RETHINKING EMPLOYEE AWARENESS OF TRADE UNIONS IN MALAYSIA’S PRIVATE SECTOR: A CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7si4.1665Keywords:
trade unions, employee awareness, labour rights, trade union effectiveness, perceived importance, MalaysiaAbstract
Trade unions play an important role in protecting employees’ rights, improving workplace conditions, and strengthening employee representation. However, employee awareness and participation in trade unions remain relatively limited in Malaysia, particularly within the private sector. Issues such as low union membership, misconceptions regarding trade union functions and limited awareness of labour rights continue to influence employees’ perceptions of the importance of trade unions in promoting workplace protection and employee welfare. Therefore, this conceptual paper aims to examine the factors influencing the perceived importance of trade unions among private-sector employees in Selangor, Malaysia. Specifically, the study proposes that employee awareness of trade union functions, awareness of labour rights, and perception of trade union effectiveness significantly influence employees’ perceived importance of trade unions. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), this study explains how employees develop favourable perceptions towards institutions that provide workplace support, protection, and representation. A conceptual approach was adopted through a review and synthesis of relevant literature from both Malaysian and international contexts. Based on the reviewed literature, a conceptual framework and three hypotheses were developed. This study contributes to the existing literature by extending discussions on trade union awareness and perceived union importance within Malaysia’s private sector, an area that remains relatively underexplored. The proposed framework may further provide useful insights for policymakers, employers, and labour organisations in strengthening employee awareness and enhancing the role of trade unions in Malaysia.
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Copyright (c) 2026 ADILAH OTHMAN, MOHD SAAD MOHD YUSOFF, MOHD NASHRIQ MOHD NORDIN, SITI NOOR AISHAH MOHD SIDIK, AZRUL HAFIZ RAMLI
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
