Federal, Sabah govt set up Sabah Labour Advisory Council
TAWAU - The Federal and Sabah governments have agreed to set up a Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) that will be a platform to channel views and advice on human resource issues in the state.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud said the council will also provide suggestions on labour related matters to the government so that policies and laws would better suit Sabah’s industrial sector.
"The SLAC will bring departments and agencies closer to the industry, and allow for tripartite discussions between the government, employers and employees in line with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) conventions,” he said when officiating an anti-child and forced labour awareness campaign here today.
The Sepanggar MP also said that the amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance would be tabled at the Parliament session in October, with the Sabah government agreeing to the amendments in line with the Labour Act 1955 in the Peninsula, and if the amendment is passed, over two million workers in Sabah will enjoy the same rights and benefits as those in the Peninsula.
"The amendments would boost the state’s image at the international level and allow Malaysia to enter bigger markets through the Comprehensive and Progresive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and attract foreign investors,” he added.
He also said the opening of Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara in next year, would have a big impact on the economic structure and patterns in Sabah as the RM135.5 billion mega-city project, with its planned development reaching till 2045, would require a large workforce.
"There is a possibility of large-scale worker migration from Sabah, especially Indonesians currently working here, if we continue with unconducive salaries devoid of attractive benefits, which would reduce our own workforce,” he said, adding that the matter needed serious attention from all parties and detailed plans and a clear exit policy needed to be implemented. - BERNAMA
