MTUC moots direct payments to support staff

The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) urged Putrajaya to compensate maintenance and support workers who are owed wages by predatory contractors.

In a statement today, MTUC said the government can collect workers’ details from the contractors - particularly those working for the Education and Health Ministries.

Some maintenance and support workers serving government buildings have not been paid the minimum wage of RM1,500 by contractors employed by the government, although the policy was implemented on May 1, 2022.

These contractors were supposed to have been given a nine-month grace period as part of Putrajaya's policy to help companies prepare for the new policy.

MTUC said the matter had been raised during a meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on March 28, to which the latter agreed to compensate the workers for the shortfall in income.

"The government must take responsibility to ensure that employers compensate their workers... They can refer to similar payments enforced in 2016, 2019 and 2020," said MTUC.

The group warned that the matter, if left unchecked, can lead to a bad impression on the government.

The union also proposed the government release guidelines to workers and contractors on the compensation mechanism which would be triggered every time the minimum wage was adjusted.

"With Labour Day coming soon, MTUC hopes the compensation would be delivered to all support staff under government contracts," it said. - Mkini