KANOWIT: Some 40 workers of an oil palm estate in Ranan near here staged a demonstration on Thursday demanding better salary and overtime pay.
Kanowit OCPD DSP Tega Bilong said the workers felt that there was no improvement in the payment for overtime work since October.
“The motive of the demonstration was for the workers to claim for their right on allowance and incentive,” he said.
DSP Tega said among the demands was for the company to pay overtime of RM698.28 for October to every safety personnel within three days.
The field workers and fresh fruit bunch (FFB) checkers also wanted overtime pay be increased from RM35.38 to RM42.31 besides claiming for a hike in incentive for every tonne of palm oil.
Workers who had retired also demanded for a one-off incentive, which had earlier being agreed upon by the company. They wanted it to be paid within three days.
“The general workers of the plantation had also requested they be paid on a daily basis instead of on piece meal basis based on the contract,” he said.
The demonstrators had set the security post of the plantation on fire as a sign of protest.
“We had to rush to the scene to control the situation,” DSP Tega said.
The Labour Department were also there to address the issues. A video clip of the demonstration had gone viral on social medis and advised the public not to fan the issue.
DSP Tega said his side had received two reports lodged by the manager of the plantation concerning the demonstration and the burning of the security post.
