Reopen workplaces but with stricter SOPs, MTUC tells govt

 

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has urged the government to reopen the economic sector with stricter procedures in place to prevent more new workplace Covid-19 clusters.

MTUC secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor said the union must be consulted for its expertise to draft the workplace procedures.

"Do workplace clusters occur due to the failure of employers to abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs), or were the SOPs unsuitable? 

"This uncertainty is a sign of failure by the employers and actions must be taken.

"An SOP for employers, including all workers need to be screened before being allowed to operate and for a worker's representative to file a report, must be made mandatory," he said in a statement today. 

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah previously said as of June 14, there were 1,328 workplace clusters recorded with 147,040 positive cases, of which 68 percent comprise migrant workers.

From the figure, the manufacturing sector recorded the highest number of clusters and cases, with 95,156 positive cases in 639 clusters nationwide.

Entering into week four of the total lockdown, the number of workplace clusters continue to increase with 20 new clusters reported yesterday.

Meanwhile, MTUC said the number of daily cases remained unstable due to the workplace clusters, and it would be unfair to "punish" those who followed strict procedures but yet are prevented from working to earn a living.

"The reopening of other sectors would bring justice to daily wage earners," said Kamarul.

Further, MTUC urged the government to provide more assistance for workers, including through expediting vaccination drives and to come up with a better assistance plan for retrenched workers.

International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali

Separately, International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali said the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) has received high demand from industry players since its launch on June 12. 

He said at least one new vaccination administration centre (PPV) is set to open at Penang's Equatorial Hotel on June 28, while three others in Bayan Lepas and one in Batu Kawan were pending approval from the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).

In Johor, he said 5,123 workers are expected to be inoculated at an on-site PPV in Pengerang, while another PPV will be set up at Austin International Convention Centre.

Human Resources Minister M Saravanan and the CITF had separately said employers under Pikas are not allowed to pass on the vaccination charges to their workers.

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin also said the cost for administering the vaccine, which included setting up PPVs must be borne by employers who were prohibited from transferring the cost to their employees through salary deductions. - Mkini