IPOH: Administrative assistants have been sidelined and "downgraded" in the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), says the Amalgamated Union of Employees in Government Clerical and Allied Services (AUEGCAS).
It also claimed that not one of the proposals it gave to improve the SSPA during the study period had been considered.
Its secretary-general Amir Hamzah Yakat Ali said it was unacceptable that there had been no changes for administrative assistants while those in the lower grades would all see improvements under the SSPA.
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"Those who were formerly in the lower grades like operations assistants, general workers and office boys are now at the same level as us.
"While we are happy that their appointment grading system has been improved, ours is still the same as it has been for over 70 years," he said in a press conference at the Perak AUEGCAS office here on Sunday (Sept 15).
"We felt that our scheme should have also changed for the better.
"While we are still grateful for the streamlining of the salaries, it still feels like we were downgraded," he added.
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Amir Hamzah was commenting on the announcement by the Public Service Department on the SSPA on Thursday (Sept 12).
He also said most of the respondents for the study on the SSPA were administrative assistants.
"We had 3,524 respondents giving about 8,500 proposals to improve the SSPA.
"Not even one of our proposals was included in the SSPA, which we feel is regrettable," he said.
"The only changes we see is that the numbers in the (appointment) grading system have changed," he added.
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Amir Hamzah said the minimum requirement to hire an administrative assistant should be upgraded from Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) to at least Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) or its equivalent.
"For years, the requirement to apply for a job as an administrative assistant is still SPM level.
"Other professions, like teachers, technicians and cooks, which used to be in the same grades as us, have all been upgraded," he said.
