A Practical Guide to the Trade Unions Act & Regulations 1959

This book explains, with relevant case law, the Trade Unions Act 1959 incorporating the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act 2024. This Amendment Act was gazetted on 12 January 2024 and came into force on 15 September 2024.

The amendment involves 30 amended sections, five new sections and one repealed section. We have also included the Trade Unions Regulations 1959 incorporating the Trade Unions (Amendment) Regulations 2024.

This book also contains a list of FAQs with answers. It is a useful book that would be of interest to trade union officers, employers and HR practitioners in a unionized company.

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About the Authors

T. Balasubramaniam began his career as a Kirkby-trained teacher in 1960 and has been involved in industrial relations since 1961 when he served as the Secretary of MTUC Terengganu Division. After obtaining a Second-Class Upper Honours in Social Science (Econs) with distinction in Industrial Relations, he joined the Malayan Council of Employers Organisations (MCEO) as the Deputy Secretary in 1976. Following the dissolution of MCEO in 1978, he was appointed as the Industrial Relations Advisor in MEF. During his tenure at MEF, he obtained his LLB (Hons).

Upon his retirement in 1996, he founded Meca Employers Consulting Agency in which he was the CEO and Principal Legal Advisor. In December 2007, he retired from MECA but continued as Chairman and remained involved in an advisory capacity. He has served on the National Labour Advisory Council, represented employers before the Industrial Court and Labour Court, and worked as a part-time lecturer in Labour Law at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Additionally, he served as a part-time tutor in Economics at the University of Malaya and in Quantitative Methods at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He has conducted numerous courses on labour law and industrial relations and authored nine previous books on labour law.

Mooi Poh Kong A.M.N. holds a BA (Hons) in History from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He joined the Ministry of Human Resources in 1997 as an Assistant Director in the Industrial Relations Department Headquarters. Over time, he was elevated to the position of Senior Assistant Director and in 2008, to the role of Director, Legal Division. In this capacity, he oversaw various matters including advisory services, law amendments, judicial reviews, investigations and prosecutions. It was during this period that he pursued and obtained his Diploma in Industrial Relations and Bachelor of Jurisprudence (External), both from the University of Malaya.

Moving up the career path, Mooi was appointed Labour Attache at the High Commission of Malaysia in Singapore in 2011. In this role, he provided assistance to Malaysian workers facing employment issues or distress while working in Singapore. Upon his return in 2013, he assumed the position of Director (Sarawak Branch) at the Industrial Relations Department until 2015. Subsequently, he was promoted to Senior Director (Law and Enforcement) at the Trade Unions Affairs Department in Putrajaya. In this capacity, he was involved in various initiatives, including the amendment of the Trade Unions Act 1959 and its regulations, until his retirement in 2020. Currently, Mooi serves as a Consultant in industrial relations matters.