Analysing research literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysing research literature - Essay Example It is also identified to be associated with different issues which include health problems, obesity and hearing problems among others. In this regard, the research study conducted in this journal is conducted with the objective of ascertaining the importance of physical activity (PA) for the children along with young people having DS. The journal implies that PA is an essential element for the management and for the prevention of chronic diseases in children. Moreover, PA aids in reviving health conditions of individuals so that children and young people have better physical fitness and body mass. Consequently, the children and young people will be facilitated with the opportunity of having an independent life. In this respect, the study in the journal article has provided adequate knowledge to different researchers about the importance of PA in children and young people about the influence of DS. Respectively, the study in the journal has provided important information in relation t o research methodologies along with intervention design that are appropriate for the people suffering from DS. Thus, the study has been effective in briefing the importance of PA in the early life of children and young people affected with DS for its better intervention along with assisting them to develop with a better health and body growth (Downs & et. al., 2013). There is a procedure on the basis of which journals are to be critically reviewed which includes introduction, literature review, discussion and conclusion (Shon, 2012). Consequently, a mixed response can be depicted for the article. Critical Analysis PA is an important element assisting children and young people to grow and develop with greater independence as it can be recognised from the study of various researchers. Additionally, it is critically argued that children and young people with DS should be provided with adequate knowledge in relation to PA so that they are able to develop physically along with in terms o f body mass (Kasser, 2005). PA which includes swimming, walking along with other exercises have assisted people with DS by a significant extent to retain healthy body and to prevent illness. PA has been an efficient measure for minimising health issues associated with DS which include obesity and cardiorespiratory problems. In this regard, it has been identified that deficiency of PA is one the major causes of DS. Additionally, a lack of PA amid individuals with DS tends to enhance the risks in relation to health problems (Urbano, 2010). The study has also been effective in ascertaining the facilitators and the barriers in relation to PA. Contextually, the article has provided adequate information about the various aspects of DS and the importance of PA in minimising risks associated with DS. In a similar context, Stanish & Frey (2007) have stated that there are several facilitators and barriers to PA. In this context, the most important facilitator is the parents and on the other h and, the barriers comprise transportation cost and social interaction among others (Stanish & Frey, 2007). These are the several strengths that can be derived from the research study in this journal (Downs & et. al., 2013). According to Jobling (1994), PA plays an effective role in the life of people having DS. PA assists them to grow and develop independent skills so that they are able to retain a healthy life in future (Shields & et. al., 2009; Jobling, 1994). Similarly, Buckley (2007) has stated that PA

Advertising Disrupts the Objective of Rational Choice Essay

Advertising Disrupts the Objective of Rational Choice - Essay Example But repeated exposure to such ads ends up affecting the thinking cycle of the consumers and influences their buying habits. (Levinson, n.d.) On an average, an American views about 1500 advertisements every day (Butler, 2001). Most of these advertisements promote materialism. They introduce a product in a way that makes the customers feel as if they need it. This results in building dissatisfaction in the mind of the customer and makes him want to buy that product. These advertisements aim to eliminate the difference between needs and want and use the very influential source, media, to make the customers feel the need for those products, even when they do not really need it at all. By portraying that through the use of a certain product, a fancy lifestyle, or an ideal life could be achieved, they give a false perception of happiness and tricks the customers into buying the wrong products. (Butler, 2001) There are various examples of such manipulation present in our society. Consider for example a brand new BMW car being advertised. There is no logical justification of the car being priced at more than ten times the price of an ordinary sedan. Nonetheless, the ideal, happy life depicted through the advertisements convinces the consumers that the car really is worth the price tag, and forces them to make the illogical decision of buying the car. (ScienceDaily, 2007) As already discussed, advertisers use tactics like subliminal messages and promoting ideal lifestyles in the advertisements to manipulate consumers into buying what they do not need. The tools that are used by advertisers to promote such lifestyles are as follows: There are numerous examples of advertisements using

Philosophy Of Religion An Historical Introduction Philosophy Essay

