Glove maker WRP to send Nepali workers home

A group of Nepali migrant workers affected by glove maker WRP Asia's recent move to temporarily suspend operations are expected to be repatriated within the next nine days, according to sources.

Since last year, the company has been in the news after its rubber gloves were banned by the US Customs and Border Protection agency on alleged grounds they were made with forced labour.

In a latest development, Malaysiakini sighted a document from the company's administration with a list of 57 workers whose work permits are due to expire by the end of this month.

The document, which was sent to various section heads, also stated the workers' last working date, the date for submission of their time card, and the date of their flight bound for Kathmandu, Nepal.

According to the document, flight tickets for the 57 workers have been booked on Jan 6, Jan 8 and Jan 13.

Sources told Malaysiakini the repatriation order came from interim liquidators appointed by WRP Asia.

Malaysiakini also sighted an email from the interim liquidators to WRP Asia, requesting a list of all foreign workers currently employed by the company.

It was reported on Thursday that an emergency shareholders injection of RM3.25 million was channelled to the liquidators to enable the beleaguered company to pay its workers.

The emergency cash by shareholders was pumped by private equity fund TAEL Partners, the WRP board of directors said in a statement issued by its legal representative Thomas Philip Advocates and Solicitors.

Sources, however, claimed the funds could not be used to pay the foreign workers, who were allegedly under the payroll of WRP Asia's sister companies.

The source said the funds were injected for WRP Asia's use-only, raising concerns over whether there were unpaid wages owed to the workers being repatriated.

According to the Companies Act 1965, an appointed liquidator has to settle all outstanding claims, with priority given to unpaid wages.

Stressing that it has been made a victim of "inaccurate" market rumours, WRP's management had told Malaysiakini the firm was likely to resume production this month.

In January last year, nearly 2,000 of the company's Nepali workers held a three-day strike over months of unpaid wages.

The Labour Department had found that WRP withheld salaries and overtime payments, made unfair pay cuts and imposed wrongful working hours during breaks and public holidays.

Lawyers for the WRP board of directors have also blamed former WRP CEO Lee Hon Seng for "mismanagement".

Lee was sacked on Nov 29, last year, after which law firm Thomas Philip was appointed to carry out due diligence, they said.

The board of directors also filed an action against Lee for alleged criminal breach of trust involving RM8.4 million. - Mkini