PETALING JAYA: A three-month reprieve is not good enough for nurses in the government service.
They want the 45-hour work week plan scrapped, with the current 42-hour work week retained.
The 45-hour work week was supposed to come into effect on March 1 in line with a new directive under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA).
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The Health Ministry (KKM), however, has asked for the plan to be postponed by another three months.
The ruling was originally supposed to have come into effect on Dec 1 but was first postponed to March 1.
A source from KKM said the final decision on the matter will be up to the Public Service Department (JPA).
Nurses, however, feel a 45-hour work week will be too heavy for them.
It will bring about an increased workload, poor work-life balance, poor mental health for workers and affect the well-being of healthcare workers, said Malayan Nurses Union president Saaidah Athman.
She said many nurses could opt for early retirement or migrate overseas for more lucrative offers.
She hoped the government and KKM would instead look into issues related to the welfare and safety of healthcare workers, especially nurses, who are mostly women.
“The current number of work hours is 42 but in reality, we work more than 42 hours. I appeal to the government to maintain the 42 hours for healthcare workers who work in shifts,” she said.
Occupational fatigue and stress due to long working hours, she added, might put patient care in jeopardy.
The Delegation of Nurses said in a Facebook post that there must be a black-and-white directive from KKM on the postponement as some hospitals are already planning to implement the new system from March 1.
They, too, hoped the plan would be scrapped.
Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman, who had worked as a nurse previously, hoped KKM and JPA would be able to arrive at a fruitful decision.
“I understand the job scope of nurses. (When their) workload, as well as other duties, are taken into account, then they have been working for more than 42 hours for a very long time.
“Therefore, I hope KKM and JPA will arrive at a decision that will benefit and bring the greater good for all parties involved,” she said.
The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health has also called for the work week to be maintained at 42 hours after conducting three engagement sessions with the Malaysian Medical Association, Malaysian Nurses Association and the Malaysian Association of Medical Assistants to address relevant issues.
