According to the NST, MTUC vice-president A. Balasubramaniam said the Human Resources Ministry should get employers to grant a “special relief allowance”, of about RM300, to all workers. He was quoted as saying:
So far, only a few government-linked companies are giving between RM100 and RM150 to their employees… Many private sector employers cannot be bothered to offer any financial relief… We have received reports that many employers negotiating collective agreements are not responding to employees’ requests for Cola
How surprised am I?
On the other hand, Malaysian Employers Federation executive director, Shamsuddin Bardan, was reported to have said the private sector did not practise giving cost of living allowance (cola) because wage increases would take the cost of living into account.
How many of us have experienced wage increases since May?
Shamsuddin was quoted as having said:
We would rather give performance-related bonuses… This way, workers will be more productive and it is a win-win situation for everyone.
I suppose this is true. But then again, performance-based increases can be arbitrary and might be pegged to revenue. If revenue of the company does not overall improve, then there won’t be a performance-based bonus.
Human Resources Minister, Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, was reported to be sympathetic to the plight of workers, but said the ministry could not legally force employers to increase wages. He said he would speak to employers to try to convince them to help the workers.
Also, click here for more on what’s planned on Oct 7, World Day for Decent Work.
Posted on 07/10/2008
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