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As an individual, involved with the trade union movement for the last 40 years or more, I have never felt so very disgusted then the Pakatan Harapan government’s announcement of a revised minimum wage for the working citizens of the country i.e. RM1050.00 per month from RM1000.00. And, on a daily rate an increase of RM1.166!
Thank you Pakatan Harapan for your “commitment” to uplifiting the living standard of the largest segment of society- the margainlised working class population who voted you to govern the country!
On reflection I am reminded of the policies of the current Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir when he first became the Prime Minister in the 1980s- let me label him as “Mahatir 1.0”
“Mahathir 1.0” embraced the look-east policy and a hallmark of his policy was the erosion of trade union activism by promoting company based unions otherwise known as In- house unions. It is no gain saying that it was during the Mahathir 1.0 era that legislative controls were enacted to reduce trade union activism to an insignificant entity.
If we care to re-call it was during Mahathir 1.0 era that trade union liberty was confined to the back burners- not forgetting basic human rights least we forget Operation Lallang!
Thus, it is my view that the trade union movement and the working class of the country are facing a “Mahathir 2.0” era! And the 1st indication is the minimum wage of RM1050.00 which can only be best described as “kowtowing” to the employer class of the country!
This situation brings into focus, in my view, the Pakatan Harapan’s pledge to implement a RM1500.00 minimum wage for workers of the nation. And the question that needs be postulated is this – was the manifesto a red herring to capture the working class votes or a commitment to uplift the working class of the country?
The answer, I think, is pretty obvious – no right thinking government would subscribe to the notion that a RM50.00 upward revision to existing minimum wages would elevate the challenges of escalating cost of living confronting the low and middle wage earners of the country.
And a government that, apparently, thinks otherwise does not need any respect from the workers of this nation!
Like the Malay saying “harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi” the present Pakatan Harapan government has but betrayed the workers of the nation. Shame on you!
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com