Weekly rest days for firefighters still just a proposal

 Director-general of public service Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz says JPA and the housing and local government ministry will look into the suggestion in detail.

Firefighters, who currently work on either 12-hour or 24-hour shifts, are asking for an additional rest day every 14 days.

PETALING JAYA:

 The implementation of weekly rest days for firefighters has not been finalised, said director-general of public service Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

Wan Ahmad said the public services department (JPA) will study the proposal in detail with the housing and local government ministry.

“We have just received the proposal. Perhaps the fire and rescue department was quick to announce it as it views this (weekly rest days) as a priority.

“We will examine this with the ministry as well as the department. If there is justification for the request, we will act on it,” Bernama quoted him as saying after meeting civil servants at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building in Ipoh today.

It was previously reported that the implementation of weekly rest days for firefighters, initially scheduled for May 1, had been postponed.

Firefighters currently work on either 12-hour or 24-hour shifts.

In January, fire and rescue department director-general Nor Hisham Mohammad said all firefighters working under the 12-hour or 24-hour shift system will soon be entitled to an additional rest day every 14 days, or after eight cycles of 12-hour shifts.

He said the restructuring of the shift system is aimed at addressing issues such as additional working hours, abnormal shifts, and the need for proper weekly rest days. - FMT