Jewel Philemon, Main Stories - Written on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:31 - 63 Comments
Give us better statistics on employment
Jewel Philemon
It was a warm and humid Vesak Day afternoon. About 40 people had gathered to hear ‘a few good men’ press home their point at the Speakers’ Corner that there needs to be more protection in place for the Singaporean worker.
“Why are companies more willing to recruit foreigners over Singapore?” asks Mr Leong Sze Hian. “Because foreigners have no CPF, their pay can be less. Their women workers will never get pregnant and go on maternity leave. There are less issues. The playing field is not right”, Mr. Leong Sze Hian was the first to urge the government to protect the Singaporean worker.
Mr. Leong believes that it is a misconception that Singaporean workers are choosy. He cites a recent newspaper report to make his point that the retrenched and unemployed Singaporean is even willing to take a drastic pay-cut. “There are currently twenty seven thousand registered Singaporeans who are unemployed. How many are the unregistered? Three quarters of the unemployed are not registering!” he tells the gathering. Mr. Leong says that there is a lot of fuzziness in the statistics released by the government agencies. He asks for the statistics to be further broken down so that further information can be gleaned. For example, he asks, “What kind of jobs are the local worker shunning?” With better break-down of the statistics, the job-market could be better tailored towards these people, he says.
Mr. Andrew Loh, who facilitated the event, provided real life testimonies of retrenched and unemployed people. After Mr. Leong’s call to the government agencies for greater transparency in releasing appropriate data so that the unemployed could be better helped, Mr. Loh read a heart-wrenching letter from a supporter of the event. The letter-writer said she could not come to the event because she was going to New Zealand to be with her children. Both she and her husband had been retrenched within months of each other. Now, the entire family, along with their two children, are contemplating leaving Singapore for good.
“About 9,000 have been retrenched last year; how many of these are women?” asks Ms. Braema Mathi, president of NGO, Maruah. She spoke in support of the women who have become unemployed in this recession. She notes that in a recession it is the manufacturing sector which retrenches people first and she wonders if women were disproportionately affected in this crisis since the manufacturing sector employs mainly women as production operators. She too echoed the call of Mr. Leong to release clearer statistics and data. “In this moment of crisis”, she says “all parties including the government have got to work together on a platform of trust to pull the nation out of recession.”
“With properly broken-down statistics and data, we can create solutions!” she said.
“Where is the police?” teased Mr. Gilbert Goh, the founder of transitioning.org, a group that helps the unemployed and the retrenched. “A lot of my friends whom I asked to support this event did not come because they are afraid of being arrested.” Mr. Goh dwelt at length on “age-biased hiring and said that it is not good enough to ‘discourage’ such practices of the employers, but that the government should create policies which would make such hiring practices illegal in Singapore. He said that he has many anecdotal evidence that workers as young as thirty-five were being discriminated against by employers. “If you are unemployed, the government says ‘go for training’ and if you qualify they give you financial assistance and training allowances; but is this enough?” he asked.
“I was quite disappointed in the turnout today”, started Mr. Ravi Philemon. “But then I thought, perhaps the unemployed and the retrenched have got just enough money in their EZ Link card to go for the next interview”, he said, to a round of applause and laughter. “Although they are not here in person, they are surely with us in spirit.” He urged those that present to take heart in making their concerns and voices heard for the unemployed in this crisis.
Mr Philemon spoke at length on the need for unemployment insurance and drew rounds of applause from those present. He related a recent webchat session he had with the Manpower Minister, Mr. Gan Kim Yong. He told the minister that Unemployment Insurance should be a matter of rights for the workers and that workers should not be dependent on handouts in the form of allowances and aids. He said that Unemployment Insurance gives the retrenched and unemployed worker a sense of financial security, that it encourages domestic consumption which keeps the economy going at an acceptable level, and that it also gives financial institutions the added assurance to keep on lending even in the event of an economic crisis.
The ‘few good men’ may be holding another similar event in a few months’ time.
