Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to prioritise workers as the nation shifts into high gear to accelerate the reopening the economy
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) is hopeful that for the remaining duration of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), the government would give top priority to resolving the issues surrounding the Covid-19 screening for workers.
Its secretary-general J. Solomon said it is imperative that the outstanding issues are resolved and practical measures put in place for health checks, as new clusters of Covid-19 found in Kuala Lumpur and Negri Sembilan over the past week involved workers at construction site, security guards at a mall and employees at a chicken processing plant.
He adds as more workers are expected to return to work, the government must ensure that employers, employees and work places are as safe as can be from the threat of Covid-19.
Solomon also called upon the government to review Socso’s decision to appoint BP as the sole company to carry out Covid-19 test on migrant workers, to ensure full transparency.
“We don’t see why more companies– including private hospitals—are not roped in for Covid-19 screening. Videos of migrant workers without masks and not practising safe distancing waiting in long lines outside BP labs in the Klang Valley have gone viral, damaging the credibility of both Socso and the government,” he said in a statement, today.
He adds that there are more than two million legal migrant workers in the country, with an estimated 800,000 of them in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur which have only 10 diagnostic BP labs for the screenings.
“This is unacceptable. The government, especially the National Security Council (NSC) and the Health Ministry must step in and review Socso’s entire process of checking migrant workers for Covid-19. This should be the top priority before any more companies are allowed to resume operations,” he said.
He also said that Socso funds, which are meant for the social protection of workers, should not be used to pay for Covid-19 screening, as it is clearly the employers’ responsibility to provide such service.
It will be even more unfair to workers if Socso is paying BP for a task the company does not have the capacity to undertake on its own, he adds.
Solomon said the Malaysian Medical Association had also rightly pointed out the ambiguous decisions and U-turns by the government in announcing Covid-19 screenings for both local and migrant workers and this shows that there is a clear need for the government to intervene and review Socso’s decisions.
He adds that the emergence of foreign workers as new clusters of infection is closely linked to their living conditions.
He adds accommodation provided by their employers have long been below par and now appears to increase the risk of Covid-19 infections.
“The government must rein in employers by engaging the Malaysian Employers Federation and relevant bodies to find solutions that can address this pressing issue effectively”.
He said the practice of placing 15-20 workers in a three room apartment or a small shop lot must be stopped as soon as possible. Ensuring workers’ safety must be extended to a review of their living conditions as well.
The safety of employees at work places and the accommodation of migrant workers must be given greater scrutiny during the extended CMCO, he said.
“MTUC strongly urges the government to engage the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) in ensuring that employers and workers comply with the SOPs set by the Health Ministry,” he said.
Source : https://www.nst.com.my/…/govt-urged-prioritise-workers-heal…
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