KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP) has rolled out the second phase of the palm oil industry’s first Workers’ Voice (’Suara Kami’) grievance helpline across its operations to provide the company’s migrant employees with an independent platform to raise issues.
Following the completion of a pilot project in February 2019, the helpline will now be expanded to cover more than 23,000 SDP’s migrant workers, majority of whom are from Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
The multilingual toll-free helpline protects the identity of the complainant and is run by a third-party service provider, ELEVATE, one of the partners behind the renowned ‘Amada Kotha’ garment industry helpline in Bangladesh, as well an electronics and manufacturing industry helpline in Malaysia.
“It is available in seven different languages (English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Bengali, Nepali, Tamil, and Hindi) and can be accessed via call, text or Facebook Messenger and has been adapted to meet the demographic, as well as the geographical needs of SDP’s workers,” it said in a statement.
According to SDP, the concern over safety and health of workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic should not derail the focus of companies on other equally pertinent human rights issues at the workplace.
The plantation company is determined to proceed with the roll out of the ‘Suara Kami’ initiative, utilising practical and alternative communication channels that adhere strictly to physical distancing protocols to ensure the successful implementation of this helpline.
“Providing our employees with access to voice their grievance is crucial to protecting their rights without fear of retribution.
“It is part of our commitment to upholding basic and fundamental human rights, as well as providing decent work, as outlined in our Human Rights Charter,” it said.
— NNN-BERNAMA