PUTRAJAYA: The Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has proposed a three per cent pay rise for civil servants under Budget 2018.
Its president Datuk Azih Muda said it is high time that the government revise the minimum wage for 1.6 million civil servants in the country, especially those in the B40 Group, in view of the current escalating cost of living.
He said those in the B40 group have a monthly income of below RM3,900.
“More than 62,000 of our civil servants are heavily in debt. We are pleading to the government to give us a pay rise that is long overdue. This will solve a lot of our integrity and productivity-related problems,” Azih told reporters after chairing the Cuepacs congress meeting here.
With the current RM1,200 minimum wage set by the government, he reiterated that a lot of civil servants cannot afford to buy a house.
“Looking at the current economic situation, our civil servants, particularly those in the lower income group are finding it tough to survive, unless wages are revised,” he said.
In addition to a pay rise, Cuepacs has also proposed that Social Security Organisation (Socso) be made compulsory for all civil servants.
“Sosco contributions are important because when there is an unfortunate incident, nobody will take care of us.”
Azih also expressed his disappointment that Cuepacs was not invited to attend the recent Budget 2018 consultation session, chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on June 15.
The Prime Minister had said that the 2018 Budget, which will be tabled in Parliament on October 27, will be more people-centric.