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PUTRAJAYA, June 19 (Bernama) — Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has told the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), the umbrella union body for nearly 8 million private sector workers in the country, not to picket over demands for a minimum wage.
“We hope that they (MTUC) will not undertake this but continue discussing with the government because we have certain considerations that we have to bear in mind.
“There are far reaching consequences of a minimum wage but there are industry practices, for example the industry can decide on the wage level that is acceptable but we have not adopted the minimum wage policy in the country,” the deputy prime minister said after charing the meeting of the cabinet commitee on essential goods here.
Yesterday the MTUC handed a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s office demanding that the government amend the Employment Act 1955 to allow for a minimum wage of RM900 and an additional RM300 as Cost of Living Allowance for private sector workers.
Its president, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, said that the MTUC, which had given the government a one-week ultimatum, would picket at various places in the country if the government did not respond positively to its request.
The MTUC plans to picket simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Bangi, Shah Alam, Klang, Johor, Kuching and Penang from 5pm to 6pm on Monday.
Source: BERNAMA
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com