Philosophy Of Religion An Historical Introduction Philosophy Essay Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski is a highly qualified American writer. She has done her PhD from University of California, Los Angeles, MA from University of California, Berkeley and BA from Stanford University. At the moment she is a Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. Other books by the same author include On Epistemology, Divine Motivation Theory, Intellectual Virtue: Perspectives from Ethics and Epistemology, Virtue Epistemology: Essays on Epistemic Virtue and Responsibility, Virtues of the Mind, The Dilemma of Freedom and Foreknowledge, Rational Faith: Catholic Responses to Reformed Epistemology and Readings in Philosophy of Religion: Ancient to Contemporary. Summary of the Book The writer has written at length on a subject that is of immense interest to the students of philosophy. The writer has given a historical perspective of philosophy but not in a chronological order. She has adopted the conventional approach of dividing chapters into topics. The book has many ancient, medieval and modern examples on philosophy of religion. Book contains a lot of references and the writer has given her own views and position and not just the review / survey of literature. The writer has elaborated some of the standard issues regarding philosophy of religion. The chapter on the problem of evil includes issue of value. The chapter on immortality deals with the question that whether death is bad. The chapter on divine nature dilates on personhood and revelation. The chapter on religious diversity addresses the question why this issue has gained importance in modern period. The core topics included in this book are the relationship between religion and philosophy, the exis tence of God, religion and morality, the problem of evil, death and afterlife and the problem of religious diversity. The book is lucid, elegantly written and an outstanding introduction to the field of philosophy of religion. Authors Thesis Chapter 1 deals with the Philosophical Approach to Religion. In this chapter, the writer discusses relationship between religion and philosophy. Then the writer tells us about origin of religion. She defines religion as a complex human practice. A commonality between all religions is a sacred space. The concept that what should one believe about the ultimate matters of universe, actually marks the intersection of philosophy and religion. Philosophy originated in the 6th Century. A lot of great thinkers Confucius, Mahavira, Hebrew Prophets, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle lived at the same time. This age is known as Axial Age. Afterwards writer discusses the idea of god in different religions. Then the writer compares religion and philosophy that they were not always in harmony with each other. Philosophers did not necessarily approve of the rationale in the religion. Chapter 2 deals with the Classical Arguments for the Existence of God. The writer in this chapter deals with the very question that Does God Exist? She gives the theist and atheist perspective. She argues that religion should have philosophical and scientific reasons, only then in the modern era masses will get convinced. She says that some providential designer of the universe exists. Existence of nature, planets everything is not by chance and has been intelligently maintained and designed. Chapter 3 deals with the Pragmatic Approach to Religious Belief. In this chapter writer tells us that Pascal believed that religion cannot solely rest on reason. According to him faith is higher than reason. Pragmatic arguments are benefit directed. She says that it is better to believe in God then not to believe at all. Chapter 4 deals with Who or What is God? God is the supreme being, designer of the universe and the creator. All these characteristics can only be attributed to one greatest conceivable being. We only know what god is not, rather what he is. So we can only picturize what he is not. Writer discusses at length the omnipotent and omniscient characteristics of God. Chapter 5 Deals with Fate, Freedom and Foreknowledge. All the civilizations had the concept of fate and destiny. Greek gods knew about the future but could do nothing to stop it. Anything that happens is because of Gods will. God knows what is going to happen. Chapter 6 deals with the Problem of Evil. The concept of evil has given rise to atheism. How can there be evil if there is a perfectly good god. The writer says that if god is the god of the whole humanity then why some people suffer and some are blessed. Why evil is ever increasing. There is no good without evil, good requires evil to differentiate. Chapter 8 deals with the Death and the Afterlife. Writer says that every person fears death and according to Aristotle ones death is according to ones life. She explains concept of death by giving example of the views of Epicurus. What makes a person the same person? Is it body or stream of conscious state held together in memory? Chapter 9 deals with the Problem of Religious Diversity. The writer says that in ancient times there was no conflict in religions. Pantheons of god of one ancient group were not rivals of the gods of the other. If you want to follow a new religion or get an opinion then ask someone who is neutral and is a follower of no religion, only then he/she can give you objective description and not a subjective one. It is only when the people we admire have a different opinion that we begin to think and question our own ideas. Chapter 10 deals with Faith, Reason