FELDA

FELDA Urged To Revise Wage Rate For Plantation Workers

TEMERLOH, Sept 20- Felda is requested to provide attractive incentives, including to abolish the wage system which has been in use since the colonial days, to attract locals to work in its plantations.

Several workers in Felda plantations in Bera told Bernama that many locals were keen to work in Felda plantations, but were turned off because of the unattractive wage.

They said the perception that locals were not keen to work in rubber and oil palm plantations was not true.

A worker at the Tembangau Felda plantation, Baharuddin Taib, 40, said many locals had left the plantation to work elsewhere because of the income they received from Felda was below the poverty level.

"We are paid about RM24 a day and payment is based on the number of days we work," he added.

He said although the welfare of the workers was looked after by the plantation management, like providing accommodation and cost of medical treatment, the income they received was too small that they were not able to have savings to buy their own house after their retirement.

Recently, Felda chairman Tan Sri Yusof Noor said that more locals would be employed to work in its plantations by 2020 to replace foreign workers.

Baharuddin said the agency would have to offer attractive incentives to get more locals to work at its plantations.

"Although we do not get the same benefits like the settlers, like being given land, the least Felda can do is to also let us enjoy similar benefits, like bonus and tuition vouchers for our children," he added.

Another Felda plantation worker, Ahmad Nasir Zainal Abidin, 47, said many locals left the plantation to work elsewhere not only because of the low wage, but also felt that they were neglected by the management.

He claimed that the management of some Felda plantations preferred to employ foreigners.

Felda Plantation comprised seven plantations in Tembangau, four in Triang and seven in south Bera, employing about 300 locals and almost 4,000 foreigners, mostly Indonesians.


FELDA Diminta Kaji Kadar Upah Untuk Tarik Pekerja Tempatan

Felda diminta menyediakan insentif yang menarik termasuk menghapuskan sistem upah yang dipakai sejak zaman penjajah untuk menarik rakyat tempatan bekerja di ladang-ladang Felda.

Beberapa pekerja ladang Felda di Bera yang ditemui berkata sebenarnya ramai rakyat tempatan yang ingin bekerja di ladang-ladang milik Felda tetapi kerana kadar upah yang tidak menarik serta tidak mempunyai masa depan menyebabkan mereka kurang berminat.

Kata mereka, pandangan orang ramai selama ini rakyat tempatan tidak berminat untuk bekerja di ladang getah dan kelapa sawit adalah tidak benar.

Seorang pekerja Felda Plantation gugusan Tembangau, Baharuddin Taib, 40, berkata, sebelum ini terdapat ramai rakyat tempatan berhenti kerja dari Felda Plantation kerana pendapatan yang mereka perolehi berada di bawah paras kemiskinan tegar.

"Rata-rata kami mendapat upah yang tidak munasabah iaitu kira-kira RM24 sehari dan bayaran dibuat mengikut jumlah hari bekerja.

Walaupun pengurusan ladang Felda Plantation tidak mengabaikan aspek kebajikan seperti menyediakan rumah kediaman dan kos rawatan klinik tetapi hasil pendapatan tidak mampu untuk menjamin masa depan dan tidak mencukupi untuk membeli rumah apabila bersara nanti," kata Baharuddin.

Beliau mengulas cadangan Pengerusi Felda, Tan Sri Yusof Noor baru-baru ini yang ingin menambah jumlah pekerja tempatan di ladang-ladang milik Felda Plantation menjelang tahun 2020.

Menurut Yusof, langkah itu diambil bagi mengatasi masalah kekosongan yang ditinggalkan oleh pekerja ladang asing apabila kontrak mereka ditamatkan oleh kerajaan.

Baharuddin berkata, sekurang-kurangnya Felda perlu menyediakan pakej dan insentif yang menarik seperti mana faedah yang dinikmati oleh para peneroka Felda selama ini.

"Walaupun kami tidak sama seperti para peneroka iaitu tidak diberikan tanah tetapi setidak-tidaknya kami turut menikmati faedah yang hampir serupa iaitu pemberian bonus, skim baucer tuisyen anak-anak dan sebagainya.

Sehubungan itu, beliau meminta pihak pengurusan Felda Plantation di peringkat pusat menyelaraskan kadar upah yang lebih munasabah seperti memberikan gaji pokok bulanan, bonus tahunan, kebajikan dan pendidikan anak-anak seperti tadika dan kemudahan asrama.

Sementara itu, seorang lagi pekerja Felda Plantation Tembangau 7, Ahmad Nasir Zainal Abidin, 47, berkata ramai pekerja ladang tempatan yang berhenti beberapa tahun lepas bukan sahaja kerana kadar upah yang tidak menarik tetapi merasakan mereka dianaktirikan oleh pengurusan ladang.

Katanya, terdapat sesetengah pengurusan Felda Plantation tidak memahami matlamat kerajaan supaya mengambil ramai pekerja rakyat tempatan tetapi sebaliknya mereka lebih gemar mengambil pekerja asing.

Felda Plantation mempunyai tujuh ladang di gugusan Felda Tembangau, empat di gugusan Triang dan tujuh di gugusan Felda Bera Selatan.

Ketika ini, hanya kira-kira 300 pekerja ladang merupakan anak tempatan berbanding hampir 4,000 tenaga kerja asing, sebahagian besar warga Indonesia.

-- BERNAMA