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16-06-2013, 10:20 AM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
Troubled times for Singapore workers (http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/06/15/troubled-times-for-singapore-workers/)
http://images.dmca.com/Badges/dmca_protected_sml_120n.png?ID=f11d7371-0ef1-483b-888a-04e8d2ba2e94 http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostDateIcon.png?9d7bd4 June 15th, 2013 | http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostAuthorIcon.png?9d7bd4 Author: Contributions (http://www.tremeritus.com/author/contributor/)
Two men can make a difference to improve the well-being of Singapore’s workforce.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Seah-Chiang-Nee-Insight-Down-South.jpg?9d7bd4Seah Chiang Nee
Which Cabinet ministers have the best chances of doing something that will be remembered in today’s troubled Singapore?
In my opinion, it is the Minister of Manpower and leader of the 700,000-strong trade union movement, if they can muster enough talent to look after the well-being of our workers.
I feel this way because their portfolios deal with the largest and most important, as well as troubled, group of citizens as more foreigners arrive.
A nation cannot be well if its workers, including their families, are in poor shape.
Arguably there may be other work that is just as, if not more, important after the population had jumped from three to 5.3 million in 20 years.
But in my view, nothing is more crucial than ensuring the well-being of our 1.7 million workers who are caught in the immigration grip.
If I were the Prime Minister, I would make sure that the minister (or ministers) be given the task that matches their talent and aptitude.
Imagine how history will applaud him if, at the end of his term, workers here no longer fear discriminate retrenchment or office bullying?
Think of the gratitude of the countless families if wages and livelihoods are stabilised and protected from arbitrary changes by unethical bosses.
I am not even thinking of a minister capable of creating reasonable employment or helping workers stay ahead of inflation.
These are bigger issues which require the entire Cabinet to contribute.
That Singaporeans’ living standards are falling is now confirmed. Last year, their real wages fell by 0.4% as a result of high inflation.
(Economists have projected economic growth to drop from 2.8% to 2.3% in 2013. Credit Suisse said, “Singapore clearly remains the sick man of Asean.”)
These are troubled times for Singapore workers, even without the threat of replacement by new arrivals.
A saviour is needed just to stop an increasing number of acts being committed against workers in Singapore.
A recent example was the repeated slapping of a 29-year-old intern by an employer. The bullying exposed far bigger issues.
The so-called intern had been working for two years on a pay (described as allowance) of between S$500 and S$600 (RM1,250 and RM1,500).
Usually, interns are students who work for several months during vacation to gain experience.
However, in Singapore’s current pursuit of “cheap” workers, a number of bosses have been exploiting them by turning them into full-time “interns” and paying them pittance.
The Manpower Ministry and police announced they would investigate the assault but so far, no conclusion or action had emerged.
Other issues affecting workers that require solutions include the following:
1. A national serviceman said he was sacked by his company one day before he started his annual reservist training that is required by law. There had been a number of such cases and no employer has been known to have been prosecuted.
2. A foreign manager exerted pressure on a pregnant Singaporean woman to resign from her job, something taken very seriously by the government as it promotes more childbirths. There was no official follow-up action.
3. Earlier this month, a Singaporean complained to The Straits Times that his company had refused to pay salaries owed to employees.
During the early years, such incidents were tolerated in Singapore but in modern times, they cause deep anguish and anger.
The two persons who can ensure workers are not exploited are Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin and National Trades Union Congress leader Lim Swee Say.
NTUC has 60 affiliated unions with a total of 700,000 members.
Tan, a former army general, is relatively new at the job, which includes protecting the legal rights of Singapore workers.
Overall, he follows the official strategy of relying on triumvirate (government-employer-union) negotiations to resolve labour conflicts.
Lim’s responsibility is first to his own affiliate members but because of the large workforce he represents, he is long regarded as the voice of workers here.
