KLK estate workers to get terrace houses

Thursday April 26, 2007

IJOK: Workers from three estates belonging to Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) Bhd would be able to own single storey terrace houses after their employer implements a housing schemes in the near future.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the company had already agreed to implement the scheme after obtaining the approval from the relevant authorities.

“The workers in Tuan Mee, Caledonia and Coalfield estates would be the main beneficiaries,” he said to roaring approval from the Indian voters who were gathered at the small community centre.

Tuan Mee’s senior manager Chuan Chong Meng, National Union of Plantation Workers general secretary Datuk G. Sankaran, MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel and other MIC leaders were also present.

Samy Vellu said the estate workers had put forward the proposal for houses two days ago and they were here to give the good news.

“This is how the Barisan Nasional government works. We discussed and got the approvals within a short time for the benefit of the estate people,” he said.

Samy Vellu said estate workers who wanted to upgrade their houses or even own bungalows could do so after discussions with the company, which is constructing the houses.

“I must thank the management of KLK for taking into consideration the problems of the estate workers and deciding on the housing scheme within a short period,” he said.

Living a Taiko Lifestyle… To Gain or Continually Loss

The most priceless asset of a Taiko staff is ‘experience’. Every year you becomes a better exponent of his trade provided you takes an interest to learn with time. With the shortage of staff recently, the best strategy is coping with this, is to keep experience staff with good track record. This applies to all levels of employee too. Our experience will be required to train and guide the young recruits who will become the future strong pillars of the industry and the nation. On the contrary, some organizations seem quite happy with the high turnover of experience staff and employees. This is a costly affair as experience is an asset which is very much needed in the Planting Industry.

There seems to be a strong pull factor from Sime Darby Plantation to attract our experience planters to work with them. Our loss is Sime Darby’s gain. Why do some of us want to leave? More money or unhappiness to work within TAIKO? For some it could be about money but for many it could be unhappiness. Ask many staff of his opinion of working in Sime Darby, they were well paid (for OT and WDR) for their job. But what’s could shock us is that they’re rewarded accordingly, without considering it is a staff or an executive. Do we get that? They believe that staff individually should be one small piece of their jigsaw puzzle. Then I wonder do we have our own jigsaw puzzle? Or we just missed it…

Now, please read this shit. We have to seriously look into establishing a TAIKO brand of planters and millers who are high achievers and second-to-none. TAIKO - could be the number one exporter of palm oil and well ahead of the rest of the other company in research and technology in managing the plantation and processing, should seize this opportunity to do branding. If not, all we have in TAIKO will be lost. You won’t understand this if you still put the frame of your title in front of everything. What I believe is some of us (or them) will reject this. For sure there is a gap between staff and executive. And there should be a bigger gap if you are an executive (because this is written by staff). But please put all these feelings aside.

WHAT IF one day we have to import inexperience staff while our experienced staffs were migrated to other company? This is what happened yesterday in TAIKO when executives migrated to other company. It could be considered as a dramatic loss while Sime Darby gains a lot. Though our present experienced planters and millers are still sought after by other company, this will not be for long as the number of experience planters and millers with good track record has declined due to over the years due to retirement, rapid expansion, working off shore and less new takers to join us, or they don’t belong here.

WHAT IF all our staff starts thinking that we can get job in TAIKO, but our career should be in Sime Darby, LUTH, UP etc. The question is do TAIKO provide job or career for staff and serve them with the right package to come and stay? With so many job available in the market, the estate environment, “the estate staff don’t have the right to buy car” mentality (what I heard from Refreshment Course candidates) it is definitely very competitive to recruit the right candidates with right discipline due to limited choice and people’s presumption. It can be changed somehow…


“ THERE ARE NO BAD SOLDIERS BUT BAD OFFICERS “

Statik dan Naik

Berita kenaikan gaji untuk penolong pengurus dan pengurus ladang memang menggembirakan kepada golongan-golongan ini. Tahniah dan ini merupakan satu langkah yang baik dari pihak pengurusan kerana mengambil berat akan kebajikan para pekerja mereka di saat ekonomi semasa negara merudum. Terima kasih KLK! "Still Going Strong!"

Tetapi berita gembira ini tidak dapat diraikan oleh kakitangan sektor perladangan memandangkan mereka tidak termasuk dalam semakan gaji yang telah diwar-warkan pada bulan Februari lepas. Sudah tentulah perkara ini amat menngecewakan kakitangan perladangan. Cuma satu yang mahu dinyatakan di sini, bagaimana pula dengan kami?

Memang kakitangan perladangan ada persatuan iaitu AMESU (bukan 100% yang menyertai) iaitu AMESU, dan kakitangan perladangan terikat dengan perjanjian dengan MAPA yang diperbaharui setiap 3 tahun sekali. Bukanlah tidak bagus, tetapi tempoh semakan yang dibuat adalah terlalu lama dan kadar kenaikan yang diberikan tidak berpatutan dengan beban kerja yang dibuat. Bagaimanapun ini boleh dianggap agak bagus berbanding daripada tidak ada sebarang semakan lanngsung!


Kebanyakan kakitangan perladangan dalam KLK menikmati kenaikan gaji tahunan serendah RM35/- setahun. Sebelum itu, cuba fikirkan kadar kenaikan yang saya nyatakan, RM35/- setahun? Ya, itulah yang berlaku sekarang!

Sekarang bandingkan dengan kategori penolong pengurus dan pengurus ladang. Mereka sekurang-kurangnya menikmati kadar kenaikan RM200/- setahun. Untuk rekod, pengurus ladang pula dimaklumkan diberikan elaun telefon dan elaun hiburan! Menarik untuk didengar? Ya, memang ramai yang tarik muka disebabkan semakan gaji kali ini.

Dalam suasana ekonomi negara dan global gawat mereka tersenyum dan yang lain masih lagi menanggung kepayahan. Adilkah semua ini?