and the Ethics of Belief. In this chapter the writer takes on the very question that she took in the first chapter that What should I believe about the ultimate matters of universe? According to writer reason and revelation cannot be in conflict. Writer says that miracles were given to prophets as a sign and testimony that revelation is from God. Prophets were given powers to perform miracles. Critical Analysis of the Book First of all this book should not be made part of the Book Review. According to Imam Haddad in his book Book of Assistance Muslims should not read literature that is contrary to the Muslim Belief of God. Chapter 2 and 4 (Existence of God Who or What is God) are very disillusioning. It is not encouraged in Islam to read such literature. For someone who is not a student of philosophy, this book is fairly complex and complicated. The writer has given examples which a reader with no prior knowledge of philosophy cannot comprehend easily. This book is fairly concise, consisting of ten chapters that cover nearly all of the traditional topics. However, she doesnt even mention the Islamic version of philosophy of religion in the explanation and elaboration of different chapters. Islamic concept of Death and Afterlife is not given, Islamic concept of God and the purpose of mankind to worship Allah (SWT) is not shed light on. This book is more historically informed. Book is full of references, arguments and quotations from Cleanthes and Plato to Ramakrishna and Aquinas, which makes it cumbersome to read and the reader loses interest. To her credit, Zagzebski does not try to hide this fact. At the end of chapter one, for instance, she concedes that some remaining chapters do not make sense, if there is no God. Furthermore, she admittedly assumes that God exists in her discussion of the concept of God. One wonders what exactly Zagzebski has in mind when she refers to God as the perfectly good being. Zagzebski thinks she has located in her theory a position that eliminates the problem of evil at the level of the metaphysics of value (158). Her ideas in the chapter of Who and What is God are not very convincing. I cannot let some of Zagzebskis metaphors go without comment. In her introduction to the problem of evil, moreover, while addressing the difficulty of understanding Gods motives in allowing human suffering, she compares humans to dogs (143). This was a very vague example. In Chapter 9 while discussing Faith and Reason (213), she criticizes that Abraham sacrificed his son thinking its the commandment of God, its unreasonable to kill an innocent child. In my opinion Islam gives a detail account of the event and the reason and rationale behind this act, which the Muslims all over the world still cherish. Conclusion General Recommendations It is a very well written book and has been thoroughly investigated and footnoted. There is a bibliography and index at the end. This book is highly recommended to the students of philosophy at the post graduate level due to its complexity.

Free Siddhartha Essays: The River and the Mind/Body Dichotomy :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

The River and the Mind/Body Dichotomy in Siddhartha In Herman Hesse's work Siddhartha, the primary physical symbol of division is the river. One side of the river represents "geist", or a realm concerned with the spiritual world. The second side represents "natur", the natural world where the flesh is engorged with pleasure and earthly satisfaction. Siddhartha begins on the spiritual side of the river. He is in training to become an excellent Brahmin like his father, much is expected of this intelligent and attractive young man. Yet Siddhartha feels a rumbling in his body and mind. His soul is not satisfied with the answers that he has received about problems in life. He feels the need to live his home in order to find these answers. He is willing to sacrifice security for insecurity and danger. His travels renew and strengthen his spirit. The structure of the story is centered around the apparatus of "iterative-durative time", a technique in which the author follows a loose linear chronlogy, with each part covering approximately twenty years, while only about one or two of those years are described in any detail. The effect easily lulls the reader into a perception of the passing time. He first spends time with a roving band of asceitics, forest-dwelling nomads that prefer to live a life of extreme sacrifice and self-denial. Siddhartha masters their art and goals, but shortly decides to move on after only a few years. He is not able to find his quest for salvation and understanding on such a path. Throughout his journey, his friend Govinda stays by his side. He decides to leave the town with him, come with him and practice with the ascetics, and then agrees to leave with him to seek out the Illustrious One, Gotama. Siddhartha does not find the answers to his spiritual queries here either, and decides to move on again. This time Govinda, his "shadow", decides to stay and make a niche for himself. Siddhartha strikes out on his own, crossing the center symbol of the river with the help of the boatman Vasudeva. After crossing the river he encounters an Indian woman who encourages him and allows him to kiss her nipple. His experience with the "natur" world has begun, hi s experiences of the sense being heightened and readied for a sensual deluge. He remains on the sensual side of the river for twenty years and in that time impregnates his seductive teacher and partner Kamala.

