Egg Factory Under Probe for Staff’s Poor Living Conditions

The workers' accommodation that housed 27 employees of a chicken egg factory was found to be in a dirty and inhumane condition.

Foreign workers from Myanmar were forced to live in poor conditions due to the employer's failure to comply with the Employees' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act. 

It was said that the housing lacked basic facilities such as mattresses, power, water supplies, and a filthy kitchen.

 

Two workers were also found to be living in a rundown hut

The situation, which was revealed during a two-hour integrated Workers' Housing Operation, also exposed that the factory's employer told two workers to live in a rundown hut to look after a chicken feed storage warehouse nearby.

Ngwe Hee Sem, Exco for Unity, Information, Manpower, and Consumer Affairs, stated that the inspection showed that the employer provided 15 units of various forms of housing to 27 foreign workers without an accommodation certificate.

"We also discovered that the employer had not made any application to acquire the certificate, as well as numerous offences detected under the Employees' Minimum Standards for Housing, Accommodations, and Amenities Act 1990," he said to the media after completing a Workers' Housing Op in Kuala Sungai Baru yesterday.

He stated that the employer violated these rules:

• Section 24D, providing accommodation without a certificate, 

• Section 24K (no maintenance), and 

• The Minimum Accommodation Rules by failing to provide beds, mattresses, and lockable cupboards.

Ngwe added that the employer also breached Social Security Organisation (Socso) rules by not paying contributions for three workers and failing to register them.

He said that an inquiry document had been initiated as a result, and they will monitor the progress imposed on the employer and the organisation.

 

The employer had already received a warning

Ngwe noted that the situation was incredibly depressing, especially since the employer had already received a reminder letter about the offence.

However, he said that the employer still failed to comply with the rules. In their operation yesterday, they found a similar situation prevailing since the last inspection in February. 

According to Ngwe, the employer's excuse was that it had found another accommodation elsewhere but was yet to move. However, the Labour Department (JTK) believed that this is where their real accommodation is. 

He added that the workers have been working for over seven years and are still living in the same poor housing.

 

Authorities to conduct more operations

Ngwe stated that the authorities will not budge and has warned the employer, who is still breaking the rules to make rapid changes.

He said the authorities would conduct more frequent operations and be thorough to ensure that workers' accommodation meets the set standards as the situation as of now has been very disappointing. 

 

Source: BERNAMA