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?
Universiti Malaya General Workers Union general-secretary K Vinothan said while
the work responsibilities undertaken by the two categories are different, they
get the same pay.
<p>“A school lab assistant works from 9am till 1pm setting up a simple school
lab. But university lab assistants prepare more chemicals, assist lecturers
during experiments, handle delicate and specialised lab equipments,” he
said when met at his office recently.</p>
<p>As an example, he said a lab assistant with the Malaysian Institute of Nuclear
Technology has to handle radioactive material but falls under the same salary
scheme.</p>
<p>Vinothan said his union, formed in 1963, has requested the Public Service Department
(PSD) and Ministry of Higher Education to review the service scheme over the
last eight years to no avail</p>
<p>According to him, other public universities have given him the green light
to negotiate on their behalf regarding this issue.</p>
<p>Under the current service scheme, the PSD pays an entry level lab assistant
RM660 per month with a salary cap of RM1,700 (after 24 years of service).</p>
<p>A vice- chancellors committee, comprising VC’s from public universities,
also submitted a report on the issue to the PSD but this was turned down as
well.</p>
<p>“I call on the PSD to take the initiative to study the report and not
to reject it outright,” said Vinothan.</p>
<p>It’s their allegation</p>
<p>When contacted, PSD press officer Hasniah Rashid said the service scheme for
the two categories of lab assistants was the same as both were employed with
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysian qualifications.</p>
<p>As to their claim that handling specialised lab equipments and chemicals warranted
better pay, she replied: “It’s their own allegations.” Hasniah
declined to elaborate.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, union president Husain Mohd Yasin said any salary increase based
on a civil servants pay bracket would not relief the present cost of living
expenditures.</p>
<p>“We don’t want the government to increase the salary by pay bracket
only. What is a 20 percent increase based on a RM1,000 salary? It’s not
much, if you have to pay for your children’s school expenditures,”
he said.</p>
<p>Hussain, who was at the same interview with Vinothan, said a better formula
would be an ‘across the board’ salary increase by a worker’s
grade, adding that the same RM1,000 wage earner should have a minimum increment
of RM500 per month.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com