PUTRAJAYA, May 1 – Employers must ensure that their workers’ financial gains grow in balance with their company’s expansion and profit growth, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in his special address at the Labour Day celebration held here today.
While there have been responsible employers, there have also been instances of companies that make millions in profit, but do not raise the salaries of their workers, and sometimes even the issue of housing for their staff or education for their children have been neglected, the prime minister said.
He said a balance must be achieved between companies increasing their profit levels and ensuring the well being of their workers as this will ensure harmony, productivity. If companies and investors are only interested in raking in millions of ringgit in profit without ensuring the welfare of their workers, there will be no harmony, he said.
There must be a balance as the country should see investments, and companies must grow their profits and productivity and at the same time workers must also gain in the process, he said.
To ensure this, he said the government has been providing incentives to the big companies, making it easier for them to do business and other incentives. This, however, needs to spill down to ensuring the well being of workers.
Anwar also commended the work of the union organisations in the country, namely the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and the Congress of Unions of Employees (Cuepacs) adding that while the government will be fair to the requests made by workers, their demands should also not be excessive.
Requests that are reasonable will be looked into, while others will be put on hold.
He said the government was aware of the salaries for the civil servants, especially those in the lower rung, and a review has been undertaken.
The new government took over the country’s administration at a point where the economy was not doing well, both due to an easier overall economic situation but there were other factors as well such as looting of the government coffers and massive corruption, Anwar said.
In order to revive the economy, and increase income, the workers must also stand in line with the Madani government to put a stop to the corruption, he said.
Many of those who had fed a corrupted system, now claim that action being taken against them is an act of revenge and they have gone on to use race and religious sentiment to defend their past actions, he said.
A lot of these monies lost to corruption could have served to raise the people’s well being, he said, adding that any improvement in the running of government coffers and raising its revenue will also result in civil servants seeing improved pay as well.
The prime minister also announced additional allocation of RM1 million to MTUC and Cuepacs each.