SINGAPORE:::Marine company's work pass privileges curbed for discriminating S'porean workers

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has curbed the work pass privileges of marine company Prime Gold International Pte Ltd (Prime Gold) for two years for engaging in discriminatory employment practices in breach of the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF).

Under the FCF, all firms must consider Singaporeans fairly for job vacancies. They should also put in place fair hiring, employment, and staff development practices that are open, merit-based and non-discriminatory.

This is the first time a company has been given such a ban, although MOM has previously taken action against 100 odd companies for posting discriminatory job advertisements.

MALAYSIA:::No escape for those stuck in Malaysian ‘forced labour’

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MTUC's secretary-general Gopal Krishnan answering questions during his interview with Agence France Presse at his office in Subang, Kuala Lumpur. – AFP pic

Toiling 12 hours a day in a Malaysian electronics factory amid broken promises on wages and working conditions, Manu dreams of returning to his poor Nepal village but is restrained by invisible shackles.

His passport has been illegally confiscated by his employers at the Japanese-owned plant on Kuala Lumpur's gritty outskirts, and he is struggling to pay off recruitment fees he owes them. He faces additional fines if he leaves.

Labour activists say such abuses are rife in Malaysia's electronics manufacturing sector, a vital link in a global supply chain producing components for major brands like Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Sony and Samsung. 

SINGAPORE:::No rules, no curfew

About 1,000 foreign workers stay at illegal dormitories in Tampines industrial area and some say they prefer these to commercial dorms ngjunsen@sph.com.sg

By day, the area behind Safra Tampines seems typical of a cluster of industrial buildings.

The eight blocks of flatted factories at Tampines Industrial Park A comprise car workshops, furniture makers and warehouses.

Come nightfall, however, the place transforms into a secret dormitory for foreign workers.

Some 1,000 foreign workers sleep in these workshops and flatted factories, hidden behind partitions.

At night, streams of lorries unload workers at these illegal dormitories.

Some of the dorms are in units marked "under renovation".

One person who tipped off The New Paper thinks there are about 8,000 people sleeping in these eight blocks at night.

TNP spent two weeks staking out the place. Going by the number of buses ferrying in workers, there seemed to be about 1,000 workers staying there.

MALAYSIA:::Airlines, crew show solidarity

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/284755

KUALA LUMPUR: Messages of hope poured in for those onboard missing Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 yesterday, notably from the airline crew who displayed solidarity with their missing brethren.

National carrier Malaysia Airlines, via its Facebook page, posted the message: “#staystrong AirAsia — Our thoughts and prayers are with all family and friends of those on board QZ8501.”

The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) also expressed support for the crew and passengers onboard the aircraft.

“Our prayers and heartfelt wishes go to the crew and passengers... let’s pray for the best,” Nufam posted on its Facebook page.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the world’s largest flight attendant union, called on its members to pray for those on the aircraft.

On Facebook, British Airways (BA) flight attendant Luigi Enrico Faletti said he was hoping for the best. An Air France staff, Nicolas Baradel, wrote: “Love and Prayers to the AirAsia family from France and the Air France family. We are united by wings.”

source:::http://www.nst.com.my