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63 Comments
some comments:
a) to be taken more seriously, any solution (like unemployment insurance) has to also come with how it can be financed
b) the point of financing retraining is to reduce wastage and abuse. this might rule out genuinely cases, so a short-term solution is to see how to refine compensation policies
c) if the whole point about “rights” is about having unconditioned social support for needy people, which can be a valid point by itself, it is more direct to gather support from taxpayers for such a social contract. no need probes for better statistics and so on, since the intention is not for transparency for its own sake.
aiyoyo
still so many issues on employment,
plus economy not up yet,
and so many high pay elites (dont know do what)
how? man on the street how? daily necessity prices drop? truly sad story…
aiyoyo
It’s heartening to hear sad stories one after another in normal days let alone in crisis time and that no immediate help is available to aide weary folks (drained mostly through time and again rejections on interviews for whatever reasons given) desperately needed help. Some I believed did not even get that precious opportunity to go for an interview after submitting countless numbers of applications. Much had been said about the assistance program churn out by the government. Some may be working but mostly I think locals are not seeing the benefit (unless clearer and more accountable statistics are published to prove this assumption wrong).
I am one of the lucky few that still cling on to a job albeit I am working abroad. However, I too seriously have doubts whether I will get to keep this job if the global economic situation is not turning for the better within this year. I do feel the pain and understand the frustration that our current fellow unemployed, retrenched comrades are going through. I have been there before and that currently, some of my family members, relatives and friends are in this shoe.
Some thoughts came to my mind when I was reading through the summation of this out-door event that I wished to share. While waiting for government to response (GOD only knows when they really will do something to ease the worries of these poor souls), would it work if an event (may be held by TOC or other NGO group) to pool the talents together and set up a startup company so that these people can work on freelance basis and if there are revenues generated, it will be evenly distributed amongst the pool of people? For example; if you are good at doing business consulting, may be a group of up to 10 who had similar domain expertise could join force with minimal capital to setup a virtual office and so on. Obviously, the trust level is of concern but think about it, when you are in dire strait and had faced untold numbers of rejection while looking for your next job, there is nothing to lose with the minimal investment to take chances. Why not take this opportunity to be a little more entrepreneur and risk taking? Strangers too can become friends when you are undergoing the same pain and hardship. Or is this too naïve a thought? Anyway, this is what I planned to do if my job is no longer available to me by end of this year.
Don’t take it to heart if this opinion is not useful to you. I just thought that it is time that WE Singaporeans help each other with whatever ideas that we may have. Good if the government is doing something, damn if they are not. But honestly, these days, it is better to rely on our own than to think that the government is our savior. That will never happen, not with this group of people.
Sincerely,
Observer (SG-HK)
tis not a country but a marketplace, fresh green & cheap come come, what NS? for wat>
Looks like the retrenched are even helpness to make their appearance felt at Hong Lim. They have lost their spirit, their dignity and pride even to declare that they are unemployed under present crisis or they are afraid that they may lost the little allowance that they may get from attending spur program. Very sad, no wonder Jacky Chan commented that we do not have respect for ourself.
whether you like it or not, they just hantam some figures here and there, and they keep changing all the time, nothing new abt this present govt, many of us have already lose trust in them, its either we stay put or just pack and go for good, they dun give a shit to what you people think anyway as long as they keep piling up their pockets with $$$, you think they bother? what can you people possibly do to them?
Thanks for all the comments.
It was true that 40 people turning up for such an event that affected alot of Singaporeans is indeed disappointing to say the least. It does show something about us.
Unless Singaporeans learned how to band together and show that they are united in one voice we will forever be ran down like poor rats.
We hope to do this kind of event regularly so that people can attend and listen to free speeches on a Saturday afternoon.
It is also a good time of knowing others with similar passion.
Meawhile, let us support one another in this down time – we cant always depend on the govt here.
