An apparent unnecessary death of a young migrant worker, by allegedly delay on the part of the employer in getting the necessary healthcare, has been ignited thousands of workers in Johor to stand up and claim their rights as workers...Will other workers join in solidarity with this current protest? Will the MTUC and the other Unions come out in support of these workers? We shall see...
It is Day 2 - and, of course the main stream media is giving anti-worker coverage...painting them as 'trouble-makers', not workers demanding their rights....The headline says it all, and we know where the Star stands "Onlookers pelted with stones as protest over death of Nepali turns ugly" {One would expect good reporters would have given us more details, about why the other workers are protesting over a death of a fellow-worker. What exactly happened? What was the ailment that caused the worker to die? Would death have been avoided if he had been taken to hospital earlier? How did the employer 'delay'...or fail in their obligation to the worker? - But, no....Star just highlights 'turned violent on its second day, as a guardpost was destroyed and onlookers were pelted with stones and rubbish...." (para 1), turning fire extinguishers on bystanders and chasing after a vehicle ferrying two health inspectors.(para 2), that a bystander suffered a minor cut on his head after being hit by a stone thrown by a worker (para 3)...it just goes on and on - and the worker issue is just not the focus, when it should be especially since 1 worker had died prematurely....
JOHOR BARU: A protest by more than a thousand foreign factory workers at their quarters in the Tebrau industrial area turned violent on its second day, as a guardpost was destroyed and onlookers were pelted with stones and rubbish.
The protest, which lasted some eight hours, also saw the workers – mainly from Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India – turning fire extinguishers on bystanders and chasing after a vehicle ferrying two health inspectors.
It is learnt that a bystander suffered a minor cut on his head after being hit by a stone thrown by a worker.However, the 200 policemen deployed to the scene managed to prevent the fracas from spreading beyond the compound.
Smokescreen: Foreign workers running for cover after setting up a smokescreen by burning rubbish at their enclave in Tebrau industrial area in Johor Baru yesterday.
The protest erupted on Sunday following the death of a Nepali factory worker from high fever, allegedly because the management had been slow in sending the worker to hospital.
Yesterday, the protesters demanded higher wages.
Bangladeshi Jinur Biswas, 26, said the workers wanted their wages increased from RM420 to RM546 per month.
“We also want the company to provide a mini-clinic within the compound and to pay about RM25,000 to the family of any worker who dies here,” he said, adding that prompt action was needed to aid any sick worker.He also said the company had not been paying the workers overtime.
“Even if we worked 12 hours, they would pay us only two hours of overtime,” he said.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob said the workers dispersed at about 5.50pm.“Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel were stationed there to restore calm at the quarters. They did not discharge their weapons or felt the need to fire water cannons,” said ACP Zainudddin.
He added that a representative from the workers would meet their agents and the factory’s management today to discuss the problems.
“The meeting will be held at 11am at the management office in the Tebrau Industrial area,” he said. - Star, 17/8/2010,Onlookers pelted with stones as protest over death of Nepali turns ugly
Malaysiakini, and the alternative media must really follow-up on this worker story -
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