Bangladeshi workers to be paid in full amid lockdown
Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia will be paid by their employers even if they do not have to work amid the Covid-19 outbreak in the Southeast Asian country.
Malaysia's human resources ministry reportedly announced it is compulsory for employers to pay their workers in full for the period of movement control order (MCO), which is being enforced during March 18-31.
The same applies for employees paid on a daily basis, as stipulated in their contract, reports Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
Employers listed under essential services, however, do not have to pay those who refuse to work during the two weeks, although they are still required to pay allowances of staff working from home, the report says.
Contacted, Zahirul Islam, labour welfare counsellor at Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, said as Malaysian authorities did not specify workers' category, all workers including Bangladeshis will be included in the payment scheme.
Malaysian authorities have issued a circular in this regard, Zahirul told The Daily Star yesterday via phone.
Malaysia is home to about eight lakh Bangladeshis who are involved in different sectors including construction, plantation and services.
The Malaysian human resources ministry said employees of a company not listed as an essential service should lodge a police report if they are forced to work while the movement control order is in effect, according to the Free Malaysia Today report.
"Lodge a report at the nearest police station," the ministry said in a FAQ (frequently asked questions) sheet released on Thursday on the MCO announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Employees can file a complaint with the labour department if their bosses refuse to pay them, it said.
However, an investigation into the complaint will be carried out only after the MCO is called off.
The FAQ sheet said an employer should not force its workers to go on annual leave or unpaid leave during the period.
Muhyiddin announced the movement control order on Monday to curb the spread of coronavirus in Malaysia, which claimed two lives and infected over a thousand people there as of yesterday.
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