The expansion of the workforce, including many foreigners with contrasting cultures and traditions, has caused a host of new conflicts that are not easy to resolve.
Dealing with the situation requires special talent and aptitude on the part of the leaders.
What are the prospects of Minister Tan and union chief Lim succeeding?
Unlikely, as long as the present environment remains. There are obstacles that stand in their way.
Firstly, the government has a duty to protect the interests of workers during a labour conflict.
Ironically, the government is also the state’s biggest employer.
The government owns about one-third of Singapore’s listed companies. Its interest is to have a cheap workforce or at least not an expensive one.
NTUC is a trade union movement but it also owns several companies, including insurance, taxis, supermarkets and retail businesses, which makes it a big-scale employer as well.
So this voice of workers which owns a list of big businesses is also a major employer.
When people clamoured for an anti-discrimination law for workers, Lim immediately said it must also be formulated to benefit the bosses.
In his view, a good worker is a cheap worker, something that Lim has advocated publicly.
.
Seah Chiang Nee
Chiang Nee has been a journalist for 40 years. He is a true-blooded Singaporean, born, bred and says that he hopes to die in Singapore. He worked as a Reuters corespondent between 1960-70, based in Singapore but with various assignments in Southeast Asia, including a total of about 40 months in (then South) Vietnam between 1966-1970. In 1970, he left to work for Singapore Herald, first as Malaysia Bureau Chief and later as News Editor before it was forced to close after a run-in with the Singapore Government. He then left Singapore to work for The Asian, the world’s first regional weekly newspaper, based in Bangkok to cover Thailand and Indochina for two years between 1972-73. Other jobs: News Editor of Hong Kong Standard (1973-74), Foreign Editor of Straits Times with reporting assignments to Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and The United States (1974-82) and Editor of Singapore Monitor (1982-85). Since 1986, he has been a columnist for the Malaysia’s The Star newspaper. Article first appeared in his blog, http://www.littlespeck.com.
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Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?154536-Troubled-times-for-Singapore-workers&goto=newpost).
Troubled times for Singapore workers (http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/06/15/troubled-times-for-singapore-workers/)
http://images.dmca.com/Badges/dmca_protected_sml_120n.png?ID=f11d7371-0ef1-483b-888a-04e8d2ba2e94 http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostDateIcon.png?9d7bd4 June 15th, 2013 | http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostAuthorIcon.png?9d7bd4 Author: Contributions (http://www.tremeritus.com/author/contributor/)
Two men can make a difference to improve the well-being of Singapore’s workforce.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Seah-Chiang-Nee-Insight-Down-South.jpg?9d7bd4Seah Chiang Nee
Which Cabinet ministers have the best chances of doing something that will be remembered in today’s troubled Singapore?
In my opinion, it is the Minister of Manpower and leader of the 700,000-strong trade union movement, if they can muster enough talent to look after the well-being of our workers.
I feel this way because their portfolios deal with the largest and most important, as well as troubled, group of citizens as more foreigners arrive.
A nation cannot be well if its workers, including their families, are in poor shape.
Arguably there may be other work that is just as, if not more, important after the population had jumped from three to 5.3 million in 20 years.
But in my view, nothing is more crucial than ensuring the well-being of our 1.7 million workers who are caught in the immigration grip.
If I were the Prime Minister, I would make sure that the minister (or ministers) be given the task that matches their talent and aptitude.
Imagine how history will applaud him if, at the end of his term, workers here no longer fear discriminate retrenchment or office bullying?
Think of the gratitude of the countless families if wages and livelihoods are stabilised and protected from arbitrary changes by unethical bosses.
I am not even thinking of a minister capable of creating reasonable employment or helping workers stay ahead of inflation.
These are bigger issues which require the entire Cabinet to contribute.
That Singaporeans’ living standards are falling is now confirmed. Last year, their real wages fell by 0.4% as a result of high inflation.
