CUEPACS HAILS PAY ADJUSTMENT FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

Free Malaysia Today
24/10/2015

KUALA LUMPUR: The salary adjustment equivalent to one annual increment according to grade, to be implemented next year can help civil servants cope with the rising cost of living.

Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Azih Muda said the adjustment meant that they would enjoy the annual salary increment twice next year.

“We thank the government for considering the matter. We also have to understand the government’s position,” he told Bernama when asked to comment on the benefit announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak when tabling Budget 2016 in the Dewan Rakyat here today.

Najib said the increment would benefit 1.6 million civil servants with an allocation of RM1.1 billion.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Hashim Adnan said what was announced by the prime minister showed that the country was still in a strong economic position compared with many other countries.

Najib also announced a special assistance of RM500 to be given to all civil servants and a special payment of RM250 to 700,000 government pensioners, totalling almost RM1 billion, to be made in January.

“Changes in the world economy do not prevent these measures, we have to see it in a positive way. Some countries have gone bankrupt, but we are still able to pay monthly salaries with increment even though the currency value fell,” Hashim said.

Government Pensioners Association president Raja Wan Mahmood Pawan Teh pointed out that many pensioners live below the poverty line and are somewhat burdened by the current increase in cost of living.

– BERNAMA