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: Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has urged the government to come up with a solid plan to ensure compliance of the standard operating procedure (SOP) introduced by the Health Ministry.
Its secretary general J.Solomon said warning employers of possible shut down was not enough.
“Strict enforcement is key to ensuring the SOP is complied with and action taken against recalcitrant employers.
“Employers must be compelled to provide the resources in terms of personal protective equipment (PPE) and trained personnel to enforce the SOPs.
“Employers must also ‘relook’ the accommodation provided for workers to ensure basic hygiene and safe distancing are practiced when their employees return to work.
“The government should come out with a ‘blueprint’ (plan) to enforce MOH guidelines as it involves the wide spectrum of matters.
“These include basic training for security guards and employers in enforcing the SOP and ensuring companies provide enough PPE to workers and carry out awareness campaigns for workers and employers,” he said in a statement.
Solomon said the ‘blueprint’ could play a vital role in saving the country from another wave of infection as businesses increased their operations and the Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions were relaxed.
While taking note on the government’s decision to allow several sectors to resume full operations, MTUC said it was concerned that employers would not put in place necessary resources needed to ensure the SOPs were strictly implemented.
“Failure to implement the SOPs or even being lax about them will risk the safety and health of workers, and the general population.
“We have received feedback from workers in companies given the go-ahead to operate in the past two months.
“Among the complaints were workers still being huddled together in buses and vans provided by employers, mingling freely in cafeterias during meals and other areas at the workplaces, and workstations not realigned to the social distancing guidelines.
“Apart from these problematic areas, MTUC is also worried about the living conditions of migrant workers.
“Such living conditions and lax attitude towards MOH guidelines risk turning these accommodations into new breeding grounds for Covid-19 infections.
“We should learn from Singapore and must pay due attention to workers’ safety, not just workplaces but also their living conditions.” he added.
Source : https://www.nst.com.my/…/mtuc-says-better-plan-needed-ensur…
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com