ILO: Employment, livelihood crucial for peace in Mindanao

DECENT work and sustainable livelihood for some 1.3 million impoverished families in Mindanao is crucial to the government’s peace building efforts, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said.

ILO Philippines Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson made the statement at the signing of the agreement that seeks to create decent jobs for the poor families in conflict-affected provinces in Mindanao between the ILO and the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA).

Records indicate that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has the biggest number of vulnerable workers at 84 percent of those employed.

People living below the poverty line in the ARMM reached 1.39 million or more than 218,000 families.

TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) tiada faedah: Pakar ekonomi

Laporan muka depan Sinar Harian, semalam.

SHAH ALAM - Pakar ekonomi menyifatkan perjanjian Perkongsian Trans-Pasifik (TPP) tidak mempunyai kesan positif kepada pengguna sebaliknya hanya memberi beban kewangan kepada golongan berpendapatan rendah.

Pensyarah Ekonomi Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Prof Amir Baharuddin berkata, walaupun perjanjian itu masih belum dimeterai, kerajaan perlu melihat sejauh mana kesan TPP kepada orang ramai sebelum membuat keputusan muktamad.

"Saya tidak nampak perjanjian ini beri sebarang faedah kepada pengguna, malah TPP lebih banyak beri kesan buruk kerana harga barang akan naik. Kerajaan perlu lihat adakah kesan baik lebih banyak dari buruk atau sebaliknya sebelum bersetuju menyertai perjanjian ini," katanya kepada Sinar Harian ketika mengulas sama ada perjanjian TPP akan beri kesan secara langsung kepada golongan berpendapatan rendah jika dilaksanakan.

Unions back EPF plan for seniors

PETALING JAYA (June 18, 2013): The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) welcomed a proposal to raise the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution by workers above 55 years of age to 11% for employees and 13% for employers, in tandem with the new retirement age of 60.