Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth and the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) will host a minimum wage forum at Putra Hotel, Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur next Wednesday.

mtuc minimum wage protest 250607 BN Youth chairperson Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said the objectives of the forum were to study the views, suggestions and problems associated with the implementation of minimum wage before making recommendations to the government.

"The minimum wage issue is very important for workers as it will help them deal with the rising cost of living and inflation while ensuring it cares for their welfare," he said on his blog, www.rembau.net.my .

He said the forum was a follow-up to a discussion between BN Youth and the MTUC and Cuepacs on Aug 24 where worries on the widening income gap between high and low-income groups were raised.

Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief, said the public were invited to delve on the issue at the forum as 34 percent of the workers in the country were said to be earning less than RM700 per month, which was RM20 lower than the poverty line in the peninsula.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) will submit a memorandum to the Minister of Human Resources Dr S Subramaniam on Thursday on the need to develop strategies to prevent exploitation and poverty of workers.

Its secretary general G Rajasekaran said the nine-page memorandum would highlight the deteriorating working conditions and action by some large multinational companies to deliberately suppress wage levels.

"Following a major National Tripartite Conference in November 2008, the ministry expressed its commitment to promote the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) concept of decent work but have not taken any significant steps in line with the conclusion and recommendation of the conference," he said.

On the contrary, the proposed amendments to the Industrial Relations Act 1967 aimed to encourage precarious work and exploitative working conditions, he said in a statement today.

"Amongst a list of strategies to prevent exploitation, the MTUC reiterates its demand for a minimum wage legislation," he said.

Rajasekaran said the MTUC wanted the Government to abolish licenses of all foreign workers outsourcing companies which was in violation of the provision of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

According to him, 250 union leaders would gather outside Wisma Perkeso in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday in conjunction with the World Day for Decent Work to submit the memorandum to Subramaniam.

- Bernama