Help workers affected by boycott

IN response to the ongoing attack by Israel on the Palestinian people, Malaysians are being urged to boycott companies with alleged ties to or are supporting Israel.

But how long do we want to boycott these companies?

Before I continue, I would like to state that war is not the solution to the ongoing conflict. Many innocent lives are being killed, schools are bombed, and etc.

Malaysians have been persistent in their support for the Palestinians and have boycotted the brands or companies concerned for about four months now. For the food companies concerned, including fast food restaurants, their premises are quite empty most of the time.

What’s worrying is that the companies are not the only ones that are suffering but also the employees, who number in the thousands.

Recently, I had a chat with an employee who said that after the war broke out, she and her colleagues had assumed things would be better one or two months down the line. But as the months pass by, they are starting to worry. Sales are bad as customers dare not go to the restaurants, fearing being stared at or intimidated. Their salaries are being cut and operating hours are shortened too.

There have been reports of fast food outlets closing down due to the boycott. We have to help the workers who have lost their jobs due to the closing down of their outlets. These are our people who are working hard to feed their families.

VANESSA MAY

Shah Alam