Friday, June 13, 2008

Kesan Kenaikan Harga Minyak ke Atas Motivasi Pekerja (VIII)

Unions Have Reservations Over Part-time Proposal

By Paul Choo
The Star Online, 12 June 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Employee unions feel that civil servants should think carefully before considering taking up part-time jobs or businesses as it could affect their work performance.

They say that invariably it would also affect public service towards the rakyat if they could not focus on or had little concentration in their core tasks.

On Tuesday, the Government announced that civil servants could take up part-time weekend jobs or businesses to supplement their income in view of the increasing cost of living.

MTUC deputy president Mohd Khalid Atan said he was unsure whether it would be advisable for public servants to add more to their daily duties.

"Many civil workers already have so much on their plate each day, and some even work late into the night."

"Although they may deem it necessary to get a part-time job to add to their income, at the end of the day they would suffer," he said when contacted yesterday.

Mohd Khalid felt that public servants should look thoroughly at the pros and cons of the move before making a decision.

Cuepacs expressed gratitude that its call for the move following the restructuring of fuel prices had been well received by the Government.

President, Omar Osman, said however, that civil servants should ensure that their working hours did not extend beyond midnight.

"It is good to want to earn more to adjust to the current situation but they must also be thrifty in their time management."

"Necessary adjustments to their time schedule should be made so that it does not clash or affect their day job or their families," he said.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Azman Shah was of the view that by taking up a second job, civil servants should not use their office as a "resting place".

Although he did not foresee any problem with the move, Azman said that taking up a second job would only be a temporary idea for most people, as it was largely prompted by the sudden rise in the cost of living.

"If they consider working more, it would bode well for the private and public sector. This is as long as they feel that they can manage with the extra load," he said.

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