SELAMAT DATANG KE BLOGSPOT CUEPACS

*** KUNJUNGILAH BLOGSPOT INI UNTUK MENDAPAT MAKLUMAT TERKINI*** CUEPACS DI HATI KU***Tema Hari Pekerja CUEPACS 2023 : PEKERJA BERINTIGRITI TUNJANG NEGARA MADANI*** SAMBUTAN HARI PEKERJA 1 MEI 2023

08 Februari 2011

I DON'T CARE: A FAIR 'DEMAND'

Malay Mail
Submitted by Najiah
on Tuesday, February 8th, 2011



SERIOUSLY, is RM720 salary per month good enough to go around in the city?

“Of course not, and what kind of a question was that?” my wife retorted, with a puzzled look on her face.

Precisely, I said, but I couldn’t help posing that stupendous question to her last night after reading a report on the "demand" by the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) for the government to implement a minimum wage for its members.

I must admit I was taken aback to know that a large number of our civil servants, particularly those in the support group, are taking home that much on a monthly basis. In fact, some are earning less than that, going by what was revealed by Cuepacs president Datuk Omar Osman in the report.

Dear readers, I beg your pardon for my ignorance or lack of knowledge on the welfare of our civil servants. I had always thought that civil servants currently earned at least RM800 a month!

According to Omar, currently, the salary received by those in the support group was below the poverty line of RM720 a month, with those in Grade 1 to Grade 16 in the Support Group II starting at RM647 salary per month!

What an irony — we read countless reports about the government intent on eradicating poverty in the country, but some of their civil servants are ridiculously, in my opinion, living below the poverty line, struggling every month to make ends meet and to cope with the perpetual rise of cost of living each year.

The last time there was a salary review for civil servants was in 2007. And, over the past three years, we have had more than three petrol price hikes, which resulted in the subsequent increases of prices of basic necessities.

My quick research also revealed that the wage trend in Malaysia had recorded only an annual 2.6 per cent growth during the past 10 years! According to the study by the World Bank, basic income should cover a group of foods that meet the nutritional needs of the members of a household. It should also be able to meet other basic necessities like clothing, rent, fuel and utilities, transport and communications, medical expenses, education and recreation.

Then again, can we really achieve these with a meagre RM720 or less in monthly salary in the city?

The World Bank, it was reported, had also recommended that medium-income countries should calculate Poverty Income Level based on US$2.50 (approximately RM7.50 at the current exchange rate) per individual per day. This means that a person would need that much a day for both food and non-food necessities.

According to the report, if this were used for Malaysia, whose average household has four family members, a family would need RM840 a month for them to be out of the poor-income bracket. No wonder that the majority of civil servants are taking part-time jobs to make ends meet and according to Omar, this has affected productivity.

Apparently, those in the civil service’s support group are not alone, so I discovered. They have "friends" in the private sector too. The National Employment Return study, conducted last year by the Human Resource Ministry, revealed that almost 34 per cent of about 1.3 million workers surveyed earned less than RM700 a month. The study also suggested that the wages be increased after it was found that it was hard to just rely on market forces "to gently force" employers to increase salaries.

Following the survey, Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam had said that the government, in principle, agreed that wages will have to be increased, citing an excuse that the influx of foreign workers was among several reasons why wages did not increase for the past 10 years.

And, the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) was unveiled months later with 10 big ideas that will be the pillars in charting the development towards a high income economy by 2020.

So, we should be glad to know that the government is aware of this statistics, including the recommendations by the World Bank, and the importance of creating a high income society for the country to become a high income economy. And, works are in progress to achieve this.

But, for Omar to remind the powers-that-be to seriously look into the welfare of the civil servants, it speaks volumes of their predicament.

“The basic salary should be at least RM850 or RM920 a month," he said.

Sounds like a fair "demand" to me and it is wise for the government not to adopt the "don’t care" attitude on this.

So, it is hoped that the three-day Minimum Salary Laboratory meeting, which starts today to deliberate on the proposal for a RM900 minimum salary for the civil service, could one day bring smiles to our "hardworking" civil servants.

