Groups want govt to step in after ‘strike’ by lorry drivers

 

Lorry drivers have gone on a ‘strike’ to protest against intensified checks by JPJ. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Two groups have urged the government to intervene after they claimed a lorry drivers’ strike in several states over the road transport department’s (JPJ) operations have led to stalled construction projects and losses for developers.

The Master Builders Association of Malaysia (MBAM) and the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) said the strike had led to a number of construction sites having to stop work for over a week.

“This has also led to a disruption of delivery for building materials, namely quarry products and sand,” they said in a joint statement today.

“As a result, the industry would have to shoulder all the extra cost and time, on top of other issues which are beyond our control, that would significantly reduce the sector’s productivity.”

They urged the government to immediately address these concerns before the problem escalates.

“We hope that a solution can be found that ensures the continued smooth operation of our construction economy while upholding safety and compliance standards,” MBAM and Rehda said.

The lorry drivers’ strike, which started on Oct 17, is said to be in protest against enhanced checks on lorries and commercial vehicles by JPJ since late last month, with many being impounded for overloading.

JPJ had announced that it would begin large-scale checks on commercial vehicles last month, following an incident where a lorry ploughed into 14 cars in Putrajaya, leaving two dead.

There have been protests in the east coast states involving over 2,000 lorry drivers. So far, only a group of Kelantan lorry drivers have reportedly agreed to resume operations on Oct 21 following discussions with JPJ.

The Malaysia Trucking Federation has since urged all drivers to continue transporting their consignments, but some drivers have reported fearing retaliation for not standing in solidarity with the others.

In Kedah, a lorry drivers’ group made several demands in their memorandum to JPJ, including that businesses and manufacturers be fined for forcing them to carry beyond their loading capacity, reported New Straits Times. - FMT