TAPAH: The Human Resources Ministry has received 5,177 complaints via the newly launched application Working for Workers (WFW), against employers from May 3 until yesterday.
Its minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said the highest complaints received was against employers who did not allow employees to work from home (2,198 cases); unpaid salary/late paid salary (1,231) and wage deductions not in accordance with the law.
Saravanan added that other complaints include being laid off without notice (377 cases); no overtime payments and termination benefits (313); employer not complying with the minimum wage requirement (136); no employment contracts (98) and no annual leave (91).
He said Selangor had the highest complaints so far with (1,809 reports) followed by Kuala Lumpur (1,210), Johor (627), Penang (319), Perak (211), Sabah (175), Melaka (163), Kedah (159), Sarawak (143), Pahang (137), Negri Sembilan (113), Terengganu (45), Kelantan (39), Perlis (13) and Labuan (8).
"The ministry has been receiving complaints from workers that their employers have forced and threatened them to go to the office.
"We have warned them and soon the ministry will also come out with two policies namely Work From Home Policy and secondly, the SOP policy," he told reporters after distributing food basket at Dewan Ghandi here today.
Saravanan said all the complaints are being investigated by the ministry through the Labour Department (JTK), which had been empowered by the National Security Council (MKN) to issue compounds up to RM50,000 against employers found guilty of breaching the SOPs.
"The ministry is taking action. Workers are encouraged to lodge reports via the application and they do not need to go to the Labour Department. Action will be taken in about seven days," he added.
On May 3, the ministry launched the application, a platform for 15.7 million workers, including foreign workers, to submit complaints related to labour issues.
The identity of the complainants would be confidential, adding that the complaints received via the application would be addressed between three and seven days.
WFW allows workers to report 14 types of complaints online that will be managed by 80 Labour offices nationwide.