Police disperse protest at plastics company over salary arrears

PETALING JAYA: Police have dispersed a peaceful gathering of 250 workers from a plastics manufacturing company in Klang, who were protesting over their unpaid wages.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told FMT the workers were demanding that the management pay them their salaries.

The protest comes two weeks after FMT reported that 57 Kawaguchi workers complained in four separate reports with the labour department over unpaid wages and unlawful salary deductions totalling more than RM800,000 since May.

Hussein said police arrived and dispersed the protest. “There were no injuries reported,” he said, adding that no police reports have been lodged into the incident.

A foreign worker who wished to be known as Syed Hashim told FMT the workers were unhappy with a company announcement that their wage arrears would only be paid next September.

“We want our salaries. The company promised to pay us by December, but they have not done so,” said Syed Hashim.

Syed Hashim said workers went to the company this afternoon after receiving word that it was set to close soon, and they were worried they would not be paid.

He said the protestors prevented several company executives from leaving the scene as they wanted the company’s general manager to negotiate with them.

Kawaguchi was already subject to an investigation by the labour department in September, which found evidence that it had not paid more than 200 of its Bangladeshi workers since April, and had also retained their passports.

It was previously reported that the company supplies components to Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. The three firms said in September they were looking into allegations of delayed salary payments, forced labour practices and human rights violations at Kawaguchi.

FMT has reached out to an aide to human resources minister Steven Sim for comment, and is awaiting comment from the labour department for confirmation whether any legal action has been taken against Kawaguchi.