Petronas and its in-house staff union, Kesatuan Kakitangan Petroliam Nasional Bhd, signed a collective agreement for the period 2013-2015 on Jan 21.

In a statement today, the national oil company said the agreement improved and revised the employment terms and conditions to provide better benefits for its non-executive staff.

Industrial Relations Malaysia director-general Fong Khei Por and Petronas chief operating officer/executive vice president for downstream business Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin witnessed the signing.

Fong congratulated both parties for reaching an agreement and lauded the elements of respect, transparency, trust and compromise which were shown during the negotiation process.

He said it was important for the private sector to maintain industrial harmony within the workplace to ensure a productive workforce, which was one of the key factors to attract foreign investors.