So many happly retrenched go to E2i each day and believe that they are underskills and hopfully by paying 10% of course fees, they hope they can gainfully to be employed in future!
Don’t be stupid Retrenched Singaporeans, the world does not own you a living!
You had to find your own way!
Can conclude Gov simply don’t Trust Ordinary Singapore Worker!
The reasoning is like that
” Has the $600 Job Credit into the Employer Pocket or Retrenched Worker Pocket” and who need the money most?
Ask yourselves, it is from our Singapore Reserve and yet it put into MNC boss pocket with the uncertainity whether they will retrenched in future. But can’t denied the fact that it favour employing Sinagporean but is this Job Credit subtainable in future $600 per worker.
So what is the side effect, if Gov terminate this Job Credit in future, employer will first to terminate Singapore workers resulting in greater Retrenchment in future! Than the cycle is repeat and will bring in foreigner again!
In the potilical scene, there is a term used which legitimises outright misleading information & false statistics; they’d say “SPIN a story”.
Read abt Story of 3 Kingdom when Chao Chao Army was defeated but his keep telling his soliders their are fruits in no far away land to quench their thrist so his soliders keep marching towards the unkowns.
This is the tatic commonly used by politician to create false hope rather than no hope! “Truth is always too Cruel” “The bigger the lie more people will believe”
“Read abt Story of 3 Kingdom when Chao Chao Army was defeated but his keep telling his soliders their are fruits in no far away land to quench their thrist so his soliders keep marching towards the unkowns”
There is a great difference and one should not compare hero with clowns. Cao cao is great leader that respect by his own people who treat him as role model, even his propaganda, deceptiveness. Whereas our Leeders are great clowns who run away from responsibility and accountability and give all kind of half-truth and lies in the name of nation-building where it is actually self-wealth-building. Does our Leeders know that they are living in internet age ? Why is the freaking old man keep talking rubbish when his undigified past has been undigged ?
Cao Cao went to war with his people and suffer together and is doer rather than dreamer, proactive rather than inactive whereas our clowns talk cock and sing song in Ivory Tower, with lipservice and no action to ease the pain of people.
So the only people I can associated with these clowns are QinHui, the traitor that betray his country for personal gain and as a consequence, been eternally condemned. Selling away national assets and pretend nothing happen in City of Possibilities ?
You know what ? I increasing see a lot of people now digging the dustbin for food and
it is funny how I check my job web portals to see that so many of the positions (50 and more in all) that I have applied for 2-3 months ago are still currently reflected ‘Vacant’. Are there jobs or are there no jobs? Are they bogus or are the employers taking their time to pick and choose? Or are they still keeping up appearances to show that the company is still in the ‘hiring’ mode?
Well GKY is a firm believer of loving what you do instead of doing what you love. Love will solve everything.
If he can love his million dollar job, as a low life peasant I should try learn to love cleaning up tables and toilets in public areas just to get some income.
Oops…sorry I don’t even qualify. Those jobs would have been taken up by some foreign workers whom the gahment collects levy from. Why hire me, even though I’m a willing party. Because not a dime of income tax will come from my pocket?
Geez.
Dont be Stupid, some organisations are just testing the General Market.
“Let you had false hope and the posting doesn’t cause much but can collect datas”
Heard of One Company STMicro freeze headcount but interviewing at NUS.
Retrenched and Re-hiring is very normal! Lim Swee Say got No Say!
With people like this link http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC090511-0000015/Some-cleaners-just-not-fit-for-the-job existing in Singapore, it is not hard to fathom the mindset of those who haves and have not. I just cannot believe my eyes. Singapore is indeed no longer that harmonious and caring society that it once was many many years ago. You can imagine what kind of values these people would teach their siblings and the repeated through their generation of people. Sad indeed.
I so wish that people are less discriminatory and be a little more caring towards our fellow brothers abd sisters who are not so fortunate or well of as them. The government certainly have responsibilities to ensure that it does not neglect her citizenry who help build this nation. Yes, FT and FDI may help contribute the growth of the nation, but its roots should never be forgotten. I sincerely hope that people at the top do spare a thought for the sufferings.
