Plantation workers have been urged to launch a nationwide strike to protest against Malaysian Agricultural Producers Associations (Mapa) refusal to implement a reasonable fixed monthly wage system.

The call to strike was made by non-governmental organisation, Plantation Workers Support Committee (PWSC), which today condemned Mapa, an employer body representing the interests of plantation owners, for rejecting the workers fixed-wage proposal.

According to PWSC coordinator S Parameswari, the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW), which represents 45,000 plantation workers, has threatened to strike in the past but did not carry it through although the workers were prepared for the action.

Enough is enough! It is time for NUPW to act for the benefits and future generation of plantation communities, she said.

English-language daily, The Star yesterday reported that the negotiations between NUPW and Mapa on fixed monthly wages for the rubber tappers has ended in a deadlock.

NUPW executive secretary A Navamukundan was reported as saying that the Mapa delegation was firm with its proposal to offer RM300 as monthly wage for rubber tappers which is unacceptable to the union.

According to Navamukundan, there is no room for the union to put forward its proposal. He said NUPW was not asking for the sky but a reasonable wage for the rubber tappers and other field workers in the plantation sector.

Mired in poverty

PWSC today strongly condemned the employers interest group for what it described as Mapas arrogance and tenacious attitude towards the plantation workers in denying them a fair monthly wage.

It seems forever Mapa would not agree to a fixed monthly wage and it would continue to practice the outdated, colonial, exploitative 100-year wage system that has kept plantation workers mired in poverty.

Parameswari explained that the proposed monthly wage of RM276-RM300 offered by Mapa in the last negotiation with NUPW on April 13 is the same as the workers current daily rate which is RM11.50 for each working day.

She said that Mapa should rely on the findings of the study on the monthly wage issue by a panel of experts from University of Malaya that it sponsored nearly two years ago, which suggested that it was financially viable for the industry to implement a monthly wage for its workers.

The basic wage proposed by the study for rubber tappers ranges from RM310 to RM430, she said, adding that the study also suggested other productivity and prosperity-linked incentives for the workers such as price bonus, latex bonus and other allowances.

Decent wage

Parameswari also noted that the National Land Finance Co-operative Society, which has about 30 estates, has been implementing the wage scheme such as those proposed in the study with a basic of RM380 per month for the past three years.

If Mapa argues that it is not able to provide a decent wage and a comfortable lifestyle for its workers due to cost, it is better that the industry is shut down all together, she said.

We do not need an industry which has kept the plantation community in poverty for more than three generations. Shutting down the industry is a better option.

Since 1996, PWSC has launched a campaign to attain a better wage for the plantation workers.

The NGO has proposed that the workers received a fixed monthly wage of RM750, annual increment of RM50, one-month pay bonus every year and retirement benefit of RM1,000 for every year of service.