Cuepacs seeks 3% pay rise

PUTRAJAYA: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) has appealed to the government to consider raising the basic salaries of civil servants by three per cent in the 2018 Budget.

Its president Datuk Azih Muda said if approved, the increase would help relieve the burden of 62,000 civil servants in the B40 category facing the high cost of living.

“The cost of living has gone up by eight per cent and the situation is among the factors which contributed to low-income civil servants being burdened by debts.

“As such, we want the salary hike proposal to be given due consideration to relieve civil servants at the minimum wage level of RM1,200 per month,” he told a media conference after chairing a Cuepacs meeting here yesterday.

Cuepacs also called on the government to review several incentives such as the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), Vehicle Allowance and Regional Allowance which have not been reviewed for quite a long time.

“At the moment, the COLA rate received by civil servants are different and we want it to be reviewed and streamlined at the announcement of the coming budget,” he said.

In this regard, Azih also voiced his regrets as Cuepacs was not invited to join the budget consultation session held with the Prime Minister recently and could not raise the views of the union on behalf of civil servants.

He said as a body representing 1.6 million civil servants, Cuepacs hoped it would be invited to present the voice of parties it was representing. - Bernama