BUTTERWORTH – A veteran unionist has called on the federal government to undertake a comprehensive study on why local workers are shunning traditional jobs before it commits to allow the intake of more migrant labour.
K. Veeriah, the long-serving Penang Malayan Trades Union secretary, said there is a widespread perception that the government plans to employ more migrants without comprehending what has happened to the local labour market after almost two years of lockdowns due to Covid-19.
According to international reports, millions of workers in the United States are quitting their jobs with an estimated 4.2 million to 4.4 million workers having resigned between August to October.
“They could have taken advantage of new job opportunities in the digitalised economy.
“US Chamber of Commerce economist Curtis Dubay was quoted to have said the pandemic is changing the attitude (of workers) to work.
“It is said that since April, most workers performing low-skill jobs in the service sector have quit.
“Thus, jobs that are traditionally less pleasant and with less skills are having a harder time retaining workers,” he said in a statement, today.
Veeriah said that with about 4.5% unemployed workers in Malaysia, the country theoretically ought to be able to attract workers.
“However, we hear of shortages of workers in almost all sectors. Under such circumstances we need to ponder whether, like in the US, our workers are shunning jobs in the traditionally low-skilled, low-paying jobs in the hotel, plantation, manufacturing, and construction sectors and others.”
Veeriah opined that a study is justified at this juncture to determine whether the prolonged period of lockdowns, which resulted in massive job losses and underemployment, has triggered a change of attitude towards traditional low-skilled, low-paying jobs among Malaysian workers.
“Given the minimum wage of RM1,200 per month or about RM5 an hour, one must ask whether Malaysian employers are paying equitable wages that would incentivise workers to take up jobs in the traditional job sectors such as hospitality and construction.
“The underlying circumstances in which Malaysian employers are clamouring for an influx of migrant workers seem to suggest that our local employers are addicted to using low-skill migrant workers as a source of cheap labour.
“Our manufacturing, construction, plantation, hotels, and service sectors have been urging the government to permit the hiring of migrant workers without so much as committing themselves to enhancing the grossly inadequate minimum wage or, for that matter, related terms and conditions of employment,” he said.
One of the glaring injustices, he said, in the hiring of migrant workers is the abuse of forced labour indicators.
“From exorbitant recruitment fees and working excess hours to sub-standard housing conditions, migrant workers have been eking out a living in conditions that have been described as modern-day slavery.
“And yet our government has found it fit to succumb to the employers’ demands to hire migrant workers,” he said.
Veeriah argued that the country needs a living wage structure to replace the out-of-touch minimum wage of RM1,200 to power up the labour sector.
“Social security protection is another cause for concern especially when viewed in the context of the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) disclosure that only 3% of private sector workers can retire on their savings.
“According to EPF, retirees need to work between four and six years beyond their retirement age to sustain themselves post-retirement.
“Premised upon the prevailing sad state of affairs, it is my view that our government needs a political will to embark on a progressive transformation of the socio-economic employment landscape of the nation,” he added. – The Vibes, December 15, 2021
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