Malaysia firm may repatriate striking Nepali workers

PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE

KATHMANDU, Sept 25: A Malaysian employer company has hinted that it could send striking Nepali workers back home after they said they do not want to work at the company anymore.

Altogether 600 Nepali workers at Malaysian firm Maxter Glove Manuracturing Company near Kuala Lumpur are on strike for the last five days unhappy with the accommodation and food quality provided by the company. The protesting workers said the food and accommodation did not conform to their job contracts.

After more than six hours of negotiations, which was mediated by the Nepali embassy in Kuala Lumpur, between the management and the employers on Sunday, the workers said they would prefer to fly back home instead of working in the company. "The company did express its readiness to respect the job contract during the talks. But majority of workers said they are not willing to work for the company anymore and expressed their desire return home," Amal Kiran Dhakal, labor attaché at Nepali embassy in Kuala Lumpur told Republica over the phone on Monday. Dhakal said the company management has also hinted that it would arrange repatriation for the workers if they continued their strikes. During the talks, the company representatives had urged the workers to return to work expressing commitment to make food and accomodation arrangement as per the job contracts. "Agitating workers were supposed to resume work from today (Monday) morning. However, they did not turn up," said Dhakal. "Now it becomes the employer firm´s responsibility to take initiative to send them back to Nepal. In addition to Nepalis, around 500 Bangladeshi workers too are employed in the company, which is a leading producer and exporter of surgical gloves. After assurance from the employer that the food and accomodation arrangements would be improved, the embassy officials had requested the workers to return to work. "The company has been paying 1000 - 2000 Ringgit per month to the workers, which is good money. If the company sincerely implemented the labor contract, they should return to work," added Dhakal, who mediated the talks. The workers had reached Malaysia to join the company on different dates between last three months and six years through Lucky Human Resource Solution in Lalitpur, a Nepali manpower agency. Some 600 Nepali workers are on strike for last five days charging that the employer company - Maxter Glove Manufacturing Company based in Perak of Kelang Neru near Kuala Lumpur - exploited them in foods and accommodation.
Published on 2012-09-25 04:00:54