Divide and weakening of the worker movement normally is done by Employers, but alas in Malaysia, it is our Barisan Nasional government under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that may be doing this?
Why a different minimum wage for workers in the public sector and those in the private sector? Are we saying that private sector workers contribute lesser to Malaysia? After all the bosses of public sector workers are Malaysians, including the private sector workers - odd that now the 'Bosses' receive less???
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the minimum wage increase for private sector workers in the peninsula from RM900 to RM1,000, and from RM800 to RM920 for those in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. The minimum wage does not apply to domestic workers.Najib, who is also the finance minister, announced the minimum wage of civil servants to begin at RM1,200 and to take effect from middle of next year.
Why the lower minimum wages for workers in Sabah and Sarawak, more so when the cost of living in Sabah and Sarawak is higher than the cost of living in Peninsular Malaysia?
Is it because Sabahan and Sarawakian workers deserve so much less?
In my opinion, minimum wages should be the same for all workers in Malaysia, and reasonably it should be higher than RM1,200-00.
Why higher? Malaysian government has already admitted that individuals earning less than RM2,000 or families earning less than RM4,000 are earning not enough - hence the government provides financial assistance in the form of the BR1M program..
Sadly, the public sector workers and/or their unions never came out and protested much asking that the minimum wages for all workers, including private sector workers, should be the same.
Likewise, workers in Peninsular Malaysia never protested much demanding that their fellow workers in Sabah and Sarawak should be enjoying the same minimum wages...
Is worker solidarity dead? Is there no workers movement? Has it become so weak? We can easily blame the government, the laws and policies, but at the same time blame should also lie with workers and also the trade unions. If workers unite and act - governments will have to change law and policy - but alas, if they choose to just accept what is given ... then...
If this be the reality, will fellow workers even in the same union come out and protest when their fellow workers are being discriminated or exploited? When 6,000 workers in Malaysian Airlines were terminated - what did the remaining 14,000 do? What did the 6,000 do? Is that an indication of the state of workers, 'workers solidarity', unions...?
If this is how local workers respond to the discriminatory treatment accorded to other local workers - what then will the response be when it comes to migrant workers?
Have the Malaysian worker,,,and unions become 'self-centred' - only concerned for themselves?
Matters that must be reflected...for we all must be willing to stand up for human rights and justice for OTHERS. Choosing ignorance or indifference or 'not doing anything' is not what a good person would do...
All is not lost for many in Malaysia still do fight for human rights and justice for everyone .... they are Human Rights Defenders. Without fear or favour they struggle on to uphold the cause of justice..
And, this Malaysian government must really stop trying to divide workers through differential treatment - and must treat workers equally....They must stop weakening workers and their Unions...
Businesses should not be the primary concern of government - it must be the people including workers...
MTUC slams Budget 2016 over minimum wage hike for private sector
Under
Budget 2016, Private sector workers in the peninsula will see a minimum
wage increase from RM900 to RM1,000, and from RM800 to RM920 for those
in Sabah and Sarawak. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli,
October 23, 2015.
Its secretary-general, N. Gopal Kishnam, said he expected a RM1,200 minimum wage, similar to the rate for public sector workers.“We are extremely disappointed with the announcement due to the increase in living cost nationwide,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an immediate reaction after the tabling of the budget in Parliament today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the minimum wage increase for private sector workers in the peninsula from RM900 to RM1,000, and from RM800 to RM920 for those in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. The minimum wage does not apply to domestic workers.
Najib, who is also the finance minister, announced the minimum wage of civil servants to begin at RM1,200 and to take effect from middle of next year.
Gopal said the RM920 increase for private sector workers in Sabah and Sarawak was not realistic as the cost of living there was higher compared with the peninsula.
He said about 800,000 employees, including foreign workers, benefitted from the minimum wage scheme that first came into force in 2013.
Gopal previously said the union was banking on Najib to fix the minimum wage ceiling rate at RM1,200 a month after the National Wages Consultative Council failed to agree on an acceptable sum for an increased minimum wage despite holding three meetings.
A minimum wage for workers in Malaysia was introduced in January 2013, at RM900 a month for those in the peninsula and RM800 for those in Sabah and Sarawak.
Under the Minimum Wages Order 2012, the minimum wage must be reviewed once in two years and employers who breached the directive could be fined up to RM10,0000 for each employee.
At present, wages beyond the minimum rate paid by the private sector is based on market forces or collective agreements between employers and unions. – October 23, 2015, Malaysian Insider
Budget 2016: Minimum wage up, RM1,000 in peninsula and RM920 in Borneo
Friday October 23, 2015
05:56 PM GMT+8
05:56 PM GMT+8
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (right) chats with Deputy Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi before tabling the 2016 budget at
Parliament in Kuala Lumpur, October 23, 2015. — Picture by Yusof Mat
Isa 
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 23 — The minimum wage for employees in Peninsular Malaysia
will be raised by RM100 to RM1,000 per month starting from July 1, 2016,
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today.Tabling the Budget 2016, Najib said the minimum wage for employees in East Malaysia will also be increased to RM920 from RM800.
“For this government, the public is everything. Good news is here,” Najib said in Dewan Rakyat.
“This minimum wage will include all sectors, except domestic service or house maids.”
Najib also told the public to stop worrying and to confide in the government, which he said has an excellent track record.
“In any situation, my friends and I will continue the country’s economic planning, by prioritising and putting the public’s prosperity first,” said the Pekan MP. - The Malay Mail, 23/10/2013
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