Press Statement by the Labour Solidarity and Learning Resource Association on 11 November 2023 in Shah Alam
The Labour Solidarity and Learning Resource Association condemns Lee Pineapple Co. Ltd for its failure to provide fair compensation to older workers. The factory ceased its operation on 31 October.
More than 30 older workers ranging 60 to 80 years old held a protest at the factory premise in Skudai on 5 November, criticizing the company for giving severance pay of 20 days per year for those age below 60 years old, but older workers above 60 years old and served more than 15 years are only entitled to 3.5 months retirement compensation.
It is unacceptable that a prominent company like Lee Pineapple Co. Ltd. just provides the minimum benefit for older workers who contributed to the growth of the company and the industry for decades.
Lee Pineapple Co. Ltd. is owned by the family of philanthropist Lee Kong Chian. The family has donated billions of ringgits to universities, schools, museums and libraries in the past few decades, which is commendable.
However, how could the Lee family allow such unfair treatment to happen to the older workers at the historic pineapple factory? The arrogant company management was not even willing to discuss the matter when the Skudai assemblywoman Marina Ibrahim approached the company.
The minimum compensation is not even up to the normal industrial standard, which is at least one month pay per one year of service.
This incident shows that the shortcoming in the current regulation has failed to make the rich pay reasonable compensation to the poor workers.
The root cause is obvious. The Employment (Termination and layoff benefits) Regulation 1980 stipulates minimum severance benefits for Malaysian workers – 10 day pay per month (work less than 2 years), 15 day pay per month (work between 2 and 5 years), 20 day pay per month (work longer than 5 years).
We demand the unity government to reform the Employment (Termination and layoff benefits) Regulation 1980 as soon as possible, making one month pay per one year of service a standard severance pay in Malaysia.
The Madani economy should not just look into workers’ wages, all the outdated regulations and policies that provide the extremely low benefits to Malaysian workers should be overhauled.
Gopal Kishnam Nadesan
LLRC Secretary
劳工法改革联盟文告，2023年11月11日于莎阿南发出。
柔南益黄梨厂不合理赔偿 劳改联盟促修订雇用条例
劳工法改革联盟(LLRC)谴责士古来南益黄梨厂没有为年长工人提供公平的停职赔偿。南益黄梨厂已于10月31日结束营业。
约30名介于60至80岁的工人于11月5日在该工厂内抗议，批评南益黄梨厂为60岁以下工人提供每个服务年20天薪金的停职赔偿，但是60岁以上的工人只获得3个月半薪金的退休福利。
著名的南益黄梨厂只为长期服务的工人提供微不足道的停职赔偿，这令人无法接受。
南益黄梨厂由慈善家李光前的家族拥有。该家族数十年来捐助大学、学校、博物馆和图书馆，这值得赞扬。
但是，李氏家族岂能在关闭历史性的黄梨厂时，不给年长劳工公平的赔偿？当士古来州议员玛丽娜尝试联络厂方斡旋此事，傲慢的管理层甚至不愿意商谈此事。
黄梨厂管理层提供的最低赔偿甚至不符合一般工业标准，基本上应该每个服务年赔偿一个月的薪金。
这事件突显我国的现有法律条规无法让富有者为贫穷工人提供合理的赔偿。
根本原因非常明显。我国的1980年雇用条例 (The Employment (Termination and layoff benefits) Regulation 1980) 规定了最低赔偿金 – 服务少于2年者可获得每服务年10天薪金，服务介于2年至5年者可获得每服务年15天薪金，服务5年或以上者可获得每服务年20天薪金。
我们要求团结政府尽快改革该条例，让每个服务年赔偿一个月薪金成为停职赔偿的标准。
昌明经济不仅应该设法提升劳工的薪金，也应该完全改革过时和提供工人极低福利的各种条例和政策。
哥巴克里斯南
劳工法改革联盟秘书长