Lab assistants in public universities have the same service scheme as their counterparts in secondary schools. But the former have to handle specialised equipment and dangerous chemicals.

Universiti Malaya General Workers Union general-secretary K Vinothan said while the work responsibilities undertaken by the two categories are different, they get the same pay.

"A school lab assistant works from 9am till 1pm setting up a simple school lab. But university lab assistants prepare more chemicals, assist lecturers during experiments, handle delicate and specialised lab equipments," he said when met at his office recently.

As an example, he said a lab assistant with the Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology has to handle radioactive material but falls under the same salary scheme.

Vinothan said his union, formed in 1963, has requested the Public Service Department (PSD) and Ministry of Higher Education to review the service scheme over the last eight years to no avail

According to him, other public universities have given him the green light to negotiate on their behalf regarding this issue.

Under the current service scheme, the PSD pays an entry level lab assistant RM660 per month with a salary cap of RM1,700 (after 24 years of service).

A vice- chancellors committee, comprising VC's from public universities, also submitted a report on the issue to the PSD but this was turned down as well.

"I call on the PSD to take the initiative to study the report and not to reject it outright," said Vinothan.

It's their allegation

When contacted, PSD press officer Hasniah Rashid said the service scheme for the two categories of lab assistants was the same as both were employed with Sijil Pelajaran Malaysian qualifications.

As to their claim that handling specialised lab equipments and chemicals warranted better pay, she replied: "It's their own allegations." Hasniah declined to elaborate.

Meanwhile, union president Husain Mohd Yasin said any salary increase based on a civil servants pay bracket would not relief the present cost of living expenditures.

"We don't want the government to increase the salary by pay bracket only. What is a 20 percent increase based on a RM1,000 salary? It's not much, if you have to pay for your children's school expenditures," he said.

Hussain, who was at the same interview with Vinothan, said a better formula would be an 'across the board' salary increase by a worker's grade, adding that the same RM1,000 wage earner should have a minimum increment of RM500 per month.