importance of adapting to technological advances, including artificial intelligence (AI), which is now a reality in the workplace, and of upskilling the workforce.

He said that the ministry, through various initiatives, including the Jelajah AI MyMahir under TalenCorp, has allocated RM110 million for skills upgrading programmes for Malaysians.

As of Dec 31, 2025, Malaysia has 786 registered workers’ unions, with over 1.06 million members.

-- BERNAMA