KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) called upon the government to ensure all employees, from the private or government sector get to enjoy the RM1,500 minimum wage, once it takes effect.
Its secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor said the government needed to gazette the increased amount of minimum wage through the Minimum Wage Order.
This, he said, is to ensure employees are informed of which companies are enforcing the new wage in their hiring.
"It is unfortunate and frustrating if small and medium entreprises are excluded from the new minimum wage as this will lead to employee dissatisfaction.
"The government will create discrimination against workers and the goal of caring for the employees' wellbeing through an increased minimum wage will not be achieved.
"Workers' dissatisfaction over not receiving the new minimum wage rate will make them think that the government had cheated them, by promising a salary of RM1,500, when in reality, they were not able to enjoy it," he said in a statement, today.
Kamarul said the government should also think of ways to standardise the increased minimum wage to all employees, regardless of the companies they're working for.
"They (the government) need to provide wage subsidies to companies, to ensure that the increased rate can be implemented successfully.
"They cannot get away with giving a minimum wage exemption to any company, as the salary difference of RM300 is huge in an employee's life.
"If they wish to grant the new minimum wage rate exemption, then they must also segregate essential items that will be purchased by employees earning RM1,500 and RM1,200, which will unlikely be implemented," he said.
Kamarul also said that the Human Resources Ministry has yet to inform of the RM1,500 minimum wage implementation.
"We believe that the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Ministry (MEDAC) should not be interfering in the matter of minimum wage as the Human Resources Ministry will discuss it with employers and employee representatives.
"We hope for the implementation to not spoil the joy of B40 employees over the prime minister's announcement, as his concern for the people as the rising cost of living is a reflection of Keluarga Malaysia," he said.
It was reported on March 19 that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that the Cabinet has agreed to increase the minimum wage to RM1,500 effective May 1.
However, he said the implementation of the policy, for now, would only involve private sector companies with a minimum of five workers.