Set minimum wage for locals, Federal Govt urged - The Star

April 21, 2008

MINIMUM wage should be introduced by the Federal Government to protect local workers and increase productivity, said Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin.

“A lot of workers are now trying to work as many hours as they can to raise their income. In the end, they go home exhausted and may not have been productive during their working hours,” Sim said during an online employment drive held at the Bayan Baru PKR service centre recently.

He said a minimum wage could also be cost-effective for companies as workers would not have to work continuous hours and could be more productive during the hours they were on the job.

However, he admitted that minimum wage had to be part of a comprehensive plan in order to benefit both workers and employers.

“Labour laws and immigration policies are among things that would have to be amended in order for minimum wage and productivity to be effective,” Sim said.

A small crowd was at the service centre to register for an online job-matching database set up by Sim’s service team.

For job seekers: Sim (right) informing applicants how to sign up for the online employment system.

The majority of the applicants were middle to lower-level factory workers who had recently received voluntary separation schemes from their companies.

“Over 1,000 workers have lost their jobs in the Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) over the last few months. We recognise this as a global problem stemming from the United States’ shrinking economy,” Sim said, adding that multi-national corporations were scaling down labour as a method to cut costs.

The Bayan Baru PKR service team was in the process of con-tacting companies in the FIZ to participate in the database, he added.

Registration to the online employment system is free and can be done at www.pantaijerejak.com or by visiting the service centre at 20, Solok Bukit Jambul (opposite Vistana Hotel) on weekdays during office hours. For inquiries, they can also call 019-4432088.