Protesting workers given one day to leave country
Kevin TanPublished: May 11, 2001 1:28 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
A group of Bangladeshi workers said they were given one day's notice to leave the country after they took their company to court for breaching labour laws.
The company, Chong Hwa Plastics (CHP) was sued by 127 of its Bangladeshi workers for failing to pay them according to the collective agreement between CHP and the National Union of Petroleum and Chemical Industries' Workers (NUPCIW).
According to the collective agreement, the lowest paid employee should be given a salary of about RM420 a month, pay increase of RM45 upon job confirmation, increment of 10 percent from the basic salary and an annual two-month bonus.
The Bangladeshi workers told malaysiakini today that they were given less than RM450 a month. They also claimed that they were denied or given less annual increment, bonuses and other incentives provided under the collective agreement. Another complaint is that their passports were kept by the company.
"(In) four years, they increased our pay RM20 to RM40 (which is less than 10 percent)," according to Ukil Uddin, one of the Bangladeshi workers, adding they were only paid between RM360 to RM400 a month.
Ukil also said the foreign workers have to fork out RM1,360 from their own pockets to renew their work permit every year.
Today, the group of Bangladeshi workers, now representing only 52 of their colleagues from CHP and its sister companies, Fiman Plastics and Home Packaging Industries, lodged a police report at the Petaling Jaya police station.
Assisted by Tenaganita and lawyers from the Legal Aid Centre, the workers alleged in their police report that, among others, 10 of them were given only one day's notice to leave the country, without any prior notice of termination or any compensation in lieu of notice.
The workers claimed that the company "is taking drastic steps against them" due to a case pending in the Industrial Court and another one in the Labour Department.
According to them, the management will only renew the permit of those who sign a letter stating they are withdrawing from the court case.
All the 52 who made the police report jointly said they have not signed the letter.
According to a worker, Md. Khursidur Rahaman, 10 of them when suddenly asked to leave the country without getting their Employees' Provident Fund contributions and 15 days' wages beforehand.
"So, we reported to Tenaganita and they helped us to get a special pass (from the Immigration Department) for one month," he said.
According to Aegile Fernandez of Tenaganita, there is a "noticeable pattern" (among foreign workers' employers) just before the renewal of permits.
"In this case, they (the employers) have industrial court and labour cases pending but they didn't want to renew it (their permits) because they knew the workers are already in tune with the laws," Aegile said.
"They (the foreign workers) knew what is their rights and the're demanding what's theirs in accordance to the law," she added.
The company, Chong Hwa Plastics (CHP) was sued by 127 of its Bangladeshi workers for failing to pay them according to the collective agreement between CHP and the National Union of Petroleum and Chemical Industries' Workers (NUPCIW).
According to the collective agreement, the lowest paid employee should be given a salary of about RM420 a month, pay increase of RM45 upon job confirmation, increment of 10 percent from the basic salary and an annual two-month bonus.
The Bangladeshi workers told malaysiakini today that they were given less than RM450 a month. They also claimed that they were denied or given less annual increment, bonuses and other incentives provided under the collective agreement. Another complaint is that their passports were kept by the company.
"(In) four years, they increased our pay RM20 to RM40 (which is less than 10 percent)," according to Ukil Uddin, one of the Bangladeshi workers, adding they were only paid between RM360 to RM400 a month.
Ukil also said the foreign workers have to fork out RM1,360 from their own pockets to renew their work permit every year.
Today, the group of Bangladeshi workers, now representing only 52 of their colleagues from CHP and its sister companies, Fiman Plastics and Home Packaging Industries, lodged a police report at the Petaling Jaya police station.
Assisted by Tenaganita and lawyers from the Legal Aid Centre, the workers alleged in their police report that, among others, 10 of them were given only one day's notice to leave the country, without any prior notice of termination or any compensation in lieu of notice.
The workers claimed that the company "is taking drastic steps against them" due to a case pending in the Industrial Court and another one in the Labour Department.
According to them, the management will only renew the permit of those who sign a letter stating they are withdrawing from the court case.
All the 52 who made the police report jointly said they have not signed the letter.
According to a worker, Md. Khursidur Rahaman, 10 of them when suddenly asked to leave the country without getting their Employees' Provident Fund contributions and 15 days' wages beforehand.
"So, we reported to Tenaganita and they helped us to get a special pass (from the Immigration Department) for one month," he said.
According to Aegile Fernandez of Tenaganita, there is a "noticeable pattern" (among foreign workers' employers) just before the renewal of permits.
"In this case, they (the employers) have industrial court and labour cases pending but they didn't want to renew it (their permits) because they knew the workers are already in tune with the laws," Aegile said.
"They (the foreign workers) knew what is their rights and the're demanding what's theirs in accordance to the law," she added.
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