Call for proper guidelines to deduct salary
KOTA KINABALU: The State Government is urged to issue proper guidelines for employers to deduct the salary of workers in this difficult time of pandemic.
Former Sabah MIC secretary Ron Ganasegaran said such guidelines are important to ensure irresponsible employers do not take advantage of the health crisis by cutting the salaries of employees based on their on ‘whims and fancy’.
“I was unofficially informed by several workers that there are some bosses who are using the negative effects of Covid-19 to impose unreasonable salary pay cut,” the consumer advocate said.
Based on complaints I have received, Ron said some employers are imposing between 30 to 50 percent salary deduction.
Others, he said, impose salary deduction based on favouritism or only on selective workers.
The reason behind the high pay cut is due to the negative effects of the pandemic, he said.
Other employers, he said forced staff to take long unpaid leave including waiving of perks as a means to reduce company’s financial burden.
“I strongly disagree the way this particular group of employers treat their employees in this difficult time. Both the State and Federal Governments are extending financial aids and other assistances to legitimate companies, yet some employers do not consider the misfortune of workers,” he stressed.
With the complaints voiced out by the affected workers, Ron said it would be best for the relevant authorities to specify, enumerate and explain clearly the policies in salary pay cut to workers during the pandemic period.
He said allowing such unhealthy and selfish attitude of employers will only aggravate the misfortune of the working class especially those on ‘no work, no pay’ policy.
Ron said workers in the construction, plantation, manufacturing, service sectors including domestic helpers as well as office staff are the vulnerable groups.
“I hope and pray that the government will immediately look into the problem,” Ron added.
On the forthcoming National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme which kicks off on March 4 in Sabah, Ron suggested that vaccine with higher efficacy should be given to medical frontliners.
He said medical frontliners deserve vaccine with higher efficacy percentage because they are the ones who are directly exposed to the life-threatening virus.
“Doctors, nurses and other medical personnel are always in contact with Covid-19 patients, so we have to protect them with stronger vaccine,” Ron said.