State Government Welcomes Trade Unions as Strategic Partner

Sabah supports workers trade unions as its strategic partner to build a brighter future for Sabah. In his speech at the state-level Trade Union Day on 4 August 2025 at the International Technology and Commercial Centre (ITCC, Penampang). Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said that Sabah can be a model state in developing an employment ecosystem that drives a strong economy and consistently upholds workers' rights in issues of wages, benefits, policy formulation, economic planning, education, technology adaptation, and sustainable work environment. The state’s Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development agenda and the Ministry of Human Resources’ initiative give due priority to expanding social protection and security coverage to all workers, including those in the informal sector.

"We want every Sabahan workers be given a fair opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the state's development. This assembly of trade unions is the first of its kind where we come together on a large scale and in a more structured platform, marking a new era for the trade union movement in the state. The role of trade unions is to uphold social justice and to ensure that every worker receives rightful entitlements, fair wages, opportunities for skills development, workplace safety, health coverage, social protection, and a supportive and conducive working environment,” Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said.

Sabah’s labour force was 1.7 million people in 2024, and the collective contribution of the workforce has driven Sabah's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to increase to RM84.3 billion. The state has 92 registered trade unions, regulated by the Sabah Trade Union Affairs Department, comprising 23 unions in the government sector, 52 in the private sector, and 16 in statutory bodies, with total membership of 60,764 workers: 22,317 members from the government sector, 35,194 from the private sector, and 3,253 from statutory bodies.