SIBU, Feb 2: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (Cuepacs) wants the government to set the new minimum wage of RM1,800 for the public sector this year.
The current minimum wage for the sector is RM1,200 a month.
Speaking to reporters after attending a gathering for Public Sector officers today, Cuepacs president Datuk Adnan Mat said the congress is proposing for the minimum wage of RM1,800 to be implemented, and not more than that.
“We are proposing RM1,800 as minimum wage. Why not RM2,000 or RM3,000? Because we feel that the government is able to give (RM1,800) together with the cost of living allowance (Cola) and housing allowances,” he said.
He added that as the government hopes to achieve its high-income nation status by 2025, it would need to gradually revise the remuneration for civil servants.
“The prime minister had informed the Cabinet and in Parliament on Nov 27 under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) that the government was aiming to achieve the status of a high-income nation by 2025 and reaching a household income of RM10,000. So with four persons earning RM2,500 each, a household will have RM10,000,” he said.
Adnan also hoped the government will keep to the 10-year review of the remuneration system.
“The last time the remuneration system was revised was in 2002. Now we are in 2022 so this is the year to review it,” he called.
He said though they understood that the economy is not in good shape and also with the Covid-19 pandemic still in our midst, the new remuneration system will enable civil servants to receive a comfortable salary that commensurates with the cost of living.
“We want the new remuneration system that is better and is more competitive for civil servants,” he said.
There are 1.6 million civil servants in the country and 1.2 million of them are Cuepacs members. — DayakDaily
