Khairy vows to look into contract, harassment, allowance issues faced by support staff at public hospitals | Malaysia

Representatives from the National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services hold aloft a banner detailing their demands at the Ministry of Health in Putrajaya February 8, 2022. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 ― Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today said that he would look into the issues brought forward by the National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services (NUWHSAS) when they presented him with a memorandum at the Ministry of Health headquarters. 

In an impromptu press conference after meeting with five representatives from the union, Khairy said that he will personally look into the issues brought forward, and meet with concession companies under the Ministry of Health (MoH) to understand the roots of the issue. 

“We will look into the demands comprehensively, and I will meet with all the concession companies to understand the issues that were brought forward. I’m giving my commitment that I will look into this so that their welfare is taken care of. 

“Support staff at hospitals have been a major help in our fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. So we should not look down on their quest, after travelling over 500 kilometres to come and see me,” he said. 

Roziah ― who is also president of NUWHSAS ― also shared her happiness after the meeting with Khairy, expressing her thankfulness at the Health Ministry who listened to them and pledged to their fight with open arms. 

Hari keempat konvoi kami. Dah dapat berita bahawa @Khairykj sudi menerima kami di @KKMPutrajaya pukul 1 nanti. Saksikan perkembangan kelak.#CleanerJugaFrontliner #DariPenangKePutrajaya #BermotorUntukHak #FromPenangToPutrajaya #RideForRights https://t.co/HtodJ2hfEh pic.twitter.com/mg0SaDu2wz

— #CleanerJugaFrontliner – KPSHK (@KesatuanPSHK) February 8, 2022

“We brought only three demands forward. The first, our contract issues. Second, stop harassing the union and thirdly, Covid-19 allowance for support staff working at government hospitals. 

“I am so proud and happy that we were greeted with open arms by [Khairy] after travelling 530 kilometres since Saturday to meet him here at the Ministry of Health,” she said after Khairy’s press conference. 

Led by 56-year-old Roziah Mohd Hashim, the union today handed over a memorandum to Khairy Jamaluddin today at 1pm, after 25 union members took to the road from Bukit Mertajam Hospital in Penang four days ago to meet Khairy ― stopping at every public hospital they could stop at to gather support. 

The memorandum they handed in demands that the contract system be abolished and support staff be given permanent placements, increasing wages to RM1,500 and also to stop harassment by contractors in the union. 

The contract system was introduced on February 1, 1997, and public hospital cleaners

have been paid a minimum wage ever since. The amount was set by a National Wage Council

and through a collective agreement, and later, by the government under the Minimum Wage Order 2012 when it came into force in 2013.