BN Youth, MTUC join forces in fight for minimum wage
By G Manimaran
Both sides dismissed the suggestion that the cooperation was politically motivated and in preparation for the 13th general election, but they are convinced that it would successfully pressure the government into introducing a minimum wage policy.
Representatives from MTUC and BN Youth met last week to discuss the historic cooperation where they discussed plans to organise a public forum.
BN Youth represents 13 political parties, while MTUC is an umbrella body of 140 trade unions with a total membership of 500,000 members.
“It looks like MTUC and us have a common stand on this issue. So we hope we can mount political pressure for a minimum wage policy to be introduced,” BN Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told The Malaysian Insider.
Khairy said the minimum wage issue is a “moral question” for him to increase the income of workers.
“From the beginning I have said that this is a moral issue, economic issue. Politics comes second or third,” said the Rembau MP.
“We have to increase the income of the workers, we do not want to see anyone earning RM400, RM500, which is below the poverty line, so this is a moral issue for me,” he added.
MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran when met at his office in Subang Jaya confirmed that the congress general council agreed to accept BN Youth's offer to co-organise a one-day forum.
The decision was made last Sunday.
“Three BN Youth leaders met me last Thursday and asked the MTUC to join in organising the forum. I presented the proposal to the general council and we agreed and the component members also gave the green light,” said Rajasekaran.
“The MTUC policy is to work with any party for the benefit of the workers. We do not side with any political parties, but are willing to work together on common ground,” he said.
When asked if the cooperation was politically motivated, Rajasekaran stressed that the MTUC wants to solve the minimum wage issue by using political strength.
“They also said this is not politically motivated but only want to help low income earners,” he said.
“About 40 per cent of our workers are getting less than RM1,500 a month, which translates to about five million workers and this is a big number,” said Rajasekaran.
The date of the forum however was still undecided.
Khairy said that he hoped that the forum could be held in the middle of next month, when Parliament resumes.
“We want to present our input for Cabinet’s consideration,” he said.
Previously Umno economic bureau committee member Datuk Dr. Norraesah Mohamad had said that 40 per cent of 11 million of the countries’ workforce would receive higher income under the New Economic Model (NEM).
She said that the economic potential of 40 per cent of the workers earning less than RM1,5000 should be increased for them to move up the value chain.
Khairy said that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the human resource ministry have reacted positively to the minimum wage policy.
“So the issue now is the mechanism. Whether it should be prorated, according to sector or zone,” said Khairy.
Khairy also met with MTUC and civil servants union Cuepacs last month to discuss the minimum wage issue.
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