Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
The Star newspaper quoted Omar Osman, president of a government workers’ union, as saying that about 800,000 of its 2.1 million members have taken up additional
jobs.
<P>"The stumbling block is that workers are not paid accordingly,"
Omar, head of the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service,
or Cuepacs, was quoted as saying. "Even (staff of) government-linked companies
earn two or three times higher than us."</P><P>Cuepacs is pressing the government
for a 10 percent to 40 percent increase in salary scales, and hopes that a favorable
decision can be announced on May 1, Labor Day, the newspaper said. The last salary
revision was 15 years ago, Omar said.</P><P>Omar, who was speaking in the northern
city of Kota Baru, could not immediately be reached for comment. Other government
officials also were not available.</P><P>Omar was quoted as saying that the moonlighting
was mostly done by employees who earn 2,500 ringgit (US$715; €550) or less
a month. Most work at their extra job in the evening after office hours. There
is no legal ban on civil servants taking second jobs as long as they do it on
their own time.</P><P>About 10 percent of the taxi drivers in the Klang Valley,
which includes Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, the national capital, are civil servants,
Omar was quoted as saying.</P><P>"Reward us and productivity will improve
as workers feel appreciated," he said.</P><P><I>Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/02/asia/AS-GEN-Malaysia-Moonlighting-Officials.php</I>
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