History and Significance of Cavendish Banana Essay

The banana plant, or Musa acuminata, is one of the most important fruiting plants on Earth. This plant belongs to the Musaceae family, also known as the â€Å"banana family†. The genus Musa refers to â€Å"large herbaceous flowering plants† with fruit that is usually elongated and curved, with a yellow, purple, or red rind covering soft starchy fruit (Merriam-Webster). Banana plants are often mistaken for trees, because their â€Å"false stem† or pseudostem resembles a tree trunk. However, trees are dicots with organized vascular bundles while banana plants are monocots, which have scattered vascular bundles. The average cultivated banana plant stands at 16 feet tall, although they may range from 10 to 23 feet (Nelson 26). A mature banana plant forms an inflorescence at the top of the pseudostem, a structure known as the â€Å"banana heart†. Each banana heart usually develops bunches of banana fruits made up of tiers (called â€Å"hands†) with as ma ny as 20 fruit to a tier. â€Å"Cultivated bananas are sterile and develop the typical seedless fruits without the need for pollination† (Van Wyk). Bananas are one of the most important fruits because of the role they play in the global economy, food security, and the everyday lives of people around the world. Bananas originated in Southeast Asia, which is still the center of banana diversity in flavor, scent, texture, color, shape, and size. However, bananas were most likely domesticated first in Papua New Guinea, where cultivation can be traced back to times between 5000 and 8000BC. Around 1000AD, the banana crop spread to Africa through Indo-Malaysian immigrants who colonized Madagascar, and also to the Pacific region (Van Wyk). In the 15th and 16th centuries, banana plantations began to sprout up in the Atlantic Islands, Brazil, and western Africa under the care of Portuguese colonists. Shortly following the Civil War, North Americans started eating bananas on a small and expensive scale. In the 1880s, banana consumption in the United States became a lot more widespread due to advancements in transportation and refrigeration (Koeppel). Today, Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined (Koeppel). This development of modern transportation networks and storage materials allowed for the introduction of the earliest modern banana plantations located in Jamaica and other regions in the Western Caribbean Zone and Central America (New Zealand Herald). This yellow fruit has played a big role in economies all over the world. Banana plants are currently being produced in over 107 different countries, primarily for their and less frequently for producing fiber, banana wine, and as ornamental plants. The 2011 study of production and exportation of bananas and plantains by the Food and Agricultural Organization found that worldwide, we produced a total crop of 145 million metric tonnes. India led the world by producing 20% of this, followed by Uganda, China, the Philippines, and Ecuador. However, the leading exporters of bananas and plantains were Ecuador (which exported 5.2 million metric tonnes, making up 29% of worldwide banana and plantain exportation) followed by Costa Rica, Colombia, the Philippines, and Guatemala. Although plantains were included in this study, Ecuador did specify that 93% of its exportation statistic was made up of solely bananas (FAOSTAT). The delicious fruit is used frequently in the daily lives of people around the world. Bananas can be eaten raw or baked in both savory and sweet dishes. Some popular examples are fruit salads, milkshakes, yogurts, pancakes, breads, and the famous banana split. Plantains are not distinguished from bananas in some parts of the world because they are very similar, but can be differentiated by their lower sugar and higher starch content. Plantains are usually used as a vegetable in African and West Indian cuisine. Bananas are cultivated on an extremely large scale in tropical regions, so they remain a big staple in the diets of millions of people in Asian and African populations, and in other developing countries (Van Wyk). Since banana plants produce fruit all year, they present an invaluable food source during the time of year between harvests known as the â€Å"hunger season†. This, combined with their exceptional nutritional value—an individual banana has an energy yield of about 95-125 kcal and the ripe fruit comes equipped with a large variety of essential vitamins and minerals—makes them essential to food security worldwide (Anania, van Wyk). Price competition among supermarkets has reduced margins, leading to lower prices for growers. Chiquita, Del Monte, Dole, and Fyffes have somewhat of a monopoly over the banana plantation business, and their plantations are centralized in Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Many producers in these countries are wealthy land owners that have tried to raise their prices by marketing their bananas as â€Å"fair trade† or Rainforest Alliance-certified (Wikipedia). The term â€Å"banana republic† has been used to