More than 500 people are expected to attend a rally asking for wage increases in the face of rising costs.
KUALA LUMPUR: Come Labour Day, about 500 people will attend a workers’ rally demanding higher wages because of rising cost of essential prices.
Over 500 workers and civil society members are expected to take part in the rally that will start at the Chow Kit monorail station at 10.30am. Planned to end at Merdeka Square, the organisers of the procession do not expect any police trouble.
“We have notified the police,” said May Day committee spokesman S Arutchelvan at the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here today.
He added that previous annual Labour Day events had been held mostly without a hitch.
“From 1994 to 2010, many of the (May Day) events have been quite peaceful, except for a few cases,” he said.
The organisers said that this year’s May Day theme is “Harga barang naik, bila gaji lagi?” (price of goods increased, what about our pay?)
They said that although the price of essential items had gone up considerably in previous years, wages have not.
A video shown to reporters revealed that Malaysia’s workers only enjoyed an average wage increase of 2.6% from 2000 to 2010.
Student Solidarity Movement secretary Mohamad Izzudin Hilmi Mohamad Zaini said that the government owed it to the people to at least come up with a minimum wage.
“The rising costs is the issue today, but the government has been going back and forth over this. When costs go up and the wages don’t, the people get oppressed,” Izzudin added.
Arutchelvan agreed with his comrade’s sentiment, and said that the government had been swayed by Malaysia’s employers at the expense of its workers.
“In the last two years, the Human Resources Ministry has said that it cannot rely on market forces (to set a minimum wage).”
“But what we hear from them is that they want to do a study on this. We are still talking about doing studies over the last 10 years!” Arutchelvan said.
He attributed the government’s delay to employers, and accused them of threatening to take their money elsewhere if general wages were raised.
“These employers have no loyalty to any country . They will go to any country,” he said .
“The government now needs to choose between the employers and the workers,” Arutchelvan added.
KUALA LUMPUR: Come Labour Day, about 500 people will attend a workers’ rally demanding higher wages because of rising cost of essential prices.Over 500 workers and civil society members are expected to take part in the rally that will start at the Chow Kit monorail station at 10.30am. Planned to end at Merdeka Square, the organisers of the procession do not expect any police trouble.
“We have notified the police,” said May Day committee spokesman S Arutchelvan at the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here today.
He added that previous annual Labour Day events had been held mostly without a hitch.
“From 1994 to 2010, many of the (May Day) events have been quite peaceful, except for a few cases,” he said.
The organisers said that this year’s May Day theme is “Harga barang naik, bila gaji lagi?” (price of goods increased, what about our pay?)
They said that although the price of essential items had gone up considerably in previous years, wages have not.
A video shown to reporters revealed that Malaysia’s workers only enjoyed an average wage increase of 2.6% from 2000 to 2010.
Student Solidarity Movement secretary Mohamad Izzudin Hilmi Mohamad Zaini said that the government owed it to the people to at least come up with a minimum wage.
“The rising costs is the issue today, but the government has been going back and forth over this. When costs go up and the wages don’t, the people get oppressed,” Izzudin added.
Arutchelvan agreed with his comrade’s sentiment, and said that the government had been swayed by Malaysia’s employers at the expense of its workers.
“In the last two years, the Human Resources Ministry has said that it cannot rely on market forces (to set a minimum wage).”
“But what we hear from them is that they want to do a study on this. We are still talking about doing studies over the last 10 years!” Arutchelvan said.
He attributed the government’s delay to employers, and accused them of threatening to take their money elsewhere if general wages were raised.
“These employers have no loyalty to any country . They will go to any country,” he said .
“The government now needs to choose between the employers and the workers,” Arutchelvan added.
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