
Kenyataan Media Bersama dan Mesej Tahun Baru 2025 Kesatuan-Kesatuan Berkenaan dengan Gaji Terbantut (stagnant wage) pada 31hb Disember 2024
Perintah Gaji Minimum Harus Merangkumi Penyelarasan Gaji Untuk Pekerja Senior
Kami Kesatuan-kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia yang menandatangani di bawah menyeru kerajaan Madani mereformasikan Perintah Gaji Minimum untuk memanfaatkan pekerja-pekerja senior yang telah memberi sumbangan besar kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi negara beberapa dekad yang lalu.
Majoriti golongan pekerja ini bermula dengan gaji RM500 atau RM600 sebulan pada zaman yang belum ada gaji minimum. Selepas berkhidmat untuk sebuah syarikat selama 20 atau 30 tahun, gaji mereka sekarang mungkin adalah RM1,600 sahaja, lebih kurang sama paras pekerja-pekerja baru dengan gaji minimum RM1,500 sekarang.
Golongan pekerja senior ini amat kecewa tiada penyelarasan gaji selepas pelaksanaan gaji minimum. Majikan-majikan enggan menaikkan gaji untuk golongan pekerja senior ini dengan alasan syarikat tidak ada sumber kewangan yang mencukupi. Syarikat hanya boleh melaksanakan gaji minimum kerana ia terpaksa mematuhi Perintah Gaji Minimum yang dikeluarkan oleh pihak berkuasa.
Pendek kata, pelaksanaan gaji minimum langsung tidak ada impak positif kepada golongan pekerja senior yang merupakan tulang belakang pertumbuhan ekonomi Malaysia. Kelemahan ini harus diatasi dengan mereformasikan dasar gaji minimum dan memberi keadilan kepada golongan pekerja senior, ini selaras dengan matlamat kerajaan Madani ialtu meningkatkan bahagian pendapatan pekerja (labour income share) daripada 32 peratus sehingga 45 peratus pada tahun 2033
Kami mencadangan kerajaan Madani menambahkan satu bahagian baru “penyelarasan gaji” (wage adjustment) ke dalam Perintah Gaji Minimum yang akan datang. Setiap kali gaji minimum dinaikkan, gaji pekerja-pekerja yang lebih tinggi daripada gaji minimum tetapi di bawah had tinggi golongan B40 (RM5,250) harus dinaikkan dengan kadar yang sama dengan kadar kenaikan gaji minimum.
Contohnya, gaji minimum sedia ada RM1,500 akan dinaikkan RM200 iaitu 13.3% ke RM1,700 pada tahun 2025. Jika bahagian penyelarasan gaji dilaksanakan, golongan pekerja yang bergaji di antara RM1,500 dan RM5,250 juga berhak kepada kenaikan gaji 13.3%. Selepas penyelarasan gaji tersebut, seorang pekerja senior yang bergaji RM1,600 akan menjadi RM1,813.
Pada pandangan kami, pembaharuan dasar gaji minimum ini adalah paling “straight forward” untuk membantu pekerja-pekerja senior yang menghadapi masalah gaji terbantut. Langkah ini akan memberi bantuan besar kepada keluarga-keluarga di bawah paras miskin mutlak dan di dalam kategori B40.
Cadangan ini juga selaras dengan salah satu dasar keutamaan kerangka MADANI iaitu “Memperkenalkan undang-undang bagi meletakkan asas kepada kadar upah atau gaji yang bermaruah yang mampu menjamin kelangsungan hidup untuk semua.”