I agree with Gilbert that if WE could all stand united, there is hope that WE could possible help each other out of this crisis for good. However little effort or contribution we can make to help our lesser fortunate comrades, I think we should try in every way and form. Be it encouraging words or with small tokens and all, every little effort will instill hope and it is with these little things and gestures we accord to our fellow suffering brohters and sisters that makes us all citizenry in whole and perhaps tWE see a different face of this tiny nation.
Hi!
Ravi Philemon also spoke about strikes. Singapore was basically formed by strikes, but now when there is such an economical crisis, why aren’t there strikes? Why aren’t people who are affected standing up for their causes?
Jewel@18: Well Jewel that is a para-phrase. I said, “When Mr. Gan said (during the webchat) that “Years ago strikes were common. But we changed that.” I remarked that our very freedom was bought at the price of strikes and that the founding fathers of modern Singapore, including Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, rode on the back of protests to freedom” I said that people should not be afraid to protest if they perceive mistreatment. There is a big difference between strikes and protests.
Did we always hear “NO ONE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND” repeatedly on every National Day speeches? If this crisis is not the right time to help the needy, I wonder when will be the right time. Why don’t our govt tell us bluntly and truthfully, from their heart, that they have never wanted to help Singaporean pull through the crisis and Singaporeans have to stand on our own feet to survive and save our govt rhetoric of “NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND” and make us feel like a fool to believe their craps.
I feel bad for not attending but like what Ravi said….I was there in spirit. I am not unemployed…i found my own employment…
It is nevertheless, a good showing by everyone. I can’t find words to express how i feel , but A BIG THANK YOU for all those participants and audiences.
It is a great idea to get something like this to go on every weekend. I am sure it will catch on with people and build a momentum over time.
Cheers guys, well done again.
S’porean workers have been undergoing retraining since the 1997 financial crisis, yet this we are retrenched again and again and again. The reason is simple, but our govt kept denying it.
The free inflow of foreigners and free granting of S’pore PR status must be reduced substantially. Get rid of the root of the problem instead of making S’porean workers cosmetically “employable”.
Another reason for the persistent push for retraining is that a S’porean undergoing training is not classified as unemployed. Yes, this is true.
Whatever statistics lah, fuzzy or not. Or how bad the real situation is.
The most important thing is that Singapore is peaceful. Even a lawful rally also cannot attract people, not to say unlawful ones!
This is the way man, PAP loves it! PAP loves the electorate and the opposition. Without this unique lot (because only found in Singapore!) PAP would not have 50% walkovers, 66% mandate and 98% seats at every erection.
What is happening/has happened in Singapore is that the govt and the NTUC are holding down the Singapore worker while he is being raped by the Employers. When the economy is good, the job goes to the foreign worker, not him; when it crashes, no jobs for the Singapore worker. Either way, he loses. And all that the puppet Labour Chief can do is spout a lot of nonsense and verbalise what is already well known. Basically, the govt carries the balls of the employers and the NTUC chief licks them.
I wiki’d ‘Statistics’ to learn more and here is an interesting excerpt :
1. Section on Misuse :
“A famous saying attributed to Benjamin Disraeli is, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics”. Harvard President Lawrence Lowell wrote in 1909 that statistics, “…like veal pies, are good if you know the person that made them, and are sure of the ingredients”.
”
2. “If various studies appear to contradict one another, then the public may come to distrust such studies.”
3. “(Media reports usually omit this vital contextual information entirely, because of its complexity.)” <— not i say wan hor. wiki say wan.
4. On Misleading :
“By choosing (or rejecting, or modifying) a certain sample, results can be manipulated. Such manipulations need not be malicious or devious; they can arise from unintentional biases of the researcher. The graphs used to summarize data can also be misleading.”
