Done deal: Sim witnessed the signing of the 14th Collective Agreement between GENM and its employees’ union at Wisma Genting, Kuala Lumpur. With him are (from left) Tan, Chia, Lee, Sikindar, UNI-Malaysia Labour Centre president Datuk Shafie BP Mammal and Mohd Isa. — SAMUEL ONG/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The RM1,700 minimum wage should not automatically serve as a benchmark for all new hires, says Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, noting that it is intended for basic and low-skilled positions.
He reminded employers that the government provides salary guidelines for skilled roles such as engineers, graphic designers and journalists to facilitate fair wage negotiations.
“The government also offers incentives through the Progressive Wage Policy and subsidies to companies, enabling workers to receive higher salaries.
“As a result, employees are benefiting by between RM200 and RM300 under the wage policy,” he said at the 14th Collective Agreement (CA) signing ceremony between Genting Malaysia Berhad (GENM) and its employees’ union.
The agreement raises the minimum monthly wage for employees to RM1,800, up from the statutory rate of RM1,700.
It also includes a 10% salary adjustment for eligible workers, with backdated payments for the period of August to October disbursed on Nov 30, Bernama reported.
Other provisions include revised allowances, expanded medical and outpatient benefits for employees and their immediate family members, improved reimbursement for transportation related to medical treatment, enhanced death benefits and adjustments to annual salary increments.
The CA was signed by GENM deputy president Lee Thiam Kit, while Resorts World Genting was represented by chief operating officer Aaron Chia, senior vice-president (Human Resources) Tan Boo Chuan and vice-president of Manpower and Compensation Yun Leong Yu.
Representing the GENM Workers’ Union were its president Sikindar Ibrahim, deputy president Mohd Isa Nordin, secretary Lawrence Saiman and treasurer Tan Cheng Fei.
Lee said the agreement reflects the shared commitment of the management and the workers’ union to maintain industrial harmony at GENM.
He said the CA also symbolises the spirit of cooperation, understanding and mutual respect between employers and employees – the foundation of a stable, fair and progressive working relationship.
“With this agreement, we will ensure that employee well-being continues to be safeguarded, in line with the company’s goal of moving forward,” he said.
The CA takes effect on Aug 1 and remains valid until July 31, 2028, covering all legally employed GENM staff.
