The federal government has been lambasted for backtracking on the implementation of minimum wage policy for workers in the country.

The minimum wage rates were gazetted in July and were supposed to come into effect in January, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy pointed out.

dap congress 161212 ramasamy When Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced the policy in May, Ramasamy said, it was a "pyrrhic victory" as millions of workers believed they would finally get a windfall come 2013.

Najib had then announced a minimum wage of RM900 a month for workers in Peninsular Malaysia and RM800 for those in Sabah and Sarawak.

"However, the Human Resources Ministry now drops a bombshell that the implementation would be delayed.

"It is a rude shock and a tragedy for the workers, for we do not know how long it will be delayed," said Ramasamy, who is chairperson of the state human resources committee.

"We can also logically argue or come to the conclusion that the federal government will not be taking action on those who refuse to comply with this policy.

"With this, the BN government shows it is clearly pro-employer by allowing 600 companies to postpone the implementation of the minimum wage payment," he added.

Decision by NLAC, not ministry

Ramasamy said this in response to a Bernama report quoting Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam as saying that the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) has decided to allow the postponement after taking into consideration financial constraints faced by the companies concerned.

NONE "It is the council's decision, not the ministry's," Subramaniam ( right ) had said.

Some 4,200 companies are said to be appealing against the minimum wage policy.

On the study done by the NLAC before deciding to allow the 600 companies to put off their implementation of minimum wage, Ramasamy questioned the independence of the study, calling for those behind it to be named.

"Why are they so generous to allow the 600 companies to postpone their responsibility?" he asked.

It was time for the Human Resources Ministry to form an independent commission to study the matter as the "minister is not doing his job", Ramasamy said

He called on Subramaniam not to hide behind the NLAC, since the NLAC "has no clout, independence or moral authority to decide on the matter".

Ramasamy added: "The pro-employer BN has no sympathy for the millions of workers who contribute and have become the backbone of the economic development of this country."