Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Cuepacs wants Govt to consider wishlist for Budget 2013


KUALA LUMPUR: Cuepacs has issued a six-point wishlist for the Government to consider in Budget 2013 for 1.4 million civil servants, said its president Datuk Omar Osman.
"We hope that the Government, in particular Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, will give due consideration to our demands. We will be satisfied if at least 70% of the demands are met," he told reporters in a press conference here Wednesday.
The six demands were announcement of the new scheme to replace the New Civil Servants Remunertion Scheme which was scrapped earlier this year, affordable urban housing, increase in rent allowance, additional bonus apart from the recent half-month bonus, the fate of 45,000 contract workers whose contracts ends this Dec 31 and reinstatement of the federal-level Joint Departmental Council which was abolished in May this year.
He noted the demands were not new but have been part of Cuepacs request since 2010 and had reached a critical stage.
"Affordable urban housing for civil servants is the most pressing issue. We hope the Government will introduce a new housing policy through the Budget that requires housing developers in the city to reserve 35% of their projects to build RM60,000 and RM150,000 houses," he said.
He also added that the current monthly housing rental allowances of RM180 should be increased to reflect the present market rates.
He said that the Government must address the fate of some 45,000 contract staff whose terms will expire on Dec 31.
"Most of them are between 40 and 50 years old and have familes to feed with housing loans to pay.
"We hope the Government will consider extending the contracts or place them on the pension or employee provident fund schemes," he said.
As a gesture of committment if the demands are met, he said a proposal would be brought to the Cuepacs Congress next month to get civil servants to agree to put in additional 30 minutes of work daily.
"If agreed on, the proposal will be forwarded to the Chief Secretary to the Government to issue a circular to that effect," he added.
He said Cuepacs' federal and state committee representatives were seeking to meet the Prime Minister and his deputy to further discuss the matter.
Budget 2013 is scheduled to be announced on Sept 28.
-thestar/maa.

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