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Over 2,000 retrenched
in three months
GEORGE TOWN: More than 2,000
factory workers in Penang have
been retrenched in the past three
months and more are expected
to lose their jobs in the coming
months, said Malaysian Trades Union
Congress Penang branch chairman
Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid.
“We expect that more people will
be laid off next year as the economic
situation continue to slowdown,” he
told theSun.
Abdul Razak said even those who
were not laid off are suffering as
many companies are cutting down
overtime and working hours, impos-
ing pay cuts and even shutting down
operations for long periods of time
and forcing workers to take unpaid
leave.
He said the Human Resources
Ministry keeps saying the economic
fundamentals are strong but this is
not what the workers face in their
day-to-day working life.
“The ministry only knows how
to give figures of people being
retrenched but they do not offer a
solution to help them,” he said.
“We want the ministry to come
up with a clear plan to help workers
who have been laid off as we can
foresee that more workers will lose
their jobs in the next few months.”
He said the ministry gave the
industries the go-ahead to cut down
overtime and working hours which
will only hurt the workers.
“They should get the industries to
look at cutting costs without affect-
ing the take-home pay of workers.”
He said the ministry must set up a
special task force to help retrenched
workers.
Unions: We need minimum
wage, not flexi hours
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: The concept
of flexible working hours
introduced in Singapore will have
to be discussed before it can be
introduced in Malaysia, say civil
and private sector trade union
leaders.
“Cuepacs has to discuss the
implications of this, and we hope
things will remain as normal in
Malaysia. We do not know the
economic situation in Singapore,
but in Malaysia the condition for
civil servants is under control for
now, and we hope work dismissals
in the private sector do not happen
PHT: Monitor development
in heritage inner George Town
by Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: The state government
should set up an organisation as soon
as possible to monitor and implement
development within the heritage inner
city of George Town.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) president
Dr Choong Sim Poey said the organisa-
tion, which could be a semi-government
or fully private entity, will require ex-
pertise to plan the development of the
heritage zone to ensure that the living
culture and heritage of the city is not
lost due to gentrification.
Choong was commenting on theSun
report on tenants in at least five neigh-
bourhoods in the inner city who are
being evicted to make way for boutique
hotels and restaurants.
“Any development plans within the
heritage zone of the city must ensure
here,” said Congress of Unions of
Employees in the Public and Civil
Services (Cuepacs) president Omar
Osman.
He said unions should speak to
employers to resolve issues in the
face of employment crisis.
“Every union should have
discussions with employers on how
to settle employment issues during
such crisis,” said Omar.
Malaysian Trades Union
Congress president Syed Shahir
Syed Mohamud said clear
guidelines have to be put in place
before flexible working policies can
be implemented in Malaysia.
“The government must come
up with a very clear guide and
minimal relocation of local communi-
ties,” he told theSun.
He said even plans for economically
viable activities should be for buildings
that have been left vacant instead of
evicting local communities.
“This is one of the concerns we have
because we need to ensure that there is
a balance of local communities and new
tenants,” he said.
He said that the recognition given
by the Unesco would result in an influx
of new businesses and trades to the
heritage zone.
“However, this needs to be controlled
or else there will be a total gentrification
of the area and this will destroy the
character of George Town,” he added.
He said tourists come for the living
heritage and culture, so if the com-
munities are relocated elsewhere and
replaced with modern boutique hotels,
nobody would come.
| TUESDAY DECEMBER 30 2008
policy in introducing flexi working
hours,” said Syed Shahir.
He said a minimum wage was
more important than flexi-time.
“We do not have a minimum
wage in this country, which is
more important as we need a
guaranteed pay for our workers,”
he said.
Syed Shahir called for an
objective assessment of the
suitability of flexi-time in Malaysia,
saying the country has its own way
of handling things.
“It has to be examined
objectively, and whatever happens
in Singapore might not be suitable
here; we need to be very clear,” he
said.
He said the trust has also initiated
a project to identify endangered trades
in the city.
“We will help them either by subsi-
dising their rental or move them to a
more affordable place within the city,”
he said.
The heritage NGO has also started
an apprenticeship programme to ensure
the continuity of these trades.
“We are very concerned with the is-
sue of takeover by big corporations and
turning the inner city into a high-end
commercial area,” he said.
Choong added that he has yet to
see any concrete steps taken by the
Penang state government to set up an
organisation or an authority to handle
this issue and to ensure there is minimal
disruption to local heritage trades and
the local communities which make up
the living culture and heritage of George
Town.