KUALA TERENGGANU: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS) is calling on the government to reconsider its plan to implement the MySTEP employment scheme for Price Monitoring Officers (PPH) under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN).
CUEPACS president Datuk Adnan Mat expressed strong opposition to the move, warning that the shift to the MySTEP scheme, which offers significantly lower wages than the current Contract for Service (CFS) arrangement, would severely impact the quality of life for these officers.
“Many of these price monitors have served for over 18 years and have demonstrated unwavering commitment throughout their careers,” he said.
“They’ve built their lives around the existing CFS pay structure, which includes financial responsibilities and obligations. Reassigning them to MySTEP would deliver a harsh economic and social blow to nearly 18,000 workers,” he said when asked at the Syawal Ceria MADANI Aidilfitri celebration hosted by CUEPACS here today.
Adnan said that the MySTEP scheme removes many of the welfare benefits currently enjoyed by officers under the CFS system.
“They will lose a lot of benefits, including paid leave, medical coverage, and contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso),” he said.
In light of this, Adnan said CUEPACS is urging the government to consider offering permanent positions to the officers or, at the very least, upgrading their status to the more secure Contract of Service (COS) scheme.
“These officers have served with dedication for nearly two decades, playing a vital role in ensuring price stability across the country. It is only fair that their contributions be recognised with better job security and career prospects.
“CUEPACS would also like to stress that any change to the employment status of these PPH will have to prioritise their wellbeing, including in terms of job security, salary increment, perks and benefits, as well as EPF and Socso coverage,” he added.
