24-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Mould manufacturer sets up task force to resolve worker grievances
Mediceram Sdn Bhd said both the company and its workers have committed to moving forward constructively together in the best interests of their stakeholders and wellbeing of their business. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd has agreed to set up an internal task force linked to a committee comprising employees to resolve future grievances.
The move follows weeks of tension with its Bangladeshi workforce allegedly over working conditions and the recruitment fees the workers had paid in Bangladesh before coming to Malaysia, said Arumugam Suppiah, the company's chairman.
Arumugam also said the company and its Bangladeshi workers reached an amicable resolution to issues related to a recent dispute today.
'Both parties have now committed to moving forward constructively together in the best interests of all stakeholders and to ensure the profitability and economic wellbeing of our business,' he said in a statement.
He said both sides agreed that any future complaints from workers concerning their working and living conditions would be addressed through the in-house task force, instead of raising them on social media or the press, 'to ensure constructive dialogue and timely resolution'.
Arumugam said the workers had been demanding refunds for recruitment fees they paid to Bangladeshi agents before their arrival in Malaysia.
Although Mediceram initially agreed to reimburse them, its proposal to stagger the payments over a 12-month period led to renewed protests.
About 180 Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes, on March 6 and 18, in protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.
Arumugam said the company has since agreed to pay each of the workers RM22,500, over an eight-month period, although it is not obligatory under Malaysian laws.
He also thanked migrant rights activist Andy Hall for facilitating the dialogue between the company and its Bangladeshi workers under challenging circumstances, and for Hall's commitment to finding a fair and mutually acceptable resolution to the problem.
'While some harsh statements were indeed exchanged in the past week, and the company observed what we believe were inappropriate actions by certain individuals throughout this dispute, we humbly accept our own shortcomings in managing this situation effectively at the outset with our own workers,' he said.
Arumugam, however, disputed earlier reports by FMT that the strike by the foreign labourers was linked to unpaid wages.
'It was due to the fees paid to recruitment agents in Bangladesh,' he said.