(Economists have projected economic growth to drop from 2.8% to 2.3% in 2013. Credit Suisse said, “Singapore clearly remains the sick man of Asean.”)
These are troubled times for Singapore workers, even without the threat of replacement by new arrivals.
A saviour is needed just to stop an increasing number of acts being committed against workers in Singapore.
A recent example was the repeated slapping of a 29-year-old intern by an employer. The bullying exposed far bigger issues.
The so-called intern had been working for two years on a pay (described as allowance) of between S$500 and S$600 (RM1,250 and RM1,500).
Usually, interns are students who work for several months during vacation to gain experience.
However, in Singapore’s current pursuit of “cheap” workers, a number of bosses have been exploiting them by turning them into full-time “interns” and paying them pittance.
The Manpower Ministry and police announced they would investigate the assault but so far, no conclusion or action had emerged.
Other issues affecting workers that require solutions include the following:
1. A national serviceman said he was sacked by his company one day before he started his annual reservist training that is required by law. There had been a number of such cases and no employer has been known to have been prosecuted.
2. A foreign manager exerted pressure on a pregnant Singaporean woman to resign from her job, something taken very seriously by the government as it promotes more childbirths. There was no official follow-up action.
3. Earlier this month, a Singaporean complained to The Straits Times that his company had refused to pay salaries owed to employees.
During the early years, such incidents were tolerated in Singapore but in modern times, they cause deep anguish and anger.
The two persons who can ensure workers are not exploited are Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin and National Trades Union Congress leader Lim Swee Say.
NTUC has 60 affiliated unions with a total of 700,000 members.
Tan, a former army general, is relatively new at the job, which includes protecting the legal rights of Singapore workers.
Overall, he follows the official strategy of relying on triumvirate (government-employer-union) negotiations to resolve labour conflicts.
Lim’s responsibility is first to his own affiliate members but because of the large workforce he represents, he is long regarded as the voice of workers here.
The expansion of the workforce, including many foreigners with contrasting cultures and traditions, has caused a host of new conflicts that are not easy to resolve.
Dealing with the situation requires special talent and aptitude on the part of the leaders.
What are the prospects of Minister Tan and union chief Lim succeeding?
Unlikely, as long as the present environment remains. There are obstacles that stand in their way.
Firstly, the government has a duty to protect the interests of workers during a labour conflict.
Ironically, the government is also the state’s biggest employer.
The government owns about one-third of Singapore’s listed companies. Its interest is to have a cheap workforce or at least not an expensive one.
NTUC is a trade union movement but it also owns several companies, including insurance, taxis, supermarkets and retail businesses, which makes it a big-scale employer as well.
So this voice of workers which owns a list of big businesses is also a major employer.
When people clamoured for an anti-discrimination law for workers, Lim immediately said it must also be formulated to benefit the bosses.
In his view, a good worker is a cheap worker, something that Lim has advocated publicly.
.
Seah Chiang Nee
Chiang Nee has been a journalist for 40 years. He is a true-blooded Singaporean, born, bred and says that he hopes to die in Singapore. He worked as a Reuters corespondent between 1960-70, based in Singapore but with various assignments in Southeast Asia, including a total of about 40 months in (then South) Vietnam between 1966-1970. In 1970, he left to work for Singapore Herald, first as Malaysia Bureau Chief and later as News Editor before it was forced to close after a run-in with the Singapore Government. He then left Singapore to work for The Asian, the world’s first regional weekly newspaper, based in Bangkok to cover Thailand and Indochina for two years between 1972-73. Other jobs: News Editor of Hong Kong Standard (1973-74), Foreign Editor of Straits Times with reporting assignments to Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and The United States (1974-82) and Editor of Singapore Monitor (1982-85). Since 1986, he has been a columnist for the Malaysia’s The Star newspaper. Article first appeared in his blog, http://www.littlespeck.com.
.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?154536-Troubled-times-for-Singapore-workers&goto=newpost).