Five protestors who were arrested while protesting against a hospital cleaning services company over allegations of union-busting yesterday will be charged in court tomorrow.
Their lawyer, K Kunasekaran said the five would be charged under Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 at the Ipoh Magistrates Court tomorrow morning.
The five had just been released today after a magistrate denied the police’s request for a four-day remand, and their lawyer said he was surprised by the charges.
“They were using proper SOPs – masks, took the temperature, and they have done everything accordingly. For me, their basic rights must be protected. They are doing the right thing for the frontliners.
“I’m very surprised that today police released them after we put a submission that (a four-day remand) is unfair.
“They are activists fighting for the workers, then today they are released but going to be charged tomorrow. For me is unfair,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
The five are National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services (NUWHSAS) executive secretary M Saraswathy, union officials L Danaletchumy and V Santhiran, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia members P Jothi and C Subramaniam @ Raja.
The union represents members who work as cleaners in government hospitals in the northern states.
They gathered outside the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh yesterday to protest against union-busting tactics by the cleaners' employer Edgenta UEMS.
They also complained that the cleaners were not provided adequate protective equipment even when cleaning Covid-19 wards.
“Covid-19 is very dangerous to the frontliners. The workers, cleaners, also must be protected, but their (union) advice is not listened to by their employer.
“They have made lots of complaints before but they (their employer) are not listening. That's why this is the only way they can highlight their plight,” Kunasekaran said.
For the record, UEM Edgenta Bhd, the parent company of Edgenta UEMS, had said it has protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of its workers, as well as communications channels and mechanisms to resolve internal issues amicably. - Mkini
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