describe countries like Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama because the banana trade has become the dominant part of their economy. Banana producers have also played a large political role, including â€Å"working with local elites and their rivalries to influence politics or play to the international interests of the United States, especially during the Cold War, to keep the political climate favorable to their interests† (New Zealand Herald). Although banana production is a huge industry, the entire banana species is facing an increasingly serious problem. The most popular cultivar of bananas was Gros Michel for quite some time, but after an attack by a soil fungus called the Panama disease, this cultivar was almost completely wiped out. After a large amount of agricultural research, scientists were able to produce the Cavendish cultivar, which has made up the majority of banana crops for the past 40 years. However, the Cavendish banana is also in danger. T he Black Sigatoka fungus has begun to attack Cavendish banana plants all over the world. This once high-yielding crop has decreased in yield by 50-70% and the lifespan of banana plants has dropped from about 30 years to an average of only two (Alison). Researchers blame the vulnerability of the banana plants on the monogenetic cultivation, resulting from commercial motives. Plantation owners and farmers have been selectively breeding bananas since the beginning of their cultivation 10,000 years ago, which is why the modern cultivar is seedless and sterile (Alison). This has resulted in banana crops with no genetic diversity, which leaves them helpless against environmental stresses, including disease and crop pests. Some experts predict that cultivation of the Cavendish banana will become unviable within the next 10-20 years, so agricultural researchers are searching for an equivalent banana cultivar, but it has proven difficult because most of the cultivars used in other countries produce bananas that are more starchy and thus used in cooking instead of eaten raw as a sweet snack. Over time, genetic modification and selective breeding of bananas has transformed what we know as a banana from a small, seed-filled, starchy, wild banana to the huge-in-comparison Cavendish dessert banana (Figure 1). Because of this, various hybridization and genetic engineering programs are exploring the wild banana genomes in an attempt to produce a â€Å"disease-resistant, mass-market banana† (Wikipedia). Bananas represent a delicious and essential part of the world’s economy and food security, so hopefully the extensive agricultural research will pay off to create a new banana that is ready to ward off environmental pressures. Cavendish bananas are the most important cultivar in the world, representing all of the exports in the statistical figures discussed earlier†¦ The Cavendish â€Å"dessert banana† that is eaten raw and is most common in the US is the one that is under attack by the Black Sigatoka fungus. â€Å"why bananas† instead of going through prompt. Figure 1: The common Cavendish dessert banana, left, is shown with the seed-filled wild variety (Mestel) Bibliography Alison, Robert. World: Bananas are a Dying Breed. Globe and Mail. 19 July 2003. www.corpwatch.org Anania, Giovanni. How would a WTO agreement on bananas affect exporting and importing countries? July 2009, Issue Paper No.21, ICTSD â€Å"Banana†. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 2013-01-04 â€Å"Banana†. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/banana Big-business greed killing the banana – Independent, via The New Zealand Herald, Saturday May 24, 2008, Page A19 â€Å"FAOSTAT†. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Van Wyk, Ben-Erik. Food Plants of the World, an Illustrated Guide. October 2005. Timber Press. Koeppel, Dan. Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World (New York: Hudson Street Press, 2008), pp. 51–53 ISBN 0-452-29008-2 Koeppel, Dan. Yes We Will Have No Bananas. New York Times. 18 June 2008. Nelson, Ploetz & Kepler 2006, p.26 Mestel, Rosie. Banana genome sequencing gives a boost to pest-plagued fruit. Los Angeles Times. 11 July 2012. http://articles.latimes.com

National Union of Bank Employees Essay

Introduction Unions are organizations formed to voice out dissatisfactions and represent interests of employees in a company. In the past, employees- especially those who are low in education level and those who are minorities were exploited because they are not aware of their rights. Therefore, unions exist and sustained till today for two main reasons- to protect the employees and to counter the employers’ powers. Unions normally deal collectively with employer and negotiate labor agreements during the period in which they are effective. The major goal is to gain the best common interest, working conditions, health benefits and job security for its members. To further understand the function and role play of unions, we conducted a study of a union- NUBE (National Union of Banking Employees) in the banking industry. Based on