ID :
106277
Fri, 02/12/2010 - 16:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/106277
The shortlink copeid
EMPLOY REFUGEES INSTEAD OF FOREIGNERS, SAYS MTUC
PETALING JAYA (Malaysia), Feb 12 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Trades Union
Congress (MTUC) wants the government to allow refugees to work in
labour-strapped organisations instead of importing foreign workers.
Its secretary-general, G. Rajasegaran, said the thousands of refugees now in
the country could be easily absorbed as workers in the various industries.
By doing so, the government would not only be able to save millions of
ringgit in sustaining these refugees but would also gain world recognition for
being a humane country, he said.
Rajasegaran was commenting on the recent announcement that 100,000 new visas
were approved for foreign workers in the last three months.
He said the government should thoroughly study the needs of the industries
before approving the permits because the information provided by some companies
could be misleading.
He claimed that an MTUC survey last year found that some companies got rid
of workers with high salaries and replaced them with lowly paid staff.
Their modus operandi was to offer a voluntary separation scheme (VSS) to
workers earning between RM900 (US$1=RM3.4) and RM1,500 and then employ workers
earning salaries of between RM500 and RM600 in their place, he added.
He said that by doing so they justified their need for foreign workers and
the government took their request at face value and approved the permits.
The other flaw in the recruitment of foreign workers, he pointed out, was
that the approval was done by the Home Ministry which did not seem to have
proper coordination with the Human Resources Ministry.
He also said that the 272 registered outsourcing companies were another
reason for the "excess of foreign workers in the country", claiming that these
companies often brought in workers in excess of actual need.
Latest figures issued by Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
show there are 1.2 million legal foreign workers in Malaysia. There are believed
to be an equal number of illegal or undocumented workers.
-- BERNAMA
Congress (MTUC) wants the government to allow refugees to work in
labour-strapped organisations instead of importing foreign workers.
Its secretary-general, G. Rajasegaran, said the thousands of refugees now in
the country could be easily absorbed as workers in the various industries.
By doing so, the government would not only be able to save millions of
ringgit in sustaining these refugees but would also gain world recognition for
being a humane country, he said.
Rajasegaran was commenting on the recent announcement that 100,000 new visas
were approved for foreign workers in the last three months.
He said the government should thoroughly study the needs of the industries
before approving the permits because the information provided by some companies
could be misleading.
He claimed that an MTUC survey last year found that some companies got rid
of workers with high salaries and replaced them with lowly paid staff.
Their modus operandi was to offer a voluntary separation scheme (VSS) to
workers earning between RM900 (US$1=RM3.4) and RM1,500 and then employ workers
earning salaries of between RM500 and RM600 in their place, he added.
He said that by doing so they justified their need for foreign workers and
the government took their request at face value and approved the permits.
The other flaw in the recruitment of foreign workers, he pointed out, was
that the approval was done by the Home Ministry which did not seem to have
proper coordination with the Human Resources Ministry.
He also said that the 272 registered outsourcing companies were another
reason for the "excess of foreign workers in the country", claiming that these
companies often brought in workers in excess of actual need.
Latest figures issued by Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
show there are 1.2 million legal foreign workers in Malaysia. There are believed
to be an equal number of illegal or undocumented workers.
-- BERNAMA
