Thousands of workers and social activists from all around the country were out in force today in a nationwide picket calling for a Minimum Wage Act.

Workers from as various unions as the National Unions of Drinks Industry to the National Union of Bank Employees have been joined by members and leaders of political parties such as Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the yet-to-be-registered Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in the picket.

Organised by the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC), its General Council member P Selvam said today's picket served as a "warm-up" to further action pressing the government to standardise minimum wage between civil servants and workers in the private sector.

Here in Kuala Lumpur, about 600 workers gathered opposite the EPF headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut to show their support for the minimum wage call.

Led by MTUC's vice president Abdullah Sani and the union's financial secretary A Sivananthan, the protesters picketed for about an hour, chanting slogans asking for a minimum wage.

"We have been asking for this for the past eight years. The government should respond to our demands and initiate some form of discussion," said Abdullah ( photo ).

Sivananthan meanwhile said that the minimum wage was a form of social security for the workers.

"Government must be sensitive to the needs of these workers.. Some are only paid about RM290 per month at present," said Sivananthan.

The picketers received a lot of support from the passing vehicles and members of the public. Also there to show support were PKR vice president R Sivarasa and the party's Supreme Council member Latheefa Koya. Some 20 policemen kept watch on the picketers.

Nationwide strike

Meanwhile over at Shah Alam, MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamad joined some 400 workers to stage a similar picket ( photo ).

Also in the crowd were PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, party Information Chief Tian Chua, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng and Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

When asked for the next course of action, Syed Shahir said the union was now contemplating a one-day nationwide strike.

However he added no date has been fixed and will be discussed at the union's next meeting.

The union is also planning to organise a mammoth gathering of workers soon on this matter.

Last May, the government announced that its civil servants and police and armed forces will get a pay raise of between 7.5 percent and 35 percent. This is in addition to an increase in their cost-of-living-allowance (Cola) of 100 percent.

MTUC and other organisations have long been calling for a minimum wage for workers in the private sector. They are seeking a minimum wage of RM900, as well as a Cola of RM300, given the yearly rise in price of basic necessities.

"If the government can be sufficiently concerned about its civil servants to have given them such a pay raise, what about workers in the private sector?" asked Selvam.

Simultaneous pickets also took place at Klang, Johor, Kuching, Malacca, and Penang.

Wage councils

Meanwhile Bernama quoted Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as saying that the picket would only cause ill-feelings.

He said that MTUC should not adopt a confrontational stance in its fight for a minimum wage for private sector employees, adding that the matter should be resolved through discussions.

"I hope they won't go on a picket as negotiations with Human Resources Minister (Dr Fong Chan Onn) are ongoing," he said.

Fong also urged the union to call off its pickets, saying that the government was willing to set up wage councils by sectors to review low salaries.