MTUC Media Statement:- Minimum Wage and Cost of Living Allowance(15/4/2014)

A Malaysian Trade Union Congress(MTUC) Media Statementon 15/4/2014

MTUC is calling for COLA - Cost of Living Allowance. This is something that workers in the public sector are now enjoying, and MTUC is saying that the about 8 million workers in the private sector should also be entitled to COLA as of right....

The statement also deals with Minimum Wages, whereby MTUC is calling for enforcement to ensure full implementation. Oddly, MTUC did not call for an increase of the rate of Minimum Wages in this statement. RM900 as minimum wages was fixed in 2012, and despite increase in cost of living, this figure is yet to be adjusted upwards .... It has been reported before that MTUC was never happy with the RM900, and have always been calling for this to be increased...

Source: MTUC Website

Cost of Living has Increased, Minimum Wage should Increase to RM1,200

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Jan: The proposal from the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) for the central government to increase the minimum wage from RM900 to RM1,200 is necessary to help workers in the private sector face the increasing cost of living.

The Dewan Rakyat Senator, Syed Shahir Syed Mahmud, said that the RM1,200 rate is still little compared to the total increase in cost of living in the country.

He said that the reality to implement the RM1,200 amount requires commitment from all parties because the previous RM900 minimum wage faced numerous challenges from employers and the government.

“The RM900 minimum wage with an additional RM300 for the cost of living allowance (Cola) per month, should be given to employees of the private sector and the government, since the cost of living is on the rise,” he said when contacted by Selangor Kini today.

He said that employers should plan to provide other allowances to employees, such as food allowances, so that their welfare is assured.

“In addition to that, the basic salary with the additional allowance can reduce the cost of living and this is important for employees and their families,” he said.

Previously, MTUC demanded for the central government to raise the RM900 minimum wage to RM1,200.

The Deputy President of MTUC, Abdullah Sani, said that the delegation urged for the RM900 minimum wage in Peninsular Malaysia and the RM800 minimum wage for Sabah and Sarawak to be reviewed in the MTUC meeting on 22 December.

Abdullah Sani, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kuala Langat, said that the World Bank Report for 2013 stated that Malaysia is able to implement the RM1,200 minimum wage per month. - Selangorkini, 8/1/2014, Cost of Living has Increased, Minimum Wage should Increase to RM1,200