I would like to assume, that employment related statistics comes from acquire info which is tied to individuals. When individual identity is available, the Statistics Should Expectedly be able to provide info about the Citizenship/Pr’ship , Gender, Age, Last company worked in, last drawn Salary, since when unemployed (how long unemployed) etc.
So can we have the breakdown as requested ?
Why not if not?
I feel that by not showing our feelings on employment issues,
many singaporeans could have inadvertently put a nail into their coffin as there is a risk that a wrong signal was sent to ‘them’ that there is no big issue and people are generally OKAY with the status quo.
Lets Uptown the Downtown.
Every morning I turn on my computer and see my savings being deducted to pay and pay the bills.
To 24) white raven
I agree with you that tripartite is like hreesome orgy. Singapore worker is pushed to bottom and humiliated. During suffering, the other two are talking cock and singing song. End of the day, we must rid of this people to save us the torture again. Otherwise Singaporeans will be psychologically traumatised again if pap is re-elected. History must not allow to repeat. Take hid!
To 26) Lynn Suay Say
Of course our savings will diminish, here are the indrect taxes you pay off from your monthly salary:
TC Conservancy charge – how many % of your net income?
CPF compulsory contribution – 20% from you and 13% from employer
6% medisave – another form of compulsory tax for self employed
Quarterly Singtel line you pay whether you use it or not.
Tax on water consumption Tax
GST 7% likely to go up soon if pap is re-elected
Housing loan interest
CPF interest charged on borrowed sum
Than you have yearly:
Property Tax
TV license
Add up all the above and average it per month, you know how much you are paying monthly tax to the govt.
it’s a shame. we have so many new mega shopping malls and still the unemployment rate is so high. thank god the IRs are not up yet
The Leadership is caught in trap they built over the past few decades to churn out sterling economic reports, entitling itself to claim that SIN is ‘ First World’ to justify givng themselves(parliamentarians) ridiculous remunerations.
Shopping complexes mushroom everywhere and foreigners are allowed to settle here to patronize them as the locals do not have the buying power due to economic situations as early as the Nineties. On the other hand most Singaporeans have got most of the durables needed for the home and so the need to consume diminished greatly.
So, we can see that if no foreigners come to reside or work, the retailers will have to close shops, however, when the foreigners are allowed and invited here, the locals lose out in jobs, their salary get stagnated and starting pay gets lowered. As there are no natural resources and primary productions totally wiped out due to resettlements, Singaporeans are swimming in the Dire Strait caused by the Pragmatic Policy of Growth.
BUT, there were huge growth in the remunerations of our policy makers, whose abilities seem only capable of sweet talking and acting cute nowadays.
patriot
My company loss millions and we stand to lose our jobs but I am nominating my CEO for the national day awards. Why, because he called us all in and said that he tried his best and failed. He apologised to all. Now that is a honest man with intregrity which commands respect. Ask the old man , his son and DIL to look into the mirror and answer the same question. Ask him and family to declare their assets, including every politician, opposition included. I feel cheated and many others do too. These people no longer have any morality. Karma will catch up with them soon, very soon.
Get Real documentary on job seeking
We know that there is room for clarity in the statistics.
Since no one owes us a living,
I suggest we be responsible for our own part. Our due diligence – document the job seeking process here whenever we seek job in places that claim to have so many jobs.
1. For each job application filled, get a copy of it or take video or still shots of the doc and ideally gather proof of submission. For example, you submitted 10 applications. Show also the resume used. Contact number etc. See how long it takes. Did you get any calls (even reject calls)? Did you get shortlisted and interviewed? If not did anyone revert to you? How long is the process?
2. If you get interviewed but for unknown reasons, also try to document down, like record the voice chats (over phone) or whatever ways that can properly document the process. If rejected, what is the reason? Without this reason, you may not know where to improve. Is the reason justified?
This can proof what is the Real situation really like as a snapshot of the whole situation.
