Prasarana employees to enjoy pay, allowance hike
12 Apr 2023 10:30pm
Anthony Loke (left) with Prasarana CEO Mohd Azharuddin Mat Sah at Menara UOA, Bangsar.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, in announcing this, said it was among six incentives to improve benefits for staff that were approved by the Prasarana board of directors.
He said the 36.3 per cent increase in the allowance for the morning shift from RM11 to RM15 a day and 53.8 per cent rise in allowance from RM13 to RM20 daily for the night shift would also be implemented, especially for the frontliners and non-executive staff involving 2,800 Prasarana employees.
Loke also announced an improved driving allowance rate of RM10 per day for Rapid Bus employees which will benefit 2,300 bus captains, thus contributing to an increase in their average monthly gross income by RM220.
"I am also happy to announce the implementation of the Interim Market Allowance with a minimum rate of RM200 for the technical group, which comprises 590 senior technicians, engineers and senior engineers,” he said in his speech when breaking fast with Prasarana staff, here, today.
In addition, Loke said the Prasarana board of directors are said to have approved an increase for employer contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) from 15 per cent to 16 per cent for workers who have served for five years and above.
Loke said that medical coverage for hospital admission for individuals and their family members had also been approved for all levels.
According to him, the new family medical protection plan will enable registered family members to use the insured amount without limit, as long as it is within the annual coverage limit.
"Prasarana will present detailed information to all employees in a day or two. I hope this announcement will ease your burden to an extent,” he said.
Loke said all the incentives were in recognition of the employees and to overcome the high turnover rate in the industry.
"In 2022, a total of 836 Prasarana employees resigned, that is quite a high turnover rate, with RapidRail recording six per cent and Rapid Bus reaching 11 per cent and this is a worrying situation,” he said.
According to him, based on an internal study, a majority of those who left Prasarana were technical staff and bus captains attracted by more lucrative offers from bus and rail operators in the country and abroad, including Singapore and the Middle East.
"Following this, it is the responsibility of Prasarana and the government to ensure that the welfare of highly-skilled employees is e always taken care of, where there is a need to review existing salaries and benefits so that they are on par with the market,” he said. -Bernama
