The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has reiterated its call for authorities to enforce non-discriminatory policies for migrant workers.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has reiterated its call for authorities to enforce non-discriminatory policies for migrant workers.
Citing cases of allegedly unlawful termination of employment contracts, MTUC president Khalid Atan said while foreign workers are accorded the same rights and protection under the Employment Act 1955 and other labour legislation, they often fall victim to unscrupulous middle-men who exploit them.
Khalid, at a press conference today, highlighted the latest case of 73 Nepalese and Vietnamese whose contracts with an outsourcing agency had been terminated on Dec 27 for alleged "insubordination".
He said the workers were first told that the factory they work at would be shut down for one week, but were later informed their contracts had been terminated.
Khalid said the company, based in Shah Alam, had also stopped paying the workers their wages and only provided hostels shared by up to 10 workers and a one-off "food allowance" of about RM100.
"As we see it, there is no justification for the termination of these people. What is happening to this country?" asked Khalid, adding that the workers had on Feb 1 lodged a police report against the outsourcing agency.
Subsequently, Khalid said the workers were told to attend an interview on Feb 5, but were refused food allowances despite not receiving salaries for almost two months.
"On the same day (Feb 5), the workers came and asked for MTUC's assistance. During a meeting with the Nepal Embassy on Feb 8, the employer said they could be sent back within a week, but would have to pay their own air fare," he said.
MTUC education officer K. Somasundram also said data from the Nepal Embassy showed that between 2003 and last year, 2,045 of its citizens had died in Malaysia, while 189 suicide cases among Nepalese workers had been recorded in the same period.
Khalid wants the government to abide by provisions under labour legislation and to allow foreign workers participation in trade unions.
He also said middle-men should be eliminated in foreign labour recruitment and requested that the process be conducted on a government-to-government basis.
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