NTUC Chief Lim Swee Say
LABOUR chief Lim Swee Say wants companies to put Singaporeans at the end of the queue when shrinking the number of their rank and file workers. Mr Lim believes the way to go in the current downturn is for firms to let non-Singaporeans go first, by not renewing the contracts and work permits of their foreign workers. ( Straits Times – 5 Dec 2008 )
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
If we just send away the foreign workers now, it will do us harm. For example – companies which are already in difficulty and they hire half foreign workers and half Singaporeans and you tell them that foreign workers must go out. And when you take Singaporeans, his cost will go up and the company may close. And if the company closes, even the half who have jobs may lose their jobs. ( Lee Hsien Loong, 8 Nov 2008, CNA )
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Haha, we shouldn’t speculate too much on that, even though it is a very attractive idea
me; You sure make voters threatened and worry.
puppy.
In my opinion, I say not the PM or the Labour Chief yet. I say the Finance minister need to be changed immediately. We had a huge unexpected surplus one year meaning overcharging citizens and a huge unexpected deficit in another. Our recent economic policies to weather the downturn are very reactive and nothing come across as possibly effective. Without strong leadership in our Finance, I will say more jobs will be lost and both Singaporeans and Non-Singaporeans will be affected. A lot of SMEs will be closed down during this downturn and many MNCs will move out of Singapore if nothing extraordinary is done now.
I think we should not talk about retrenching the PM or Labour Chief lah…
If they are deadwood, so is the rest in the cabinet.
So I propose we mandate that half of all their salaries to be put in a sinking fund to help the poor and retrenched in Singapore.
We also mandate that the fund cannot be used for any investment in high risk structured products.. This is very important.
I would also propose that for every dollar lost in GIC and Temasick’s investments, a same dollar is put into the fund as well. This will ensure Ms Ho invests the nation’s funds wisely. Even if she lose, as often as she does, the people of Singapore will still gain.
[i]me on December 13th, 2008 10.26 pm has anyone ever wondered?
Let’s say the elections is in 2009. and that people are really unhappy with the government and we throw the important people out of office, for eg PM Lee, MM Lee, SM Goh and some of their ministers. What is going to happen to their positions?
do thailand have leekuanyews and sons?
do malaysia have marborougtans and limsiahedsuayed?
do you see either of this two giant countries went bankrupt
or tanks running the streets of bangkok and kulua lunper?
yes or no will do
is africa a bankrupt nations?
101) me on December 13th, 2008 10.26 pm
has anyone ever wondered?
Let’s say the elections is in 2009. and that people are really unhappy with the government and we throw the important people out of office, for eg PM Lee, MM Lee, SM Goh and some of their ministers. What is going to happen to their positions? Is SAF going to be called in? just wondering. any answers please? thanks!
Of course the SAF will be called in when they know that they are losing all the support from the people, what else do you expect them to do? to say its OK people, since you do not favour us anymore, we will now step down and make way for the new party to take over? you think they will just hand over the key to the golden vault and forego all their $million salaries so easily? THINK! this is politics.
I think it will only happen after LKY passes on.
LKY is the only person who clings on to singapore for power and glory.
The other ministeres won’t care a hoot about Singapore’s future.
They will probably take all their monies and run road.
Not possible? it’s happening everywhere .
Hi Blind Man,
Have welfare for those afftected.
Have a minimum wage
Those affected will also have a certain level of medical coverage if required
I have suggested for the longest time that the govt ought to look at releasing part of our CPF in such troubled times. Even a 1% or 2% return might be good enough for us to tie over.
This is good because:
1. it encourages one to be gainfullly employed during good times so that when trouble comes there is more in one’s account, which equals to a higher amount, that can be returned to them.
2. it ends all govt handouts that use monies from our National reserves. These are our own monies and we will be looking after ourselves instead.
3. we reap what we sow from our own hardworks.
I also suggested that this be a periodic exercise at say, every 5 years interval. A working adult from say, age 25 yrs onward will be paid this percentage sum every 5 years at 30, 35, 40 years etc. until his retirement.
Is this so hard to do? Are there any downside to such a scheme? Will it make a huge difference to what goes into our National Reserves or CPF board? The answers to these questions IS very clear; No.
