Cuepacs happy but still left wondering how much and when in salary raise issue
The buzz has been going on for the past few weeks. Is he or isn’t he? The quantum involved and the timing? This question has been on the minds of most civil servants since our PM has verbally agreed in principle to a pay raise.
The quantum asked for by Cuepacs, the umbrella body for all civil servants is between 10% and 40%. It has been a long time indeed since the last increase although there have been adjustments along the way.
The higher category civil servants have always regarded themselves as an elitist group so i won’t discuss their wages here. But the majority of the civil servants are those in the support group and lower categories of the professional group.
” Pakai cantik, poket kosong” ( looks nice but empty pockets ) has been used by some in society for civil servants because they dress nice but their pay is so low. An express driver scoffed at his brother for being a senior clerk in a government department. He earns more driving buses between Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
A bulk of the civil servants are teachers. Most students put education as a last choice when choosing fields of study in university applications. Basically it is all about money. Society can see teachers and other civil servants doing second or third jobs in order to earn a decent living.
It is timely indeed that our PM has agreed to a pay raise. If our country can afford it, the civil servants should be given a share of the slice of our government’s funds to earn a decent living.
The waiting game continues. Will Labour Day on the 1st of May be the day our PM announces the salary increase?
I telephoned a civil servant for his views.
He said, ” If got an increase huh, i be happy lo. It is no big money. U know the price of baby milk powder how much supermarket so high u know? I use motorcycle when I can because petrol so expensive. I almost accident oh last week. Bus people drive no care for motorcycle. Dangerous. If true got increase, of course I b happy. My money so small now when I go to market.”
