Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Minister, remember the RM1,500 minimum wage pledge?

Press Release
MTUC Penang Division

MTUC Penang Division is shocked at the Human Resources Minister's statement that the current minimum wage of RM1100.00 is to "high" for some sectors- FMT today.

Firstly, we wish to remind the Minister of the Pakatan Harapan government's pledge to a minimum wage of RM1500.00 as declared in its manifesto. Secondly, we wish to remind him, least he  has a case of memory lost, of the Pakatan Harapan's commitment to enhancing the minimum wage to RM1500.00 over the period of its term of office.

Thirdly, we wish to tell the Minister to look at the indisputable fact that the Malaysian workers do not even earn a living wage. On this score we make reference to the Bank Negara's report that the working people of the nation ought to be paid a living wage as compared to a minimum wage. The said Bank Negara report, as we recollect, in a nut-shell states that our workers are not paid a decent living wage that would be adequate to meet the prevailing cost of living factors let alone residual income for home ownership etc.

The fact that workers, Malaysians or migrants,  work excessive overtime hours so as to meet their economical needs was exposed in the cases of workers employed in the rubber glove manufacturing sector, recently, stands as evidence that the wage levels of the working population of the country is grossly inadequate so much so it was equated to bonded labour!

Given the fact that the vast majority of the working citizens are entrapped in the B40 and M40 segment it is no gain saying that the Pakatan Government is beholden to structure, and execute, economic programmes to empower them. Let us also remind the Minister, and by extentsion the Pakatan Harapan government, that a failure to do would not augur well for the future of the current givernment!

MTUC Penang Division, therefore, calls upon the Minister Of Human Resources to refrain from making statements without considerations to the wider concerns of the working population on the issue of a decent living wage.

K.Veeriah
Secretary MTUC Penang Division
016 4184520
25.2.2019

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