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?
They claimed they were not given the 7% pay rise agreed on in their collective
agreement (CA).
<p>The CA, they said, was signed between the Malaysian Agri-cultural Producers
Association (MAPA) and National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW) on August
18 last year. </p>
<p>Estate honcho Mohamad Sukri Ali, 45, said the estate management had not paid
the workers the minimum monthly wages of RM350. </p>
<p>Weeder Norma Samsudin, 43, said her job was to deal with the manure but was
re-assigned to work as a domestic helper from May 19. </p>
<p>“This is a gross violation of the labour law and I am working under protest,”
she said. </p>
<p>The estate has about 50 workers, including foreigners from Indonesia and India.
</p>
<p>Indonesian worker Made Golok, 20, said, he was employed as an oil palm harvester
and payment was based on tonnage. </p>
<p>“However when the harvest is good the management converted the mode of
payment by paying me according to the daily rate,” he claimed. </p>
<p>A. Muniasamy, 42, from India, said he was hired as a weeder for the past three
years but was recently asked to work as a harvester. </p>
<p>Harvesters C. Mallaiah, 32, from India and Wayan, 27, from Indonesia said there
were discrepancies on the measurement and tonnage of the harvest. </p>
<p>NUPW secretary I. Santhana-dass said he would refer the workers’ grievances
to the Industrial Relations Depart-ment. </p>
<p>An official of Ladang Jentayu estate operations department in Klang (Carey
Island) who declined to be named said they were unaware of the demonstration
and refused to comment further. </p>
<p>Sungai Petani Labour Depar-tment’s senior assistant director Mohd Jarjis
Abdullah said when contacted that he would visit the estate soon and investigate
the workers’ grievances.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com