MTUC: RM20b stimulus package inadequate to cushion impact of Covid-19
CORONAVIRUS | The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has called on the government to introduce a new stimulus package to ensure the welfare of workers to cushion the impact of Covid-19 outbreak.
In a statement today, MTUC also urged the government to set up a Covid-19 Emergency Action Committee (EAC) to address the issues on workers health and livelihood.
"The EAC’s main task will be to issue guidelines that can be collectively carried out through the various ministries to contain the spread of Covid-19 at workplaces....
CORONAVIRUS | The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has called on the government to introduce a new stimulus package to ensure the welfare of workers to cushion the impact of Covid-19 outbreak.
In a statement today, MTUC also urged the government to set up a Covid-19 Emergency Action Committee (EAC) to address the issues on workers health and livelihood.
"The EAC’s main task will be to issue guidelines that can be collectively carried out through the various ministries to contain the spread of Covid-19 at workplaces.
"The EAC will also enable stakeholders to provide the government with functional proposals for a new economic stimulus package.
"It is clear that the RM20 billion package announced last month is not adequate nor sustainable, especially in providing a safety net for workers, particularly from the B40 and M40 group."
As such, MTUC proposed several ideas to be incorporated in the new stimulus package:
- Banks to defer housing, study and vehicle loan instalments without imposing any penalties to all B40 and M40 for at least six months.
- All welfare recipients, including Socso, must be given a one-off payment of RM500.
- All pensioners within the B40 and M40 are also given a one-off payment of RM500.
- All workers earning salaries below RM4,000 to be given RM1,000 as a one-off.
Concerns over unpaid leave
In the same statement, MTUC also urged the government to immediately intervene in companies such as Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air which had urged their workers to take unpaid leave.
"MTUC is worried that companies such as Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air are urging their workers to go on no-pay leave as countries across the globe impose wide-ranging travel restrictions.
"Such measures are unfair on these workers, and the government must intervene immediately to check workers from becoming victims of such drastic measures."
It added that the proposed EAC could help by providing the stimulus package to affected employers but only if they could prove their inability to sustain and pay salaries to the EAC.
Yesterday, Klang MP Charles Santiago called on the government to consider a lockdown as a drastic measure to curb the rate of infection.
As of March 15, Malaysia had recorded 190 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total 428 cases.
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