SUPP on Shell Reorganization/Restructuring exercise

suppadmin | October 19, 2015

SUPP is very concerned with the on going Sarawak Shell Berhad and Sabah Business Reorganization/Restructuring Exercise. This Business Reorganization or Restructuring Exercise affects Miri, Sabah and Peninsula Malaya.

We are given to understand the total reduction in positions from now till 2017 may be around 1300 jobs in Upstream Shell Malaysia.

At the moment we do not know exactly how many of these are from Miri, Sabah and Peninsula Malaya.

We are very concerned about the financial impact on these affected Shell staff.

When contacted, Mr Peter Runin, the Political Secretary to The Minister of Human Resource YB Dato ‘ Sri Richard Riot on the above, we were given to understand that the Department of Labour is actively looking into this matter.

Shell has a long relationship with Miri and the people here. Shell first started her operation in Miri and the first oil well was dug in 1910 at Canada Hill, one hundred and five years ago.

In line with the Chief Minister’s present call for autonomy and devolution of powers to Sarawak, it is therefore appropriate that this Business Reorganization should or must take this long relationship into favorable consideration, especially for those Mirians and Sarawakians working in Shell. . They should or must be the last to be laid off in this Reorganization exercise.

In this Reorganization Exercise, more Sarawakians and Sabahans should be considered and indeed be given more Senior posts, like General Manager level and above.

We understand that Shell has set up a mobility centre to help those affected to retrain themselves for the job market. However, given the present economic challenges, the important question is whether there are jobs out there at this moment. This will certainly have severe socio and economic impact on Miri as a whole.

We hope that Shell and the government will take urgent steps to help those affected by the retrenchment so that they can find new jobs soon and that they can manage well their personal and financial wellbeing to minimise the impacts on them and their families.