In the last few years of the 1920’s, the conditions of employment were really bad with harsh economic conditions. The very real powers of the estate employers made a few estate staff to think and decide for an organization to represent their interests and regulate changes in the terms and conditions of employment.By 1927, the ground work for the formation of an organization took shape to cover estate staff employees. The organization called the “Estates Asiatic Staff Association” was registered in 1928 under the Societies Ordinance. The fear of the employers kept a large section of the potential members away from the Association and the Association did not present itself as a force to be reckoned. Meanwhile, similar Associations were formed at regional and estate levels. In order to make it more effective and to pursue common objectives, the leaders of the Associations took the initiative in 1935 to consolidate all the other Associations and form the “All Malayan Estate Asiatic Staff Association.” This Association was registered in 1936.The Association pursued its declared objectives but it could not “negotiate” with the employers. It presented petitions for the removal of wage cuts, the improvement of Estate housing, education facilities and the introduction of a provident fund. It found ways and means to assist the unemployed members and conducted educational courses for its members.The Association was determined to organize the staff and to spread the importance of unionism among employees, educate the members and to draw the employers’ attention to the problems and sufferings of the estate staff. It produced in 1938 a monthly journal named “AMEASAN”.
It served as a very useful link between the members and the Association. In the 1950’s, AMEASAN was changed to AMESUN.The Union attached more importance for reporting and for dissemination ideas and spreading news of trade unionism. Since 1972, the Union published its BERITA AMESU. It became very popular in the eighties.But the Association continued to look after the interests of the estate staff employees in general and in particular the members during the war period and the Japanese occupation.After the war ended there were other problems like distance, lack of communication and poor transport facilities contributed to the creation in the west coast of Malaya of a number of unions catering for the estate staff. In all, there were 13 such unions, serving members in the plantation.However, with the formation of the Federation of All Malayan Estates Staff Union in 1949, all the smaller unions joined the federation to make it more cohesive and stronger.
This Federation was registered as a Union on 4th July, 1949.The affiliates of the Federation had somehow failed to give the Federation the support it deserved. As it stood, the Federation had “no control over the affiliated unions and some of the affiliated unions becoming defunct through lack of leadership.The affiliates of the Federation had somehow failed to give the Federation the support it deserved. As it stood, the Federation had “no control over the affiliated unions and some of the affiliated unions becoming defunct through lack of leadership.The affiliated unions stressed the need for a strong, centralized, single union for the estate staff. There was opposition and difficulties at the onset but the desire to form a single union for the estate staff became a reality when the All Malayan Estates Staff Union finally emerged and registered on 31st August, 1956.
Mengorganisasikan pekerja-pekerja yang di sebut sebagai ahli Kesatuan dan memajukan kepentingan mereka dalam bidang perhubungan perusahaan, kemasyarakatan dan ilmu pengetahuan.Mengatur perhubungan di antara pekerja dengan majikan bagi maksud melaksanakan perhubungan perusahaan yang baik, meningkatkan daya pengeluaran dan memperolehi serta mengekalkan bagi ahli-ahlinya keselamatan pekerjaan, sukatan gaji yang adil dan sesuai serta syarat- syarat pekerjaan yang berpatutan. Mengatur perhubungan di antara ahli dengan ahli atau di antara ahli-ahli dengan pekerja-pekerja lain,
di antara ahli dengan Kesatuan atau Pegawai Kesatuan, atau di antara Pegawai Kesatuan dan Kesatuan dan menyelesaikan sebarang perselisihan atau pertikaian di antara mereka itu dengan cara aman dan bermuafakat atau melalui jentera penimbangtara.Memberi bantuan guaman kepada ahil-ahli berhubung dengan pekerjaan mereka jika dipersetujui oleh Majlis Jawatankuasa Kerja.Menganjurkan dan mengendalikan kursus, dialog, seminar dan sebagainya untuk faedah ahli-ahli Kesatuan khasnya dan para pekerja amnya.Mengendalikan urusan mengarang, menyunting, mencetak, menerbit dan mengedarkan sebarang jurnal majalah, bulletin atau penerbitan lain untuk menjayakan tujuan – tujuan Kesatuan ini atau untuk kepentingan ahli-ahli Kesatuan jika dipersetujui oleh Majlis Jawatankuasa Kerja.
Keanggotaan kesatuan ini terbuka kepada kakitangan perkeranian, kakitangan perubatan dan kesihatan, kakitangan teknikal dan semua pekerja yang menjalankan tugas-tugas seumpama tugas-tugas sebarang kakitangan tersebut kecuali mereka yang memegang jawatan pengurusan, eksekutif, sulit atau keselamatan yang digaji dalam industri perladangan atau industri-industri berkaitan dengan barang-barang pengeluaran pertanian yang memerlukan pemprosesan yang banyak.
Anda mesti menjadi ahli Kesatuan Sekerja keran:-Tanpa Kesatuan Sekerja anda adalah keseorangan dan tidak dapat menyuarakan sesuatu kerana ia melibatkan orang yang ramai. Dengan menjadi ahli Kesatuan Sekerja anda dapat bercakap sebagai satu dengan suara ramai yang dihormati dan harapan mencapai sesuatu itu adalah cerah.Kesatuan Sekerja yang menyuarakan dan mempertahankan serta memperjuangkan hak-hak bagi anda.Kesatuan Sekerja sentiasa melindungi dan mempertahankan kebajikan anda.Kesatuan Sekerja yang dapat berjuang bagi memperbaiki tangga gaji serta syarat dan tema pekerjaan anda.Kesatuan Sekerja yang membimbing kita supaya menjadi rakyat yang baik dan mulia.Kesatuan Sekerja yang membawa kesempurnaan kepada kehidupan dan taraf socio-ekonomi anda.Seorang yang bukan ahli Kesatuan Sekerja sentiasa menikmati kemudahan yang diperolehi melalui perjuangan Kesatuan Sekerja dan ahli-ahlinya.
Tangga gaji serta syarat pekerjaan yang lebih memuaskan yang boleh membawa taraf kehidupan yang memadai dan kehidupan keluarga yang lebih selesa bagi anda.Keselamatan Pekerjaan dengan membawa ketenteraman fikiran, mengikiskan kebimbangan serta meningkatkan produktiviti anda. Melindungi hak-hak dan kemudahan-kemudahan anda.
Yang bukan ahli patut menjadi ahli kerana:-Kesatuan Sekerja hanya boleh memperolehi kesemua kemudahan bagi ahli-ahlinya kiranya kesemua pekerja itu bersatu dalam Kesatuan dan memperkuatkan Kesatuan Sekerja.Hanya sesuatu Kesatuan Sekerja yang kukuh dan kuat yang dapat dihormati dan disegani oleh pihak Pengurus. Kiranya pihak Pengurus mendapat tahu ramai pekerja tidak menjadi ahli kesatuan Sekerja mereka akan menawarkan sebahagian daripada apa-apa yang dicita-citakan oleh ahli-ahli.Dengan tidak menjadi ahli kesatuan sekerja mereka itu bukan hanya punca atau penghalang dimana sesuatu kemudahan tidak dapat diperolehi atau diperbaiki bagi diri sendiri bahkan juga bagi mereka yang telah menjadi ahli Kesatuan dan juga Kesatuan Sekerja.