Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
So far, seven councils have been set up to look into the wages of some 1.2
million workers.
<p>They are for private security guards in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak;
private clinic assistants in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah; and casual farm
workers in Sabah and Sarawak.</p>
<p>Fong said the cabinet recently approved the commissioning of an enquiry for
hotel workers.</p>
<p>"This means that a council will be set up within six months to look into
their wages," he said after meeting with Malaysian Trades Union Congress
leaders yesterday.</p>
<p>He said the government supported the payment of fair wages and that was why
it had agreed to the setting-up of the wage councils.</p>
<p>"The government will not hesitate to set up such councils in sectors in
which there is no market mechanism to determine the minimum wage for workers
or unions to represent them."</p>
<p>The MTUC is asking for a minimum salary of RM900 a month for workers in the
private sector. It is also seeking a cost of living allowance of RM300 a month.</p>
<p>It has threatened to hold a nationwide picket on Monday if there was no response
from the government.</p>
<p>Fong said he had explained to the MTUC leaders that the government was already
adopting this approach of fixing a fair minimum wage for workers through the
wage councils.</p>
<p>"We are prepared to work with the MTUC to identify the sectors in which
need such a mechanism."</p>
<p>He said the plantation sector union had succeeded, through a collective agreement
with the Malaysian Agricultural Producers Association, in getting minimum wage
for estate workers.</p>
<p>Similarly, he added, the government’s efforts in 1981 to introduce a minimum
wage of RM700 for stevedores also succeeded, but the rate was no longer used
by the industry as market forces had led to higher salaries.</p>
<p>Asked if the MTUC had agreed to call off Monday’s picket, Fong said this
was up to them since the ministry had agreed to a mechanism to look after the
welfare of workers.</p>
<p>He said it was difficult to have a minimum wage for all private sector workers
as it involved various category of jobs.</p>
<p>MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud and secretary-general G. Rajasekaran
could not be reached for comments.</p>
<p><i>Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20070622090123/Article/index_html</i>
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