MUZLI MOHD ZIN quit civil service 17 years ago due to many reasons, one of which was the desire to improve his quality of life on an express mode. He found it hard to juggle a permanent day-job and part-time job at night, like his former colleagues, to make ends meet. It was tiring. There was life to enjoy too, he reckoned. He receives brickbatsat muleez@gmail.com.


13 ulasan:

halim Jempol berkata...

seluruh PA Sokongan menolak tulisan karut ini, nak naik gaji jika kerajaan kita mampu, sekarang ekonomi gawat, kita perlu byk bersabar dan menyahut saranan pemimpin BN agar berjimat, kurangkan gula dan kurangkan penggunaan kereta utk penjimatan

Tanpa Nama berkata...

sapa kata seluruh PA menolak... memandai je...Aku PA dan aku sokong kenyataan ini. yang jadi mangsa PA bawahan... gaji kecil...asyik kena buli dengan orang gaji besar.... buat itu ini.... tuntutan perjalanan dari tahun lepas tak dapat... dah la gaji kecil suruh pergi sana sini tapi claim perjalanan tak di bagi... nak makan apa kami ni.... memang patut kerajaan berjimat... tapi budjet baru ni banyak pula cikgu dapat...tak pikir nak jimat pulak....

Tanpa Nama berkata...

Kami kakitangan pendidikan di negeri Perak Di paksa menandatangan opsyen SPBA oleh guru besar-guru besar kami yang telah diarah oleh jpn perak. Tolonglah kami, tolong baca surat arahan yang dikeluarkan oleh jpn perak.

EO PAHANG berkata...

bagus semua penjawat awam buka mata bila isu SBPA...harap2 rakan diluar sana bersabar apa-apa pun kita lihat apa tindakan Pasukan Khas yang dilantik.Terutamanya dalam SKIM EO N 27 HINGGA N36 JER...TAK ADA ANJAKAN PUN.

Jika tak puas hati lagi kita protes lagi...adalah hak kita...bukan sahaja Isu kenaikan gaji atau bajet kerajaan yang gawat..

kita bercakap dah janji PM dalam bajet 2012..bermakna sudah ade peruntukkan. Cuma pelaksanaan dan proposal JPA dalam SBPA banyak yang tiada ketelusan ...JPA draf ikut suka jer...biar adil dan saksama...

saya cadangkan bayaran gaji ikut pecentage...macam zamam PM Tun Pak Lah...bayar mcm tu lagi baik..

Tanpa Nama berkata...

kita semua penjawat awam wajar bersatu hati demi hak kita dan generasi penjawat awam akan datang.

Bukan pihak atasan jer perlu diberi makan kenyang-kenyang ...yang bawah ni juga perlu tanggung anak bini...

kalau kerajaan PEKA sangat turunka jer 20 sen harga minyak petrol...

minah PAKAR EKONOMI berkata...

HARAPAN KAMI PENJAWAT AWAM AGAR
KAJIAN SEMULA SBPA INI TIDAK MEMPERBODOHKAN KAMI SEMUA.

PREMIER/GERGASI DIJAGA ANAK KECIL TERBIAR MELARAT ;KIKISKAN DASAR EKONOMI KAPITALIS. KAYA SEMAKIN KAYA BESAR KEPALA YANG MISKIN SEMAKIN MISKIN KEDANA MELARAT HARGA BARANG MAHAL

Tanpa Nama berkata...

