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?
After adjusting for inflation, they are forecast to rise by 3.3 per cent compared with American workers, for example, whose pay may inch up just 1.1 per cent.
<P>Malaysia placed eighth on a survey of 45 countries by human resources firm ECA International, up from 17th last year.</P>
<P>Malaysia
has done “really good”, said Lee Quane, ECA International’s general
manager in Hong Kong.</P><P>Last year, real wages grew at just an estimated 1.7
per cent, he said.</P><P>Malaysians stand to gain from a predicted drop in inflation,
and robust economic growth.</P><P>“Inflation is forecast to fall to 2.7 per
cent from 3.8 per cent last year,” he said. “For the average person,
the standard of living should improve. Purchasing power will be much higher.”
ECA International’s Salary Trends Survey 2006/2007 puts real wage growth
across the globe at an average of 1.65 per cent this year.</P><P>Indian workers
are expected to receive about seven per cent more, the highest increase in the
world, while workers in Indonesia and China will see six per cent.</P><P>In Germany,
New Zealand, Argentina, Spain and Hungary, raises are expected to average less
than one per cent.</P><P>The annual survey, of actual and predicted salary increases
around the world, is used by multinational organisations to help determine future
wage increases.</P><P>In Asia, real wages are expected to climb an average of
3.6 per cent this year, a 50 per cent jump from 2.4 per cent in 2006, ECA International
said in a statement.</P><P>Senior managers in Asian countries would benefit the
most as talent is short, leading to a widening gap between junior and senior management
salaries in some places.</P><P>Quane pointed out that in Malaysia, like in other
countries in Asia, there are salary disparities where those in higher positions
earn much more.</P><P>“We can expect someone in a more senior position to
experience a much higher real salary growth of five, six or seven per cent,”
he said.</P><P><I>Source: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Tuesday/Latest/20070207000414/Article</I>
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