Union president Saaidah Athman said the move was a reflection of the government’s concern for the welfare of healthcare civil servants.

“On behalf of all MNU members, I extend our heartfelt thanks to the prime minister, chief secretary to the government, the public services department director-general, and the health minister for this decision,” she told Bernama.

Looking ahead, she urged the government to review the salary and allowance structure for healthcare workers and consider creating more critical posts to strengthen the national healthcare system.

JPA announced yesterday that the government would scrap the 45-hour workweek for more than 82,000 healthcare workers, a move which was set to take effect on Aug 1.

It said the exemption was made after taking into account concerns raised by healthcare workers regarding the implementation of the 45-hour workweek under the public service remuneration system (SSPA).

The exemption covers 82,637 frontline personnel, including nurses, community nurses, emergency department medical officers, assistant medical officers and healthcare assistants.

The MNU had previously protested against the additional hours, stating that ward nurses were already under significant pressure working 42 hours a week.