BUTTERWORTH – The national wage council will review proposals by public sector unionists to consider a pay hike for civil servants and young graduates following rising living costs.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who will chair the meeting, said the council has not met over the past decade, though it is usually supposed to meet every 10 years.
Anwar said that the government may now consider raising salaries for the public sector in stages, depending on its financial ability.
Anwar's remarks came following calls by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli for the private sector to adopt a progressive wage structure to alleviate concerns of inflation and the overall rise in living costs, following the reopening of the global economy after some two years of lockdowns due to the pandemic.
“Next week, we will look into all these matters in the committee meeting (wages council),” he said after officiating the National Economic Conference at the Light Hotel here this morning.
Anwar was peppered with questions over the poor salaries of fresh graduates, as starting salaries are said to be as low as the national minimum wage of RM1,500.
He agreed generally that salaries in the civil service are low, including for those serving in the Royal Malaysian Police and armed forces.
Earlier, Anwar said he hoped economic experts in the institutions of higher learning would provide input to the finance and economic ministries to ensure that the Madani budget for next year would be comprehensive and efficiently delivered.
“I ask for input and criticisms from the academics. I am okay, I don’t have any problems with any difference of opinions,” said Anwar.
He said he wants the next national budget to receive input from all quarters, including the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society. – The Vibes, August 5, 2023
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