KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) urges workers in the state facing unreasonable dismissal or retrenchment to lodge their complaints with the Sarawak Labour Department.
Its chief Wilfred Yap said the Labour Department can assist employees in labour complaints, workmen’s compensation and labour claims.
“All employees who are unaware of their employment rights under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance and those who feel mistreated at their workplace can personally go to the Sarawak Labour Department and where necessary, their cases will be referred to the Labour Court by the department.
“The verdict or decision of the Sarawak Labour Court can only be challenged in the High Court,” he said in a statement today.
Yap also advised workers not to suffer in silence and to stand up for their benefits and rights.
“SUPP PCB is always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone facing employment issues or problems but does not know how to deal with it,” he assured.
He added that he was recently approached by two individuals seeking legal advice and assistance after they were dismissed by their employer.
He said the individuals informed that they were previously employed as car body sprayers and that their employer had terminated their employment on a short notice and had yet to pay the balance of their salaries from November last year to September.
“The two individuals also said that they had lodged their complaints with the Sarawak Labour Department and their cases in the Labour Court have been fixed for hearing in early December.
“However, they informed SUPP PCB that they were not proficient in English or Bahasa Malaysia and they were worried that they would not be able to properly present their case in the Labour Court,” he explained.
Yap added that on behalf of the two individuals, he had requested the Labour Department to provide a Chinese to English translator or to allow them to bring their own translator so that they could better communicate and properly present their case during the hearing.