But how much can each one of us gain from this? Immeasurable.
Hi me,
Let’s say the elections is in 2009. and that people are really unhappy with the government and we throw the important people out of office, for eg PM Lee, MM Lee, SM Goh and some of their ministers.
This used to be the common threat issued by the PAP at past elections. LKY had used it. GCT had used it. LHL had used it. So you see, the question had been raised before.
However, the people of Singapore ought to take some time to ponder over such a question and find the answer themselves. So far we have heard from the PAP on how detrimental this would be for Singapore. They have managed to use this to worry some Singaporeans. They argued that even if one good Minister is lost in a election, Singapore would suffer for it because good men are hard to come by. What utter rubbish!
I have spoken also about something I called the ‘Fandi Ahmad Syndrome’ in another thread here in TOC titled: ‘Current system lacks accountability’, post #105. Basically, we need to dare to let go and not cling to things that we know have not worked they way we wanted them to work, or, have outlived their usability. Some call it ‘deadwood’.
Coming back to the question. I believe we will see a lot of unusual things happening behind the scene if such a scenario, as described by you, were to be played out. One thing for sure is, you will see the immediate proposal to make constitutional amendments to pave the way for the immediate return of these ousted big guns. By-elections will be called in ‘safe’ zones where junior MPs will be forced to step down so that these by-elections could be called. These big Ms will make their way back one way or another.
You know what, even before we get to what I have described above, I believe without the slightest doubt this PAP govt will resort to foul play to ensure these big guns do not lose any elections they stand in. It is unthinkable and inconceivable – to them, the PAP.
Military involvement? Anything is a possibility when you have a desperate PAP.
being No.1 never last long…………when comes to Recession the No. 1 becomes
ZERO!!!
smart companies resort to closing down and retrenching staff whole sale, retail…..and months down the road, a new company is set up and new recruits in place doing the same stuff!
why would the mental1 @ the aged of near 90
needs to earn more than $100,000/month?
just to ensure his coffin is packed with dollar$ bill$?
do our grandfathers even earned $100/month alone?
@ the same aged as laulee?
Dear all,
This is my actual name. I’m affected a week ago. I have 4 people to support (Mother 80, Son, Wife Preg 6 months).
All the help currently i’m seeing is for entry level persons. How about helping middle mgrs affected like me?
Thanks,
Kind Regards
Dhana
Dear all,
I’m Singaporean. I’m affected a week ago. I have 4 people to support (Mother 80, Son, Wife Preg 6 months).
All the help currently i’m seeing is for entry level persons. How about helping middle mgrs affected like me?
Thanks,
Kind Regards
Dhana
The government had indeed put in much afford to help in preventing retrenchment( eg SPURS, easiler loan,urge company to put retrenchment as its last resort) but really in actual fact how much does it really help??
Companies that have the intention to retrench will still go ahead of the exercise in spite of all the benefit that they will going to get from the government.
My thinking is that the best way to prevent massive layoff is to rewards with a package ( should be reasonably attractive)to those companies that are affected by this downturn but do their part in lowering cost but not retrenching. This package should come from the budget 2009 that is going to announce soon. Hopefully my suggestion can be consider…
This also need to debate?? Wasting time. Of course, we retrench foreigners and PRs lah. We should aim to retrench these people working in the PMET group, since it is this group of people who are fighting with singaporeans for jobs. Usually, these group of people hold a position with a salary of at least SGD2000 which is sufficient for them to lead a wealthy life back in their hometown such as Malaysia, Mynnmar and China. Looking forward for these foreigners and PRs to leave my Laboratory…
Employers got employees to solve problems, but we sg paid several millions to our millionairs party with no solution, but only asked s’porean to bite bullets, CPf cut, wages reduce, job loss, then they imported more foreigners here to depleted ours wages to accerated their GDP, profit huge return, answerable to shareholders( but infact they themselve, cos bigger investor). Recent, Union cheapo wanted cheaper, better, faster. Why are they paying world highest salary with less than 4 millions populations(excluded foreigners) in this small red dot tiny city. Shame on them!