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?
The Chinese workers refused to work in the northern Malaysian city, and demanded that their transaction fees be returned after finding their salaries were much lower than that promised by a Tianjin-based job agency.
<P>Tianjin Zhongtuo, a company
engaged mainly in getting overseas jobs for Chinese workers, had promised them
a monthly salary of 4,500-9,000 yuan ($580-1,160).</P><P>But after reaching Kelantan
early last month, they realized they would get only about 1,000 yuan a month,
the Beijing Evening News reported.</P><P>"We are working with the Chinese
and Malaysian job agencies to settle the labor dispute so that the workers can
return home as soon as possible," Shen Yongxian, councilor in the Chinese
embassy, said yesterday.</P><P>The Chinese embassy is very concerned over the
issue, but because it involves Chinese and Malaysian companies, "we need
a little more time to resolve the issue", he said.</P><P>Many Chinese-Malaysians,
moved by the workers’ condition, have sent them food and clothes, the councilor
said.</P><P>Since an increasing number of Chinese today are choosing to work abroad,
Shen has urged them to study the credibility of the agencies carefully before
applying for a job and paying them their fees.</P><P ALIGN="RIGHT">(China Daily
04/05/2007 page2)</P><P><I>Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/05/content_843713.htm</I>
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com