KUANTAN: When workers at a steel factory at the Gebeng Industrial Area here attended a meeting with the company’s management on Oct 16, little did they expect that it will be their last day at work.
The management allegedly issued a letter instructing workers to stop going to work the following day, promising to pay them outstanding salaries by the end of October.
Sadly, none of the workers have received the salaries, prompting them to stage a peaceful protest in front of the company’s factory here today, demanding fair compensation.
Zafran Ahmad, 43, who represented the employees, said the 118 workers want their former employer to pay them their salaries as well as compensation for abruptly terminating their employment.
He said workers were retrenched in stages between the end of last year up to Oct 16 this year.
He said the company alleged that it was scaling down operations following the plunge in steel demand and prices.
“The sudden move to call a meeting and retrench us is shocking. We have families and commitments.
“Some of us are still jobless because we worked in the steel factory for more than 15 years, making it difficult to find jobs in other sectors.
“When we informed the Labour Department about this, they arranged a meeting between workers and the management on Nov 15, but the company failed to send a representative.
“We are now taking legal action to defend our rights as workers,” said Zafran, who was a supervisor at the factory.
Another former employee of the company, Mohd Khaizal Idris, 42, who was retrenched at the end of last year, said some former workers took the matter to the Industrial Court, which ordered the company to settle arrears.
He said despite the court’s instruction that the company pay workers their full salary, the company had only paid the amount for 12 working days.
“We are hoping for a solution. The company’s sudden move is affecting all workers. We want to meet the management to seek clarification, but we have not been given a chance.
“I believe our dismissal is unlawful. We decided to call the media to ensure our voices and plight are heard, and that there will be an end to our hardship.”
When contacted, a senior management staff from the company said the company would make the payments, including compensation, only after the amount was finalised.
“The amount is estimated to be about RM700,000. We are discussing it with the workers’ union. The payout will be determined by a lawyer, and we want to sort out the documentation before making any payments.”