our research result, this paper will include the background of the chosen union, how this union fights for its members’ benefits, the impacts towards the industry due to its pass success and some personal opinion from a current member in this union obtain through a walk in oral interview. Brief History of Unions in United States of America and Malaysia In early 1920s, labors had to work extra hours with minimum wages. Neither health benefits nor insurance were included in their contract of working. Later on, things have changed with the existence of unions. One of the earliest unions  was The National Labor Union which was founded in 1866. After 1866, more and more unions were formed such as The Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor and also few acts were passed to protect the labors. In Malaysia, unions started to be in active in 1920s when the Communist Party of Malaya encouraged unskilled workers to unionize. There were no rules or regulation at all about trade unions at that time. But in 1940, a Trade Unions Enactment was passed in the Federated Malay States. The enactment made it necessary for all trade unions to be registered in order to avoid redundant unions. Trade unions in Malaysia can be divided into three, in-house, national and federation of trade unions. Objective of in-house trade union is to look after the interests of members in that institution only. While national trade unions are grouped according to industry, trade, or occupation, and their membership is not restricted to a particular institution but geographically where a national trade union can draw its members only from Peninsular Malaysia, or Sabah, or Sarawak. Lastly, a federation of trade unions is a combination of trade unions from similar industries, trades, or occupations. Usually Director General of Trade Unions has the right to decide what similar industries are trades or occupations when there are doubts within the members. Well-known unions in Malaysia consist of Malaysia Rugby Union, The Musicians Union of Malaysia and few others. National Union of Bank Employee’s Background National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) consists of more than 30,000 members in the Banking and Financial Institutions in Peninsular Malaysia. It was formed in 1958 with 5 branches under them, the first is combination of Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Pahang (KLSP), second is in Ipoh, the third is in Penang, Kedah and Perlis (PKP), the fourth is in Kelantan and the fifth is in Seremban, Melaka and Johor (SMJ) and their recreational seaside resort which is in Port Dickson. Like other unions, the reason of having union in any industry is to protect labors and their opinions will be taking in consideration. As for banks, NUBE is a union for all the banks in Malaysia .NUBE’s primary objective is to serve protect and help members regarding their personal benefits and to help the members to negotiate with the banks in order to have a good employee and employer relationship. NUBE can be  considered as a middle person or mediator if there is a problem between the banks and the employees. National Union of Bank Employee’s Battles When members of the union have an issue which is not being paid attention by the employer or government, NUBE will publicize the issues in order to pressure them. In the pass, NUBE had organized a number of activities in fighting all kinds of benefits for its members such as increasing the salary, improving certain health benefit policies, requesting apologies and demanding compensations for unfair labour practices etc. Some disputes were even brought up to the court when the employer and the union could not compromise. Overall, most of these activities and pickets by NUBE had successfully gain public attention and cause pressure towards the employers to take immediate action in negotiating the solution when an issue is brought up. NUBE Fights for Maternity Leave In March 2010, NUBE proposed an increase in maternity leave in conjunction with International Women’s Day on the 8th. The â€Å"90 Days for Mums – 1 Million Signatures Campaign† was launched later on to garner support for this proposal even though the ministry make it clear that they have no plans in extending the current maternity leave. Apart from defending the rights of female employees in Malaysia that, this campaign also aimed to aware the government that many sections of labour laws in Malaysia were obsolete and adverse. NUBE Secretary-General J. Solomon said that a 60-day maternity leave in Malaysia is not the in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 183 on Maternity Protection. Therefore, the one million signatures will be submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to appeal for an amendment of the Act on maternity leave. For creating greater awareness to the public, NUBE also sent in memorandum to the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development at the launching of the campaign. The result as reported in The Star Online, this campaign successfully received huge support