This takes a bit of effort. But I am sure with so many job seekers , with help from some Good Men and Women, this can be done.
I think 20 documentaries should be able to prove something.
# 31) karma on May 13th, 2009 12.19 am
You think they bother? c’mon if there come a day the whole nation or their system collapsed, you think how many of these these elites will still be around? bet you they be the first to fled the country man!
Thanks for all the comments here.
I think the group who organised the event will want to do thsi more regularly.
A one-off event seems hurried and measured.
Nevertheless, we feel more encouraged if many people – whether employed or unemployed will turn up to support.
It is for Singapore and not for ourseleves when we turn up for such an event.
I am toying with the idea of doing a 5-day lunch time event next week but fear that no one will turn up to support.
Who will come if I do this next week?
Employment status is not guaranteed
Thanks Gilbert for your undying spirit to help voice up for the effectively-voiceless. I mean those who have a physical vocal cord but dare not voice up.
Like the Mini Bon case, where event was held there every week or so for several months, I think this is a more practical way to spread the message.
Allow me to feedback that the timing may also be 1 of the excuses, albeit a lame one, for the jobless not to turn up. As we ourselves may have experienced before, Saturday evenings is frequently used by people to attend functions or meetups or go for entertainment where appointments were made earlier. Likewise, people should be informed in advance so that they can schedule a time slot of say 1 hour to attend HLP talk on unemployment – a RICE Bowl issue.
We know the Problem is in our face. We know there is an issue. We know things can be Better to Benefit all of us. When all these factors exist, if people do not turn up it could mean a deep seated fear or apathy. Or it could mean we are all living in a BIG ILLUSION – it did not happen?? Unemployment is not an issue?
Employment , especially nowadays, is no longer PERMANENT.
To those still fortunately employed, think again.
Like the case of Mini bon boners seeking high and low for someone kind enough from pragmatic singapore to help them voice up to the authorities so that their hardearned money can be returned, I suggest people also realise one thing:
A. We need to be able to help and support others like strangers before we can expect strangers to wanna help us. Mini bonners were lucky that several good men offered their help – for free.
As nothing is permanent. One can still be unemployed in time. We need to exercise the community spirit to emphatise with the needy. We need to care about the people in our society. We need to advance to a state of graciousness. We need to be generous and help one another.
A loyal Singaporean, to the nation only
To: “kkk on May 12th, 2009 12.35 pm
some comments:
a) to be taken more seriously, any solution (like unemployment insurance) has to also come with how it can be financed
b) the point of financing retraining is to reduce wastage and abuse. this might rule out genuinely cases, so a short-term solution is to see how to refine compensation policies
c) if the whole point about “rights” is about having unconditioned social support for needy people, which can be a valid point by itself, it is more direct to gather support from taxpayers for such a social contract. no need probes for better statistics and so on, since the intention is not for transparency for its own sake.”
It is easy to finance all these as pointed out in (a)-(c). I suggest we review the investment strategy of GIC and temasek holding. investment should not be focus on profiting in terms of dollars; investment can also include financing the social issues raise in (a)-(c) by GIC and TH. Do you remember the (approx) 100 Billion SGD that was lost in overseas companies? this sum of money could have gone back to the citizens of Singpapore who need it most and urgently.
To) Gilbert Goh
We need to gather momentum, slowly but surely the news will spread wide and far. As more supporters turn up, the msm will have no choice but to report the news otherwise they will lose out to the new media. I noticed everytime when an event was announced, we expect the whole population to know and to turn up WITHIN A WEEK
For an event to be successful, it must be well planned, publicised across different platforms, not only TOC, have the date pushed back to allow people more time to contemplate on attending, booked their schedule in advance, and let the words spread further with the passing of time…..
I wasn’t able to attend the protest because I have an advance appointment made on that day. However, if more times are allowed, I will be able to attend such event in future.
Take for example, pinkdot gathering, they utilised Youtube, mass emails and forums and bloggers as reaching platforum to the public. Few weeks prior to the event the moves are gathering speed, I am sure the pink.dot gathering will be a success.