Saya mohon SBPA disemak semula selain dari sifir gaji dan SKT, dipohon pihak Puan melihat dari segi elaun yang ditambat sehingga 31 Disember 2011 dan juga perkara 93 dalam Pekeliling SBPA. Ini adalah kerana elaun yang ditambat dikaji semula kerana mengambil kira kadar inflasi dan kadar ekonomi di Sabah dan Sarawak seperti contoh harga daging lembu sekilo segar yang mencecah sehingga RM 60 hingga RM 90 manakala harga ayam sekilo RM 9.00 dan pada musim perayaan boleh mencecah RM 11.50 sekilo. Itu tak kira harga di kawasan pedalaman seperti Kapit, Marudi, Ulu Baram, Marudi dan sebagainya yang jauh lebih tinggi lagi. Itu belum lagi ambil kira harga barang-barang yang lain. Bagi perkara 93 dalam Pekeliling SBPA menggambarkan penjawat awam tiada pilihan lain seperti mesti pilih SBPA juga cuma kalau mereka memilih untuk kekal dalam SSM gaji mereka tidak naik. Saya lihat tujuan SBPA diwujudkan untuk membuang ataupun mengecilkan jumlah penjawat awam yang ada sekarang seperti pihak pembangkang hendak lakukan cuma pihak kerajaan menggunakan dengan cara halus dan bukan menambahbaik sistem yang sedia ada. Selain daripada itu elaun yang ditambat juga ada tak mengambil kira penjawat awam yang sedang memangku sedangkan elaun telah ditambat dan pada masa tersebut. Diharap komen ini dapat dipanjangkan dalam perbincangan Jawatankuasa penyemakan semula SBPA.

Sekin. Terima kasih.

Tanpa Nama berkata...

tolong percepatkan proses sbpa ni...sampai bila nak tggu...kalau dh susah2 guna saja gaji ssm untuk taun seterusnya...sampai bla nak tggu dan guna gaji yg taun lepas....nak sabar mcm mana kos sara hidup makin byk besar....kalau ya pun nak selaraS..gunakan gaji ssm untuk taun yg seterusnya...menyeksa rakyat saja...bukan nak bela pun..

Tanpa Nama berkata...

1st time buat penjawat awam mcm ni.....tolong percepatkan proses sbpa...takkan nak tggu sampai bln 4....gaji besar oklah blh tggu....gaji kcik tu......pikirlah....kalau nak melambatkan proses sbpa.....tolong guna gaji ssm untuk taun yg seterusnya.....

Tanpa Nama berkata...

saya berharap tangga gaji bagi agensi penguatkuasaan seperti imigresen, kastam dan sebagainya lebih tinggi dari agensi gunasama memandangkan struktur tugas yang mencabar sekarang ini. kenaikan elaun juga harus dipertimbangkan.

Tanpa Nama berkata...

kalau bln 3 x juga buat gaji.....alamatnya..huru2lah......baik x payah sebut dlm bajet...guna je gaji ssm....sng cita.....janji ksg....yg gaji bsr tu blh la kata sbr......

OKU berkata...

ini adalah ulasan yang diarahkan supaya kerajaan akan cakap pakar ekonomi berpendapat gaji PA tidak wajar dinaikkan didalam keadaan ekonomi malaysia yang kian menguncup.Ini semua adalah mainan kerajaan seperti yang berlaku dimasa-masa yang lalu. belum terjadi skim baru ditolak sebab tidak adil. kalau SBPA yang ditambah baik tidak memuaskan hati semua PA...kita minta kepada KERAJAAN BARU pula. "ACU UBAH SEPENGGAL JER"

Tanpa Nama berkata...

Pihak swasta minta gaji minima rm1000, bagaimana pula dipihak kerajaan, gaji permulaan KP11 pun dibawah rm800.00, mungkin boleh juga kalau syarikat mampu. Dikeningau, gedung milimewa, gaji mereka ikut masa dan gaji dibayar rm500 kebawah, potong sini sana, terima bersih rm385.00, apalah ada pada gaji sebegini. sekarang ini kalau anda ada tanah sebesar 5 ekar keatas, tanam sawit atau apa saja yang mendatangkan sumber kewangan. Sekarang ini di Sabah, sebahagian besar kakitangan awam ada kebun sawit dan getah, mereka tak kisah pasal gaji lagi, nak bayar kereta VEGO 3.0 tak masalah. Jadi sesiap yang ada tanah, umur masih muda, tanamlah apa jenis tanaman yang sesuai, 5 tahun tunggu tidak lama, begitulah kakitangan awam di sabah, pinjam duit bank, beli bibit dan tanam, sambil kerja, hujung minggu lawat kebun, gaji bulan kasih gaji pekerja. kalau nak harap kerajaan saja, sampai kucing bertanduk pun kerajaan tidak mampu bantu semua rakyat malaysia. Siapa pun kerajaan yang memerintah, 90 peratus mereka tidak dapat bantu sepenuhnya.