The German Ambassador to Malaysia Herbert D Jess has been asked to intervene in an industrial dispute at a German-owned factory in Perak.

A memorandum which listed several allegations against the company, Nordenia-Thong Fook, was delivered to the German embassy in Kuala Lumpur this morning by a group of workers from the factory.

The memorandum was received by Susanne Baumann (far left) , the embassy's counsellor for press and cultural affairs. "The German embassy will look into the memorandum, which will be handed to the ambassador when he returns," she said.

The group of workers also staged a noisy, but peaceful protest outside Wisma Tan & Tan where several foreign embassies, including Germany's, are housed. They chanted slogans denouncing their employers and unfurled several colourful banners, drawing scores of curious onlookers in the busy business district.

While there was a heated negotiation in the lobby of the building between representatives of the workers and the police, there were no untoward incidents.

The group wants the embassy to intervene in the company's dealing with its workers as Nordenia-Thong Fook, is 59 percent German-owned. Similar memorandums were previously handed to the National Union of Petroleum and Chemical Industrial Workers (NUPCIWS), the Malaysia Trade Unions Congress (MTUC) and the Malaysian Human Rights Commission ( Suhakam ).

Suhakam's help

In their memorandum today, the workers alleged that the factory had attempted to stop the Sungai Siput hospital from issuing medical leave to Nordenia-Thong Fook's employees.

It is also understood that doctors in the hospital were forced to stick notices in their rooms, specifying that all Nordenia-Thong Fook workers seeking treatment at the hospital should first obtain a letter from the company's panel doctor, read the memorandum.

Suhakam commissioner N Siva Subramaniam, when contacted, said the matter should be resolved by NUPCIWS and MTUC but Suhakam was willing to extend its help.

MTUC Secretary-General G Rajasekaran meanwhile said that cases are usually referred back to the respective unions for investigations.

NUPCIWS General Secretary Abdul Halim Mansor, when contacted, said the workers' grievances were presently being handled by the industrial relations department under the human resources ministry.

He declined to comment further pointing out that some of the workers' allegations were being heard by the Industrial Court.

Nordenia-Thong Fook is a joint venture company between Thong Foong Group (incorporated in 1973) and German-based Nordenia International AG that provides packaging supply, packaging material, product packaging, plastic packaging and packaging services.