Kesatuan-kesatuan yang menandatangani :
- Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Perusahaan Alat-Alat Pengangkutan dan Sekutu (NUTEAIW)
- Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Utara Semenanjung Malaysia (KSIEWUSM/EIEUNR)
- Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Selatan Semenanjung Malaysia (KSIEWSSM/EIEUSR)
- Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Barat Semenanjung Malaysia (KSIEWBSM/EIEUWR)
- Kesatuan Sekerja Perusahaan Perladangan Sabah (SPIEU)
- Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Industri Perkayuan Sabah (STIEU)
- Kesatuan Pekerja Pekerja Hotel, Resort dan Restoran Sabah ( SHRREU)
- Kesatuan Jururawat Malaya (MNU)
- Kesatuan pekerja pekerja perusahaan membuat tekstil dan Pakaian Pulau Pinang dan Seberang perai (PTGWU)
- Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Pembuatan Kertas dan Produk Kertas (PPPMEU)
- Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Perusahan Percetakan Semenanjung Malaysia (PIEU)
- Union of Employees in Trade Unions (UETU)
- Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pelaut-Pelaut Semenanjung Malaysia (NUSPM)
- Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Syarikat-Syarikat Pembuat Keluaran Getah (NUECMRP)
- Kesatuan Kebangsaan Pekerja-Pekerja Telekomunikasi Semenanjung Malaysia (NUTE)
- Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Perusahaan Logam Malaysia
- Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Perkayuan Semenanjung Malaysia (TEUPM)
NGO-NGO yang menandatangani :
- Tenaganita
Joint Press Statement and New Year Message by Trade Unions on Stagnant Wage on 31st December 2024
Minimum Wage Order Must Include Salary Adjustment for Senior Workers
We, the undersigned Malaysian Trade Unions, call on the Madani government to reform the Minimum Wage Order to bring benefit to senior workers who have contributed greatly to the country’s economic growth over the past few decades.
The majority of these workers started with a salary of RM500 or RM600 per month in the days when there was no minimum wage. After serving a company for 20 or 30 years, their current salary may be only RM1,600, about the same as new workers with the current minimum salary of RM1,500.
These senior workers are very disappointed that there is no wage adjustment after the implementation of the minimum wage. Employers refuse to increase the salary of these senior workers on the grounds that the company does not have sufficient financial resources. Companies can only implement the minimum wage because they have to comply with the Minimum Wage Order issued by the authority.
In short, the implementation of the minimum wage has absolutely no positive impact on the senior workers who are the backbone of Malaysia’s economic growth. This weakness must be overcome by reforming the minimum wage policy and ensuring justice to the senior workers, this is in line with the Madani government’s goal of increasing the labour income share from 32 percent to 45 percent by 2033.
We recommend that the Madani government adding a new section of “wage adjustment” to the upcoming Minimum Wage Orders. Whenever the minimum wage is increased, the wages of workers who are higher than the minimum wage but below the upper limit of the B40 group (RM5,250) should be increased by the same rate as the minimum wage increase.
For example, the existing minimum wage of RM1,500 will be increased by RM200, or 13.3%, to RM1,700 in 2025. By implementing the wage adjustment section, workers earning between RM1,500 and RM5,250 are also entitled to a 13.3% wage increase. After the wage adjustment, a senior worker earning RM1,600 will receive RM1,813.
In our view, this minimum wage reform is the most “straight forward” to help senior workers who are facing the problem of stagnant wages. This move will provide a major relief to families below the absolute poverty line and within the category of B40.
This proposal is also in line with one of the priority policies of the MADANI framework, which is “Introducing legislation to lay the foundation for a dignified wage or wage rate that can guarantee a living wage for all.”
Union Signatories:
- National Union of Transport and Allied Equipment Workers (NUTEAIW)
- Electronics Industry Employees Union Northern Region (EIEUNR)
- Electronics Industry Employees Union Southern Region (EIEUSR)
- Electronics Industry Employees Union Western Region (EIEUWR)
- Sabah Plantation Industry Employees Union (SPIEU)
- Sabah Timber Industry Employees Union (STIEU)
- Sabah Hotel, Resort dan Restaurant Employees Union ( SHRREU)
- Malayan Nurses Union (MNU)
- Penang Textile and Garment Workers’ Union (PTGWU)
- Paper and Paper Products Manufacturing Employees’ Union (PPPMEU)
- Printing Industry Employees Union (PIEU)
- Union of Employees in Trade Unions (UETU)
- National Union of Seafarers Peninsular Malaysia (NUSPM)
- National Union of Employees in Companies Manufacturing Rubber Products (NUECMRP)
- National Union of Telecommunication Employees (NUTE)
- Metal Industry Employees Union (MIEU)
- Timber Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia (TEUPM)
NGO-NGO Signatories :
- Tenaganita