THE National Wage Consultative Council (NWCC) is currently preparing a report on the suggested changes in the minimum wage for the Cabinet.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said the NWCC, a tripartite council consisting of representatives from employers, employees, and the government, convened at the end of last month.
Speaking at the Northern Region Human Resources Conference 2024 in George Town, he said the government began piloting the Progressive Wage Policy in June, paying employers to provide higher wages to their employees.
Sim added that workers participating in this programme must undergo 21 hours of skills training.
"We want to ensure that higher pay is commensurate with up-to-date skills to improve productivity.
"Currently, we have about 430 companies registered and 1,200 workers benefiting from the new policy," he said.
The pilot project is being conducted ahead of the full implementation of the Progressive Wage Policy, which aims to raise wages and achieve a more balanced income distribution.
The policy is part of the government's commitment to reform the labour market, aimed at increasing workers' incomes in line with productivity gains.
Sim had earlier stated that the government will review the minimum wage this year, as the last review was in May 2022, increasing it from RM1,200 to RM1,500.
He also said the latest labour force survey, released yesterday, showed unemployment at a five-year low of 3.4%.
The number of employed persons stands at almost 16 million, the highest ever in the country's history. – August 1, 2024.