I could not attend the gathering but my heart was surely with you guys…keep it up…hopefully i can attend the next one
To have 2500+ people read about the event and only 50 turn up is indeed disappointing!! This is a rice bowl issue and affects/will affect all of us!! Short notice may be one reason. But I think the more likely reasons are apathy (I still have a job so this does not concern me), scepticism (what can such a gathering achieve?), and for the unemployed, loss of spirit (this is futile) and embarrassment (I don’t want to advertise that I am unemployed). For those who are embarrassed because they are unemployed, know that there is no disgrace in your situation because it is not your fault. We all share your pain.
Ravi @19 is right that we should not be afraid to protest if we perceive mistreatment. How else will the PAP take us seriously and not treat us as sheep if we swallow in silence every bitter pill they force down our throat?
Thanks TOC for organising this. I hope you will continue to organise more such gatherings and that more and more of us will attend such that a momentum is built up and our voices are loud enough to reach the ears of those stuck in their ivory towers.
20) David on May 12th, 2009 8.41 pm Did we always hear “NO ONE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND” repeatedly on every National Day speeches? If this crisis is not the right time to help the needy, I wonder when will be the right time. ”
david,
they never lied to us. we misunderstood their words.
if u are a NO ONE, u WILL BE LEFT BEHIND.
if u don’t earn big bucks, or is old, or poor or retrenched, u are a NO ONE.
don’t like it, we can only vote them out. its the only way to unplug their ears.
How I wish Malaysia Kini can share their expertise
39) David on May 13th, 2009 12.39 pm
If only Malaysiakini can share some tips how to reachout and mobilize?
I was not able to speak at this event as I am now overseas. This subject is close to my heart.
I hope that more Singaporeans will attend similar events in the future. We have to take an interest on matters that affect us personally and also on other people. We have to show our solidarity to the people who are affected by the economic crisis and are now unemployed.
So few sing people turned up.
I am shocked.
I am in Indochina and I work and so I just cannot turn up.
Will be in sing in October.
Bet your life I will give you all all my support.
So few turned up and so the gahmen do not take you seriously and think you are all a pack of fools. No guts.
Must show gahmen we will fight till the end – forever and ever and ever.
btw, the speaker used that day will not be loud enough for a large crowd. most will feel short changed if they turned up & cannot hear what the speaker is saying…
hey, a really loud speaker (pun intended) can attract more passerby…
Thanks for all the encouraging comments here – I am sure the team is blessed.
I am toying with the idea of starting a 5-day lcontinuous unch time talk on the same issue. I will also invite speakers to share on specific topics.
As it is focused and spread over 5 days i am sure that momentum will gather and more people will turn up for the series of talk. Hopefully the press will take notice.
Over to you guys…
Singapore’s MP can any how accused Umployed Singaporean of Choosy and they just like Singapore Fish! Keep Quiet!
But if you accused a China man like Table Tennis Coach Liu, you are Dead!
To 47) TrueBlood Singapore
If LBW has full support from PAP to down the bridge after crossing the river, we can expect similar attitude employed for treating Singaporeans. Whether Liu GuoDong is foreigner or local, LBW ungracious and arrogant attitude is extremely appalling. It is hard to trust & believe in our leader’s words now, I am not proud of the olympic silver medal won, it doesn’t belong to us anymore but to the coach. Singapore has lost its spirit and the game through LBW despicable attitude.
> Mr Philemon spoke at length on the need for unemployment insurance
Sounds workable, but it’s too late now. It’s like getting insurance only when you start to need it. No company will one to take up the case. This Insurance should start before the economic downturn.
Might be a business opportunity if it is sustainable and the government or private insurance companies do see it….
There is no doubt about the hypocrisy of our govt.
