Kuala Lumpur: The government has increased the allocation for the Trade Union Affairs Programme (PHEKS) to RM10 million this year, said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim. He stated that the enhanced funding is intended to strengthen trade union movements by improving skills training and adopting technology.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sim emphasized the importance of the increased allocation in attracting more workers to become union members. He noted that union membership provides a stronger platform for workers to negotiate for better welfare at their workplaces. Sim shared this information during a press conference following a working visit to the Federation of Trade Unions of Independent Statutory Bodies with Segregated Remuneration.

Sim also announced that the government will increase the allocation for the Training and Education Programme cluster under PHEKS to RM30,000, responding to the strong interest shown in the previous year. The cluster’s primary objective is to enhance knowledge about union membership benefits and to train union members to become future leaders, aligning with the aim of empowering workers and trade unions.

PHEKS, managed by the Department of Trade Union Affairs, supports trade unions through training, education programmes, trade union movement research, academic writing, and the purchase of IT equipment for digitizing union management records. The government had allocated RM2.6 million for the programme in 2023 and RM5.8 million the previous year.

Sim further mentioned that KESUMA will establish several task forces to review overlapping and irrelevant acts under its jurisdiction. These task forces will include personnel from KESUMA, as well as representatives from unions, employers, and academia. Sim assured that updates on this initiative will be provided throughout the year.