from various parties such as Women’s Aid Organisation, World Alliance on Breastfeeding Action, Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, All Women’s Action Society, Union Network International – MLC (Global Union), Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC),  Kesatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor, Tenaganita Sdn Bhd, Wanita Gerakan, and Wanita Keadilan. As the result, the huge impact of this campaign had caused the ministry to promise that they will take in consideration of this proposal. Although there is no visible changes in the maternity leave on both private and public sectors yet, NUBE act is consider very important as they have successfully raise awareness and concern to employers about this matter so it could be reviewed with added benefits when the time is right. NUBE Reports Maybank to MACC On the February 15 this year, NUBE unionist staged a picket against Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) outside their office at Bangsar. The bank employees who are NUBE members that joined the picket voiced their main dissatisfaction over the stagnant wages issue that is yet to be reviewed by their employer and the dissatisfaction over unfair practice by Maybank. The union members marched into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and report about Maybank violating the labor and civil laws as well as the collective agreement for launching an in house union called the Maybank non-executive Union (MANEAU). J.Solomon explained that the formation of MANEAU by Maybank serves as a ‘union busting campaign’ because it spoilt NUBE’s negotiation for performance bonus. It is revealed that employees did not receive any performance bonus at all whereby the CEO of Maybank enjoys a huge sum of 24 months’ salary which total up to RM2,160,000 as his performance bonus. This cause great dissatisfaction among the Maybank employees as is clearly unfair to them. Besides, to stop employees from joining the picket, Maybank also ordered the Malaysian Commercial Bank Association to slash salaries of all employees that take leave to join the picketing. Maybank acted unfair to the employees’ union members and shown effort in blocking any activities of the employees union. Malaysian Trade Union Congress also reported that Maybank is going against the law by supporting their own in-house union by sponsoring them. Maybank’s act violated the laws as they shouldn’t be sponsoring or supporting any unions. NUBE had shown concern over their member’s disputes and reacted quickly by getting the issue to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak but when it gets no response, NUBE acted by staging a picket, raising awareness to the public of what is happening inside the Malaysia’s biggest financial  institution, giving reasonably huge amount of pressure to Maybank in reviewing the matter. NUBE also acted in protecting the bank employee’s rights by reporting the violation of laws by Maybank to the MACC. NUBE Pickets on Minimum Wages Recently in Kuala Lumpur, while the rest of the workers across the Malaysia are enjoying their privileges of Labor Day off day on May 1, over a thousand employees gathered together and marched across the city. The main reason the march takes place is to protest against the newly announced minimum wage policy and to fight for basic employee rights. The rally comprising participant mostly from the NUBE, followed by the other unions – Guppy Plastic Industries Workers Union, Occupy Activist, Party Socialist Malaysia, and Women Aid Organization. During the march, their chant includes stop eliminating union organizations and raising the minimum pay from RM 900 to RM 1500, a much fairer pay. NUBE clarify the much fairer pay as the poverty line according to research is RM 750 and the differences of RM 150 apart from minimum pays are not sufficient. J. Solomon also taken this opportunity to send messages to employers and officers in Human Resource Ministry to abort whatever plan that erode worker’ rights. He also says that it is totally unacceptable as the human resource ministry is plotting with Maybank employers to tears worker apart and attempts to destroy NUBE. Therefore, members from NUBE pickets against Maybank and urges to boycott against the bank. The Current NUBE Member The summarized information below is obtained through an interview with a current Maybank employee who is also a NUBE member conducted orally at Maybank Kota Damansara branch on July 2, 2012, 2.30pm. (Refer Appendix A for full interview contents). The interviewee requested to not disclose her personal information. In the following, she will be referred as ‘the interviewee’. To enter the banking industry, one basically must have a certain level of education. Therefore, employees in the banking industry are highly aware of their rights. To ensure that these rights were protected, most of them join the NUBE as it is a more efficient and powerful route for obtaining better working benefits. It is widely known among the banking  industry employees that this union is actively fighting the best of possible for its members. This is how the interviewee came to know about the existence of this union and felt secure to be a member of it. One of the factors related to union success in organizing is having a good leader because a strong leader certainly will give confidence to the members in the union. In return, members will show a relative strong support in the union. J. Solomon (2005), formal NUBE leader once said: â€Å"Since my younger days, I’ve never liked to see anyone being bullied. If I see somebody who is weak and cannot speak for themselves, then I’d be an informal leader. That’s how I grew up.