300 workers shocked to find factory locked up
The Star Online
SHAH ALAM: About 300 employees of a plastic manufacturing factory in Section 15 here were shocked when they went to work in the morning but found themselves locked out of the premises yesterday.
“We also found a notice of liquidation pasted on the factory gate,” said supervisor M. Thanapal, adding that the owners of the family-run business had not told the workers about the closure.
He said the factory’s in-house union had a meeting with the management two weeks ago and was not told about the liquidation order.
“They informed us that the company was facing financial problems and told us that we would all struggle together to overcome the problem. The management also promised to give us a month’s notice if the company faced closure,” said Thanapal.
The factory’s 200 Malaysian employees and about a hundred foreign workers decided to picket outside the premises yesterday.
Also at the picket were MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, secretary-general G. Rajasekaran and deputy secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor.
Abdul Halim said the factory’s foreign workers found themselves in a quandary as their passports were held by the company’s officials. They are also likely to lose their accommodation benefit.
“So we have put up a tent in front of the factory for the foreign workers to stay in the event they have nowhere to go,” said Halim.
He added that the MTUC would help the employees file a complaint with the Industrial Relations and Labour Departments.
Newly-elected Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad was also present.
