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27th July, 2010
PETALING JAYA: More than half of injured workers, some with permanent disabilities, who have undergone rehabilitation under the Social Security Organisation’s (Sosco) “Return to Work” (RTW) programme, have secured jobs, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said yesterday.
He said that of the 1,206 injured workers who were absorbed into the programme since its inception in 2007, 629 workers or more than 53 per cent were offered employment by some 500 companies, while another 208 would be placed in the job market soon.
The rest of them are still undergoing the rehabilitation process.
“This indicated that the programme is a success and it will be expanded to cover more injured workers who are Sosco contributors,” he told a news conference after opening the RTW national conference here.
He said Sosco hoped to ensure at least 80 per cent of the workers who attended the RTW programme would secure jobs.
Dr Subramaniam said only 10 per cent of the workers involved in industrial or work related accidents were chosen for the programme based on their chances of recovery or ability to return to work.
He also said Sosco had appointed 35 case managers to manage the RTW programme, including monitoring the workers’ rehabilitation and identifying the type or nature of jobs upon completing the rehabilitation.
On Sosco’s state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre in Melaka, the minister said it was expected to be completed in 2013.
Commenting on a local daily’s report yesterday that the Immigration Department had secured the release of 71 Indonesians who were locked up apparently for two years by an employment agency in Kangar, Perlis on Sunday, Dr Subramaniam said the Labour Department would take action against the agency, including the possibility of blacklisting it under the Employment Act 1955.
“It is a serious matter, especially when it was reported that they were held against their will for two years,” he said.
He said the Labour Department could only act against unscrupulous agents if there were complaints from the affected parties.
“We want the public to become our eyes and ears so that swift action can be taken against these people who only think of making quick money,” he said.
Dr Subramaniam also said the Labour Department would investigate news reports which said that Kontena Nasional had abruptly terminated the employment of 22 workers allegedly without giving valid reasons.
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