Congress of Unions of Employees in Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has hailed the government's decision to require employers to pay the levy of their foreign workers effective Jan 1, 2017 because they must be responsible for their welfare.
Its President, Datuk Azih Muda, said the levy would not burden the employers but aimed to ensure that they were responsible for their workers from the time of their appointment to the time they returned to their countries.
"We don't want the government to bear the extra burden of paying for the medical treatment of the foreign workers. There were records of non-payment by them (workers) for treatment in government hospitals," he told Bernama.
He said employers should adopt more creative measures to attract local workers in the 3D (dirty, dangerous & difficult) sector because there were locals who wanted the jobs.
"I think they (employers) do not advertise the vacancies. What's wrong in advertising? I am sure that if they offer reasonable wages they can attract many local workers," he said.
Azih said the number of foreign workers has increased since many industries in the private sector were privatized and this has jeopardised the chances of locals to get jobs.
"We have seen that since the start of privatization, the number of foreign workers has increased, where before their work could be done by locals.
"Therefore, I think the levy decision is fair and good so that the foreign workers would not become a liability to the government," he said.
Meanwhile, President of the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association, Denis Low Jau Foo, has estimated that the rubber glove industry would need to pay up to RM90 million a year just for the levy alone.
In a statement today, the association said, this estimation has not taken into account the additional costs on housing and transport expected of the employers under the Employer Mandatory Commitment.
Instead of being repatriated, he said, the RM90 million could be put to better use in the pursuit of modernisation and automation of factories in order to be less dependent on foreign workers.
"The new policy would also meant a big amount of money up to RM5 billion a year will be repatriated outside Malaysia, causing another cash drain for the country," he said.
The National Association of Private Employment Agencies Malaysia (PIKAP) has asked the government to postpone the implementation of the levy and find a holistic approach because of present uncertain economic situation.
Its President, Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan, said the sudden decision has affected the employers because it would not only be a burden on operational costs but also risk closure of the company due to the difficult of getting legal foreign workers.
"If this new policy continues, I'm afraid the foreign workers will 'run' away. Also, the big companies might shift their operations to countries where the recruitment of foreign workers would be cheaper like Cambodia and Vietnam," he said.
He said the government needed to be firm in the enforcement of the law and arrest and charge workers and employers or seize the assets of the company in default and not through the settlement via the payment of the levy under the Employer Mandatory Commitment. - Bernama
Bernama
Thu Jan 05 2017
AZIH: We don't want the government to bear the extra burden of paying for the medical treatment of the foreign workers. - Filepic
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Misi sekali lagi ditangguhkan, dijangka berlepas pada Jumaat
Ketika ini lokasi kapal memulakan pelayaran akan ditukarkan ke satu lokasi yang akan diumumkan dalam masa terdekat.
Pihak produksi masih terima Naim Daniel jika ubah fikiran
Ketua saluran Astro Ria, Norzeha Mohd Salleh memberitahu bahawa pihak produksi masih lagi memberi ruang kepada penyanyi tersebut untuk mempertimbangkan semula tawaran yang diberikan.
The Hardest Singing Show cabar kreativiti penyanyi tempatan
Program The Hardest Singing Show mencari satu juara yang mampu menyahut cabaran kreativiti luar limitasi.
Pekerja Ahli Parlimen EU disyaki jadi pengintip China
Polis Jerman telah menahan seorang pekerja ahli politik Parlimen Eropah Alternative for Germany (AfD) kerana disyaki menjadi pengintip China.
Amaran ribut hujan tahap tertinggi dikeluarkan di Guangdong, selatan China
Lebih 100,000 orang sudah dipindahkan akibat hujan lebat dan banjir yang boleh membawa maut di selatan China.
Jokowi dan anaknya bukan lagi ahli PDIP
Presiden Indonesia Joko Widodo atau Jokowi dan anaknya, bakal naib presiden Gibran Rakabuming Raka, bukan lagi ahli parti terbesar negara itu selepas mereka menyokong calon pesaing yang juga pemenang pilihan raya Prabowo Subianto.
