KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sabah may extend a copy of a report to the Tourism Ministry which was received from workers in the hotel industry alleging that hotel managements are discriminating and abusing them, so that appropriate follow-up action can be taken.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said he will only comment on the issue if the claims are substantiated.
“We also need to hear from the other side, the hotel managements before making any conclusion,” said Masidi when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.
MTUC claimed that it had received complaints from workers in the hotel industry indicating that hotels and their managements are discriminating and abusing them.
The alleged discriminations and abuses include hotels recruiting temporary workers or trainees for six months, getting third parties or agents to supply them with workers, the refusal to recognise unions in the work place and intimidating union officials.
Meanwhile, the president of the Sabah Hotel Association (SHA), Christopher Chan, said as far as he knew, there was no such thing as discriminations and abuses in the hotel industry in the State.
SHA, he said, is working closely with the Labour Department to ensure that the welfare of workers in the hotel industry is placed in good hands.
“Hotels only hire part-timers and accept students of the hospitality industry such as from ATI College and those attending training courses organised by the government, for industrial training.
“For the duration of the industrial training period, the trainees will work at hotels at certain times only. No third parties or agents are involved in this,” he added.