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?
This is because both employers and employees are sometimes reluctant to notify Socso for fear of consequences.
<P>Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said: "When a worker gets injured, everybody knows about it. He gets treated and enjoys Socso benefits.</P>
<P>"But,
unfortunately, when a worker falls ill because of his occupation, it’s not
diagnosed or reported, and he loses his benefits."</P><P>Fong said the ministry
was concerned about the huge drop in the number of occupational illnesses reported
to the Social Security Organisation.</P><P>It has decided to distribute a book,
entitled Guidelines on the Diagnosis of Occupational Diseases, to enlighten 4,000
doctors on the Socso panel.</P><P>"The objective of the guidelines was to
enable all parties concerned to make a more precise and objective diagnosis of
occupational diseases.</P><P>"It will also serve as a tool to help workers,
employers and other occupational safety and health professionals recognise high-risk
factors at the workplace that can cause occupational diseases.</P><P>"They
can then take preventive action," Fong told the New Straits Times.</P><P>In
1995, 1,247 cases of work-related illnesses were reported to Socso. This steadily
dropped to 170 last year.</P><P>Based on the British standard of one worker with
an occupational disease to every industrial accident, about 60,000 workers per
year should have been registered with occupational illnesses.</P><P>Fong said
since the enactment of the Employees’ Social Security Act 1969, the country
had undergone rapid industrial development and many new technologies, processes
and chemicals have been adopted.</P><P>Because of this, new occupational diseases
have emerged.</P><P>"Don’t just treat a worker for his illness,"
said Fong. "Take the extra effort to check if it is related to his occupation
or the environment he works in, and whether he is exposed to hazardous chemicals."</P><P>If
it is a work-related disease, the doctor must inform Socso. A visit by Socso to
his workplace would reveal whether other workers are also at risk so that preventive
measures could be taken.</P><P>He noted that a Socso study found that many employers
refused to notify Socso of work-related diseases for fear of visits by agencies,
closure of their operations, stop-work orders and having their equipment sealed.</P><P>Employees,
on the other hand, fear dismissal and discrimination by employers.</P><P>"I
hope the guidelines will be used by doctors, employers and employees to ensure
the immediate and long-term objectives of occupational safety and health can be
achieved."</P><P></P><P><I>Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Monday/National/20070319075651/Article/index_html</I>
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