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 said the increased allocation aims to strengthen trade union movements by enhancing skills training and adopting the use of technology.
"I hope that with the larger funding through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) and the leadership of the trade union movement, we can attract more workers to become union members.
"The benefit of being a union member is that it strengthens a platform for workers to negotiate for better welfare at their workplaces," he said.
Sim said this at a press conference after a working visit to the Federation of Trade Unions of Independent Statutory Bodies with Segregated Remuneration here today.
Sim said the government has also agreed to increase the allocation for the Training and Education Programme cluster under PHEKS to RM30,000 due to its overwhelming response in the previous year.
"The main goal of this cluster is to enhance knowledge about the benefits of union membership and to train union members to become future leaders, in line with the aim of empowering workers and trade unions," he said.
PHEKS, managed by the Department of Trade Union Affairs, is an initiative to support trade unions through training and education programmes, trade union movement research, academic writing and the purchase of IT equipment such as for the digitisation of union management records.
The government allocated RM2.6 million for the programme in 2023 and RM5.8 million last year.
Sim also said that KESUMA will establish several task forces to review overlapping and irrelevant acts under its jurisdiction.
"These task forces will involve not only KESUMA personnel but also representatives from unions, employers and academia.
"All these will be reviewed this year, and I will make announcements from time to time," he added.