Prove you are paying minimum wage, Fadhlina tells contractors

 

Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said the adjustment of the contract costs, following the introduction of the minimum wage, had huge financial implications for the ministry. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Contractors appointed by the education ministry before the implementation of the minimum wage policy in March 2022 must now show proof that they have taken the “necessary steps” to pay their employees according to the law.

Minister Fadhlina Sidek said this includes declaring their workforce size, and providing their employees’ payslips as well as their EPF statements to ensure the correct sum would be paid to the contractors.

“The adjustment of the contract costs following the introduction of the minimum wage has huge financial implications for the education ministry,” she said in response to a question by Azizi Abu Naim (PN-Gua Musang), who asked why the education ministry had not paid the adjusted fees to cleaning contractors appointed before the minimum wage policy was introduced.

In May, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the minimum wage would be discussed by the Cabinet to “resolve the matter once and for all”, after about 50 contract workers claimed their employers could not pay them the minimum wage of RM1,500 due to delays from government agencies in clearing payments earlier this year. - FMT