A group of workers at a multinational liquified petroleum gas (LPG) filling plant in Ipoh, Perak are claiming that their 'employer' breached labour laws by dismissing them without notice.

On Monday, the workers lodged seven police reports with the Ipoh district police headquarters after they were "locked out" by the management of the Shell LPG plant.

According to a copy of a police report obtained by malaysiakini , one of the affected workers said they were told by the plant manager that their services were no longer required by the new contractor, Mackt Oil and Gas Sdn Bhd, when they reported for work last Saturday.

In the report, Charles Andrew, 22, said when the workers returned to work on Monday morning, they were refused entry into the plant.

"We asked for the reason (for dismissal) and why there was no notice. He (the manager) said he did not know," he said.

When contacted however, the management of the multinational, Shell Malaysia, said the workers were never under the contractor's employment.

"There is no element of termination or retrenchment," said Shell LPG operations manager Daud Abdul Majid yesterday.

Temporary arrangement

According to Daud, the Petaling Jaya-based Mackt Oil and Gas has not offered the workers any employment contract.

He said the contractor made a "temporary arrangement" with the workers which allowed them to continue working at the plant for another two weeks after Shell's contract with their previous employer Syarikat Perkhidmatan Penaga Sdn Bhd expired on June 30.

The work extension given to them was out of goodwill, he said.

Asked to comment on the workers' claim that they were "locked out", Daud said they were not allowed into the plant because there was no work for them.

"They have nothing to do," he said, adding that the plant is a restricted area. The manager also said the plant has enough workers.

Concerned about their future, about 40 workers held a picket at the plant on June 25, and among others, demanded for Shell's intervention to secure their employment with the new contractor.

The workers, some of whom have worked at the plant for years, also claimed that they have not received any retrenchment benefits from their previous employer Syarikat Perkhidmatan Penaga.

It is learnt that while these workers received orders from Shell officials, the contractor is the paymaster as the oil giant out-sources such services required for its operations.

The workers are manual labourers whose main function is loading the filled gas cylinders. They earn a daily wage of about RM15 for eight hours' work, with an overtime pay of RM2.80 an hour.

'Nothing to do with them'

Meanwhile, Mackt Oil and Gas owner Abdul Razak Daud has washed his hands off the workers as they were employed by the previous contractor.

"These people belong to the old contractor. I have nothing to do with them," he said.

Furthermore, said Abdul Razak, he has his own workers. "I can only retain those who are qualified. I have my own set of standards."

Perak-based non-governmental organisation Alaigal is helping the workers to reclaim their jobs.