The earnings determination mechanism with respect to rubber tappers in Peninsular Malaysia in the pre and post-union eras

• Main Author: S. Gopal, Parthiban
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: H1-99 Social sciences (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.usm.my/35907/1/PARTHIBAN_S.GOPAL_%28KHK%29_%28NN24%29.pdf; http://eprints.usm.my/35907/
• Institution: Universiti Sains Malaysia

Tesis ini mengkaji mekanisme penentu pendapatan penoreh getah di Semenanjung Malaysia dalam era pra dan pasca kesatuan sekerja. Ddapati pada era pra kesatuan kerja, kadar upah semasa di ekonomi kawasan luar bandar India Selatan telah menjadi asas penentuan pendapatan (Kadar upah) pekerja estet di Tanah Melayu. Untuk menarik para buruh immigren bekerja di estet Tanah Melau, pihak penguatkuasa penjajah pula menambahkan sedikit premium ke atas kadar upah kawasan luar bandar tersebut. Sebelum tahun 1884, kaedah penghitungan premium tersebut dan kaedah upah sebenar dibayar kepada para pekerja di estet getah tidaklah diketahui sama-sekali. Sejak tahun 1884 hingga tahun 1910, Perundangan lmigresen India telah menentukan kadar upah minima berbayar, walaupun asas penetapannya tidak jelas. Antara tahun 1910-1923 penentuan kadar upah ditetapkan oleh majikan semata-mata sebab pada waktu ini tiada sebarang kawalan kerajaan. This study seeks to better understand the earnings determining mechanism of rubber tappers in the pre and post-union eras in Peninsular Malaysia. It found that in the pre-union era, the prevailing wage rate in the South Indian village economy formed the basis for determining the payment to estate workers in Malaya. The colonial authorities added a small premium to the village wage rate to make emigration to Malaya attractive. How this premium was computed and the actual wage rate paid to estate workers in Malaya prior to 1884 is unclear. But from then on until 1910, Indian Immigration laws determined the minimum rates payable, though the basis for the rates is not known. From 1910-1923, there was no government control and wage determination remained the prerogative of individual groups of planters.