A group of Indian migrant workers had been forced to seek shelter at a Petaling Jaya church after a dispute with their employer left them stranded in the country without money or jobs.

Labour rights organisation Tenaganita said the 45 workers had sought the assistance of the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur after they were not given jobs according to prior agreement with their employer, a Port Dickson-based construction company.

"The High Commission asked us to assist them while they tried to find a solution for these workers," said Tenaganita's migrant desk coordinator Aegile Fernandez.

Fernandez said the workers had been brought into the country by a company which subcontracts them out to other companies.

"They were working in a power plant in Setiawan, Perak but since the project ended, they were asked to move around to other companies. They have refused and tried to get help," said Fernandez.

Under strict foreign worker employment guidelines, the government had banned the use of employment agents and labour subcontractors in hiring foreign workers in an attempt to stop illegal worker flows into the country.

Immigration laws also forbid transfer of workers from one company to another since migrant workers are considered illegally employed if they are found to be working with any employer other than the one which originally applied for their work permits.

Workers threatened

Met at the church shelter, Fernandez said the workers have refused to work with their original employer since they had been threatened with beatings after voicing their dissatisfaction over the change in their terms of employment.

"Some of these workers were brought in to work as welders, fitters or riggers and some as general workers. All were asked to work as general workers later and they were not happy with that.

When they raised the matter with their employer, they were threatened by men with parang. They are afraid to return to their employer now," she said, translating an interview with the workers.

According to Fernandez, those brought in to work as welders were supposed to earn up to RM1,500 while general workers were paid only RM600. All were promised three-year contracts.

"Now, they are in trouble because they had sold their houses and land to pay RM10,000 to an employment agent to bring them here. At most, the first group has been paid only three months salary. Four workers who were brought in last month have not been paid at all," she explained.

Blacklisted employer

In addition, Fernandez said attempts by the workers to seek the assistance of the Indian High Commission also ran into difficulties.

Under a contract devised by the Indian government for the employment of its nationals, employers are required to bear the cost of bringing in workers, including the payment of government levies and air fares.

However, as the stranded workers had entered the country via the services of an employment agent, they could not be protected by their government.

"When the workers approached the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, they were told that their employer had been blacklisted for over a year for other problems previously.

"We want to know why the Malaysian immigration department issued work permits to this company although it is blacklisted by the High Commission ?" she asked.

Fernandez said the workers are likely to remain at the church until next Tuesday pending a viable solution to their predicament.

Meanwhile, attempts to contact the workers' employer were unsuccessful.