† Therefore, according to the interviewee, NUBE’s area representatives were sent to banks quarterly or when there are any grievances in order to maintain close contacts with members, collect feedbacks and update latest information to ensure the members concerns are well taken care off. The interviewee is positive that J. Solomon is professional in taking care of their dissatisfactions and then fights the best for them. She is happy to received regular updates from area representatives, and is satisfied that the official website is up to date with the latest information about the union activities all the time. Apart from that, she is also pleased that when a contract is coming to an end, all members will be invited to attend meetings to voice out concerns and terms to be renegotiated in the new contract. This is the reason she has been in the union for more than 10 years. Certainly, having loyal members is another factor of the union remaining strong and successful. NUBE professional attitude is certainly one of the main reasons that their members remain loyal. When it comes to picketing or demonstration, the union will first notify the police about their schedule of activities and obtain a legal approval so that departments who are concern can take any form of precaution to prevent injuries and damages towards the public. This is also another reason that the interviewee support this union all years along because she highly respects J. Solomon attitude in always insisting a peaceful and legal way to express their dissatisfactions so that the employer will resolve the issue for them. â€Å"I personally feel that all the union is really needed in order we, the employees are not being exploited and get what we deserve,† she said. Conclusion From our research, a strong and effective union is able to increase its members working quality. The few factors that NUBE is so successful are concluded as below: (1) they have active participation from members, (2) they have done proper preparations for further negotiations before hand, (3) they are highly involve in political and civil activities, (4) they have a strong union mentality and most of all (5) a professional leader. (Fossum, 2012) Overall in simple words, in the past, present and future, the existence of unions does and will always play a very crucial role and serve an important purpose towards the society. If there are more NUBEs around the world, it is positive to believe that the rate of exploitation in labors will reduce drastically and the amount of sweatshops will decrease faster especially in rural areas. References Anisah Shukry. (May 1, 2012). On Labour Day, workers march for more money. Retrieved July 6, 2012 from http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/on-labour-day-workers-march-for-more-money/ Baker&Mckenzie. (2009). Malaysia Trade Unions Guide. Retrieved July 11 2012 from http://www.bakermckenzie.com/files/Uploads/Documents/Supporting%20Your%20Business/Global%20Markets%20QRGs/Trade%20Unions%20and%20Works%20Councils/qr_malaysia_tradeunionsguide_2009.pdf Claudia Theophilus. (August 26, 2005). Q&A with the NUBE general-secretary. Retrieved July 5 from http://www.indianmalaysian.com/sound/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=40 John A. Fossum. (2012). Unions: Members and Leader Attitudes, Behaviours, and Political Activities. Labor Relations Development, Structure, Process. 11ed. NY: Mc Graw Hill. Lisa J. Ariffin. (February 15, 2012). NUBE takes Maybank dispute to streets. Retrieved June 18, 2012 from https://www.facebook.com/groups/379377715461781/ Malaymail. (March 2, 2010). Pet ition for 90 days of maternity leave in progress. Retrieved July 6, 2012 from http://mp.mohr.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1862:petition-for-90-days-ofmaternityleaveinprogress&catid=150:news&Itemid=624&lang=my *NUBE Malaysia Facebook Page. (August 11, 2011). About Basic Info. Retrieved July 10, 2012 from https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUBE-Malaysia/259701940707753?sk=info The Star Online. (March 9, 2009). NUBE goes ahead with maternity leave petition. Retrieved July 6, 2012 from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F3%2F9%2Fnation%2F5820402&sec=nation *It is very unfortunate that the NUBE official website is still under maintenance since June. According to a current NUBE member, information retrieved from NUBE Malaysia Facebook page is accurate and reliable.