TOP three electronic manufacturing service (EMS) provider SKP Resources Bhd has followed the footstep of fellow industry counterpart VS Industry Bhd to build a cordial rapport with migrant worker rights specialist Andy Hall to iron out various woes related to its workforce.

This follows Hall’s lodging of a complaint with the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) against SKP’s wholly-owned subsidiary SPI Plastic Industries (M) Sdn Bhd.

The activist alleged that SPI Plastic had forced its Myanmar workers who were contracted to SPI Plastic by labour recruitment agency Agensi Pekerjaan Kujaya Sdn Bhd to work overtime on the Dyson product lines for the company.

He also alleged that the recruitment agency had collected RM1,800 per worker in recruitment costs while its counterpart in Myanmar had collected around US$700 for sub-agent and related costs.

Hall further alleged that the workers had not been reimbursed for any recruitment fees by SKP or Dyson thus far.

“We have discussed the issue (of concern) in our 30-minute chat and I am confident SKP will address the specific issues and remain open to address the other challenges that remain for the betterment of the workers,” Hall told FocusM.

“This is based on mutual understanding to uphold the welfare of the workforce involved in SKPs production process. I again welcome this constructive engagement from a leading Malaysian EMS company which created a win-win situation for all parties.”

Meanwhile, SKP’s executive director Ivan Gan Poh San who spoke to Hall said the company is making efforts to enhance the welfare of its migrant workers.

“Yes, we are in discussions with Andy on certain areas which can achieve successful cooperation to further enhance the welfare of migrant workers in our company,” he was cited by The Edge as saying.

“It was a positive conversation and we are looking forward to further discussions and constructive communications which we believe will be beneficial to both the company and the well-being of our migrant workers.”

For the record, VS Industry has also established a fruitful engagement – unlike ATA IMS Bhd which took a ‘hostile route’ – with Hall on Monday (Dec 6), prompting the activist to agree not to launch further public campaigns against any specific companies that are open to constructive dialogue on migrant worker rights.

At 11.04am, SKP shares were down 16 sen or 9,09% to RM1.60 with 15.39 million shares traded, thus valuing the company at RM2.5 bil. The counter had dipped to an intraday low of RM1.48 at one stage of this morning’s trading. – Dec 8, 2021

https://focusmalaysia.my/skp-resources-joins-vs-industry-to-engage-hall-in-a-fruitful-discussion/