Two thousand foreign workers from Nepal and Bangladesh went on strike earlier this week after their employer, WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd decided to withhold their salaries dating all the way back to November of last year.
Thankfully, the Human Resource Ministry has swept in to heed their calls for justice, and announced today that they will be taking the Sepang-based company to court. Officials also corroborated the workers claims that salaries had not been paid in months.
Videos of disgruntled workers, picketing outside the factory began to make social media rounds this week with netizens equally upset over the mistreatment occurring at WRP.
Last Tuesday, company representatives finally agreed to pay the workers three months’ wages; however, the government is saying that regardless of this materializing, they still plan on taking these guys to court:
“This is to ensure the incident does not repeat itself and to serve as a reminder to other employers as well,” they said in a statement.
They also added that the company, along with the workers’ respective embassies have agreed to a payment schedule that includes months salaries, and overtime.
Payment for wages for November 2018 starting January 28; overtime was paid on January 29 and December’s wages are to be paid by February 1 at the latest. Other overtime will be paid by February 15 and January’s pay and overtime would be paid on February 28.
Let’s hope so.
After investigations into the matter were launched, the Ministry discovered that the Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, Sepanf factory had committed several infractions — including and not limited to: Not paying wages, not paying overtime, unfair pay cuts and putting their workers at the coal face on public holidays and during their break times.
