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?
Towards
this end, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), the umbrella body for Malaysia’s
eight million private sector workers, wants a minimum wage of RM900 and RM300
as Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for the group.
<P>MTUC stated this in a
memorandum delivered by its president, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamad, and secretary-general
G. Rajasekaran to the Prime Minister’s Office here Monday.</P><P>He told reporters
before handing the memorandum to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s senior private
secretary Ahmad Yaacob that the workers’ contribution to the country’s economic
growth and national development as well as their cooperation in maintaining industrial
peace had received the government’s recognition and appreciation.</P><P>"Yet
a significant proportion of wage earners in the country remain poorly paid and
denied basic necessities of life. The vast majority of these workers are unskilled
and remain outside the coverage of trade union membership," he said.</P><P>Last
month, Abdullah announced a 7.5 per cent to 42 per cent pay hike for one million
government employees while COLA is to be increased by 100 per cent, starting next
month.</P><P>Syed Shahir said despite huge profits, basic wages for workers involved
in the plantation, textile and garment and manufacturing sectors remained below
RM500, and this warranted the government to introduce a minimum wage legislation.</P><P>"There’s
no justification for the government to further delay the passing of a minimum
wage legislation to be applicable to all workers. By enforcing a decent minimum
wage, the government would be able to attract more Malaysian workers and reduce
dependency on foreign labour," he added.</P><P>He claimed that the absence
of a specific minimum wage provision in the Employment act 1955 had led to widespread
exploitation of private sector workers by their employers.</P><P>On COLA, MTUC
believed that the government must have carried out a careful and in-depth study
on the rising cost of living and its implications on wage earners before deciding
to pay a COLA of RM300 to civil servants.</P><P>"There’s no justifiction
to exclude the more than eight million workers in the private sector from getting
it," Syed Shahir said.</P><P><I>Source: http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=268017</I>
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com