By Nianna Lungah Anak Titat (100106) Year 2 IREP Student
On January 16, 2025, the Industrial Relations and Employment Club (IREC), Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH), had organised a lecture entitled “Industrial Harmony in Industrial Relations: Progressive Wage Policy – Justice to Workers” at Dewan Kristal HEPA, UNIMAS. This lecture was delivered by Tuan Jack Meredu Anak Ko and was attended by a total of 60 Year 2 IREP students.
Jack Meredu is a former Adjunct Professor at FSSH. He has extensive experience in the field of industrial relations and labour affairs. His first appointment was in 1977 as a Labour Inspector at the Sarawak Department of Labour. He has also served in various government departments and ministries, not only in Sarawak but also in Kelantan and Putrajaya. Before his retirement in 2018, he was the Director of the Sarawak Department of Labour. Due to his strong commitment, he was involved in several international-level negotiations as a negotiator. These include the Trans-Pacific Strategic Partnership Agreement (TPPA) [Labour Chapter] from 2011–2012 and the Free Trade Agreement Negotiation (FTA) (Malaysia-EU) from 2011–2013. Jack Meredu is also an alumni of FSSH [Master of Social Sciences (Industrial Relations and Labour Studies) 2004].
This talk aims to provide exposure to UNIMAS students, especially students of Industrial Relations and Employment Programme, about the concept of Progressive Wage Policy (PWP) and how it can guarantee justice for workers. In addition, this talk sheds light on the importance of a progressive wage policy in ensuring fair and harmonious industrial relations. The talk also emphasized the link between fair wages and increased worker’s productivity as well as social justice in the workplace. Issues related to employment and the labour market were also discussed, including challenges such as wage imbalances between employment sectors, and the issue of contract workers.
This talk explains how the PWP can motivate workers to improve their productivity and performance at work. The need for employers to recognize the efforts of employees through salary increment that are in line with their contributions is also emphasized. At the same time, Tuan Jack also touched on current issues in the labour market such as job uncertainty, competition in the job market, and the increasing number of gig workers. A more inclusive and dynamic approach in wage policy is proposed to address these challenges. In the talk, participants were exposed to the importance of understanding workers’ rights, including labour laws and regulations involving wages. This knowledge is important to ensure the balance of power between employers and employees.
Overall, this lecture received a very positive response from the students. This lecture also provided great benefit to IREP students, not only in understanding the concept of progressive wage policy but also in appreciating the role of harmonious industrial relations in economic and social development. This talk is expected to raise awareness about the justice and well-being of workers, as well as inspire students to be proactive in fighting for workers’ rights in the future.