Thailand wants to supply S'wak with quality workers

Thailand is looking forward to establishing further bilateral rapport with the state gov't to supply S'wak with skilled and quality workers.

Thai Minister of LAbour Phaithoon Kaeothong said as many as 4,000 Thai workers had been working in S'wak and Sabah, showing that the country was capable of offering what the state required.

" Many Thai labourers have worked in S'wak and Sabah while Global Upline Group has recruited many from Thailand as technical workers," he told a press conference at Four Points by Sheraton Kuching yesterday.

Global Upline Sdn Bhd has also completed Four Points by Sheraton Kuching hotel ahead of time and the majority of workers involved in these development project were Thais. Other projects are KIA and Sabah International Airport & hospitals in East M'sia.

He thus believed that Thai workers, in terms of technical requirment, quality and capability, would be able to meet tha labour demand in the state.

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From the prognosis above, do Malaysian construction industry lacking workers? In my opinion, its a definite NO! Then what's the problem? Are our local workers lack quality, discipline, uneducated, not capable, less committed, no desire to succeed, refuse to working long hours, irresponsible, succumb to pressure, dishonest, taking jobs opportunity for granted or becoming indolent? Is the employers uncaring? Surely these are the important questions b'cos they have a direct bearing on the success of a project.

I'm sounding exasperated b'cos the situation is unlikely to improve in the near future. Importing workers from abroad is not only timely but a neccessity in constrcution industry.

We may now all ponder why Global Upline project are always ahead of schedule.

Contractors told to furnish safety policy statement

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH) wants contractors bidding for contracts to furnish a safety policy statement.

Besides this statement, which would be a system of hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control ( HIRARC), they should also provide information regarding the experience and safety training given to their employees, said NIOSH Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

Developers had a responsibility to choose competent and safety conscious contractors, and the acceptance of low bidders should not be at the expense of safety and health. He said in a statement.

“ Those who create the risks and hazards are in a better position to manage them. Contractors or sub-contractors should be responsible and be fully committed to quality work, safety standards and practices,” he said.

Lee also said that everyone involved in the construction industry should realize the dire consequences of flouting safety guidelines and cutting corners, poor design, shoddy workmanship and inadequate supervision.

NIOSH called on all industries, particularly the construction industry, to be always sensitive to the demands for safety at the workplace and work towards an accident-free or zero accident target, he said.

The advice by NIOSH comes in the wake of public apprehension over the safety of buildings following the collapse of structures, including a section of the roof of a stadium in Trengganu and a building under demolition in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.-Bernama