The heavy downpour this evening failed to deter some 150 disgruntled workers from staging a picket outside their factory in Shah Alam.

Carrying placards, the employees of Oriental Summit Industries Sdn Bhd voiced their dissatisfaction over the Collective Agreement.

The employees had asked for a six percent adjustment to their salary scheme but the management had agreed to only three percent.

Oriental Summit, which produces car spare parts, is a subsidiary of DRB-Hicom.

The picket started at about 6pm and was led by National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industries Workers general secretary N Gopalkishnam.

During the 30-minute long picket, the employees also chanted slogans such as 'long live workers' and 'employer cheating workers'.

They also vowed to stage the picket daily until the management returns to the negotiation table.

'Bukan main-main'

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Syed Shahrir was also present to lend his support.

In a brief speech, he said the picket was 'bukan main-main' ( not playing around) and is held because of a deadlock in negotiations.

"We are not asking for something unreasonable. We do not demand much. We are still open for negotiations but if the negotiation is held to discuss the same things then I don't think it's necessary," he added.

When approached, several workers told malaysiakini that they find it difficult to make ends meet with their current wages as living standards have increased.

"I earn about RM1,500 per month, no over-time, so how am I going to survive," asked a father of five, who declined to be named.

Two plain-clothes police officers were present but no untoward incidents occurred. The workers dispersed peacefully after the picket.