Striking employees stone workplace and set fire to employers’ car

The police addressing the 800 strong group.

KULAIJAYA: A group of about 800 employees of a company here staged a strike outside HDD Technology Sdn Bhd building Kulaijaya by throwing stones and burning a vehicle after the group claimed that they were mistreated at the work place.

The group’s representative Kishor Rai, 23, said on Tuesday that the company had been abusing them on a daily basis and they could not take it anymore.

The burnt vehicle belonging to the employer

"When we make mistakes, they hit us and this is just unfair.

"In fact, due to an earlier disagreement, the management even refused to send us our usual bus and we were forced to walk for about one hour to get to work," he said.

The agitated group started converging at around 9am and are still protesting outside the compound of the building.

Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and police officials were seen to be on standby outside the building and trying to control the rowdy crowd.

Meanwhile it was learnt that police officials were inside the building speaking to the employers concerned.

The damage resulting from stones being thrown by the group 

At 2.15pm, a police official addressed the crowd with the help of one of the Nepali employee who translated his message.

The official said that while they waited for embassy officials from Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh to arrive, he asked the group to pick representatives from each country to attend a meeting with the management.

"We want to discuss your problems and come to a compromise.

"We urge you to remain calm as you are here to work and you are here to make money for your family," said the official.