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KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 99,696 workers were laid off between January and November 27 of this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but more than 58,000 were not included in the wage subsidy scheme, the Deputy Minister of Human Resources said today , Awang Hashim.
These include highly skilled workers that comprise managers (13,109), professionals (26,079), technicians, and associate professionals (19,095).
“All of them, who earned RM4,000 or more (per month), are not included in the system of the Wage Subsidy Program intended to help those who have lost their jobs,” he said during the question and answer session at Dewan. Rakyat sitting today.
I was responding to M Kula Segaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), who wanted to know why the Ministry of Human Resources did not include workers in the management category as beneficiaries of subsidies when statistics show that highly skilled workers made up the 59 % of those who were unemployed in the country.
Awang said that although the government had implemented various initiatives and economic stimulus packages as part of its efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, layoffs were inevitable in certain sectors due to factors that were beyond the control of employers.
He said factors include business closings, downsizing, voluntary separation schemes, mutually agreed separation schemes, critical financial problems, partial closure, business acquisitions and relocation.
“Among the sectors involved are manufacturing, hotels, food and beverages, wholesalers and retailers, as well as construction and transportation,” Bernama quoted.
Awang said that 75% of the total number of workers who lost their jobs were estimated to be from the B40 group, earning RM4,000 or less.
Therefore, he said, the Salary Subsidy Plan was introduced to help the most affected workers in that group.
However, those in the managerial category who were terminated from their services are still covered by the Employment Insurance System Act (Law 800) subject to a maximum payment of RM4,000, he added.
“This means that workers, including those at the managerial level, will get benefits like job search allowance,” Awang said.
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