Lima migran maut ketika cuba memasuki Perancis
Lima termasuk seorang kanak-kanak, maut dalam cubaan menyeberangi Selat Inggeris dari Perancis pada Selasa.
Polis New York lakukan penahanan himpunan lewat malam
Polis New York bertindak melakukan penahanan membabitkan peserta yang terlibat dalam himpunan solidariti terhadap Palestin di Universiti New York (NYU) pada lewat malam Isnin. Penahanan itu dibuat selepas mereka didakwa mengingkari arahan amaran pihak universiti untuk bersurai dan mengosongkan plaza yang menjadi tempat mereka berkumpul.
Break The Siege: Ada kemungkinan lokasi pelepasan kapal ditukar
Jawatankuasa Pemandu Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar memaklumkan, wujud kemungkinan lokasi pelabuhan bagi pelepasan kapal yang terlibat dalam misi Break the Siege of Gaza Freedom Flotilla ditukar.
Benarkan syarikat milik bukan Islam cetak Al-Quran, pengarah syarikat didenda
Seorang pengarah syarikat percetakan dijatuhi hukuman denda RM8,000 atau penjara lima bulan oleh Mahkamah Majistret Petaling Jaya pada Selasa selepas mengaku salah tidak mematuhi syarat-syarat lesen untuk mencetak atau menerbitkan Teks al-Quran, bulan lepas.
PKPB: Waktu bekerja empat jam sehari di pejabat terlalu singkat - MEF
Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan berkata panduan yang diumumkan Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (MITI) itu menjejaskan operasi industri dan syarikat yang terlibat.
Lembaga Pembiayaan Perumahan Sektor Awam tidak sensitif - Azih
Azih berkata, kenyataan itu juga menunjukkan LPPSA seolah-olah tidak mempunyai sensitiviti langsung terhadap situasi ekstrem yang dihadapi oleh kerajaan ketika ini.
Pemansuhan BIPK: Mutu perkhidmatan awam terjejas - Cuepacs
Presidennya, Adnan Mat menyifatkannya sebagai langkah yang terbelakang kerana wujudnya dua bayaran upah yang berbeza untuk jawatan yang sama di bawah majikan dan kerajaan yang sama.
Cuepacs cadang kerajaan semak semula gaji penjawat awam setiap lima tahun
Ini kerana gaji semasa penjawat awam khususnya kumpulan sokongan hanya mampu dibelanja untuk tempoh dua minggu termasuk pembayaran bil-bil utiliti, pembetungan, telefon dan makan minum di rumah.
Wujudkan dasar pengurusan stres kepada penjawat awam - Cuepacs
Kerajaan digesa mewujudkan dasar pengurusan stres bagi membantu kakitangan awam yang menghadapi tekanan melampau di tempat kerja.
Henti lakukan tugas kewangan sekolah - Cuepacs
Seramai 1,084 pembantu tadbir (perkeranian/operasi) di sekolah di Perak yang menjalankan tugas kewangan dinasihatkan untuk berhenti melakukan tugas tersebut.
Cuepacs rayu kerajaan tidak gabung UMT, UNISZA
Dua universiti itu mempunyai matlamat yang berbeza, selain penggabungan itu akan mengecilkan bilangan universiti di Malaysia.
Belanjawan 2020: Pertimbang elaun kesusahan bandaraya, selaraskan elaun COLA - CUEPACS
Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) memohon kerajaan mempertimbangkan untuk memperkenalkan elaun kesusahan bandaraya.
Belanjawan 2020: CUEPACS harap kerajaan beri bonus sebulan gaji
CUEPACS berharap khabar gembira akan mengiringi penjawat awam dengan pengumuman bonus sekurang-kurangnya sebulan gaji kepada kumpulan pekerja ini di seluruh negara dalam pembentangan Belanjawan 2020.
Cuepacs cadang kerajaan perkenal Skim Persaraan Anjal
Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (Cuepacs) mencadangkan kerajaan mewujudkan Skim Persaraan Anjal.