Govt linked companies are paying millions to their chairmen and ceos while thousands of people, including graduates, are unemployed. Why should a chairman be paid a salary of $8-10 million pa? For what contribution? Likewise, why should a ceo be paid a $20 million bonus, thousands of times more than say the average for an employee?
By reducing such pay-outs these companies can use the savings to give jobs to the unemployed. For $10 million a company can afford to employ, at an average all-in salary of $2,000 per month, 20 people for about 20 years.
The govt is not sharing with the people. The govt is feeding its own selected group.
tbs@50: Please see my thoughts of how unemployment insurance may also be implemented in this crisis here: http://singaporesocialactivist.blogspot.com/2009/03/unemployment-insurance-economic.html
Please support the Facebook campaign for (Un)Employment Insurance: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64680475154
aiyoyo
seems man on the street left behind (on benefits)?
but come tax payment,
man on the street will be “NO ONE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND”?
aiyoyo
its income tax payable time again, time to depart ur bank saving for our high flying (salary) MPs
aiyoyo@54: You didn’t read it properly. It actually says “No one” WILL BE “left behind”.
#56: Please support the Facebook campaign for (Un)Employment Insurance
For this to work, there must be enough employed policy holders so that the total premium collected exceeds the total claims to be made. This is how insurance works.
Why does Singapore not have any form of unemployment insurance or benefit at all?
Using the California model, employees contribute to their own unemployment insurance fund to the limit of six months’ salary. Costs the state nothing, except admin.
A nearly instantly implementable scheme can just allocate six months of current salary from employees’ CPF to be designated unemployment fund, which can be drawn on upon unemployment.
It makes me Sick to learn that the recent Hong Lim event received a tiny turnout of around 20 and that jobless singaporeans have directly or indirectly sent a message that says they are not concerned about Jobs.
Is it because they have so much savings, they do not care about such issues like employment statistics, hiring of elder workers, salary and competition?
But then again, I am not surprised at all because we are talking about singaporean workers.
I was unable to turn up as I was working overseas.
More good years, singaporeans. keep it up.
Hi, I feel that this has proven there is serious problem of APATHY when many have attempted to claim or assure people there is no Apathy. I wonder is Truth so difficult to handle or is there some other motive or motivation behind?
yours truely,
the singaporeans who Does Not consider himself your usual typical singaporean – i feel like I am in a wrong country.
Gilbert,
dont give up easily! keep doing with strong faith believing this is your destiny as well as mine for i have to fight for what i believe in near future for our beloved country. if everyone is apathetic or bo chap, we will be suffering for long and giving the pap perpetual ruling for too long as well.
you make the choice.
#49) David,
let’s be patien and wait for the youth olyampic over and see how they fair the result.
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Uncategorized - Jan 15, 2010 10:12 - 126 Comments
It is affordable – Mah Bow Tan
More In Uncategorized
- Rebutting Law Minister K Shanmugam
- Challenge of communication
- TOC & Talk Politics hold successful Year in Review forum
- “Live” from Post Museum – TOC’s Year End Review
- The Fajar Generation
Uncategorized - Jan 15, 2010 10:12 - 126 Comments
It is affordable – Mah Bow Tan
More In Uncategorized
- Rebutting Law Minister K Shanmugam
- Challenge of communication
- TOC & Talk Politics hold successful Year in Review forum
- “Live” from Post Museum – TOC’s Year End Review
- The Fajar Generation
Again and again, I said this govt should not be trusted for transparency and accountability. They are too afraid of disclosing the truth which is not likely to be in their favour, They fear what the citizens might say about their lack in leadership, their miscalculated policies. Because they have all these guilt & fear in them, all statistics and speeches must be censored, manipulated, played with, to make it look good and innocent, Deceit should never be considered during the current worst crisis, and unethical to constantly employ on the news to cheat the populations. Unfortunately this seems to be the only solution the highly paid govt can do now, to stall time while protecting their already broken images. The workers may not be at hong lim park, but that doesn’t mean they will not rise up in collective force to kick expensive butts out of election.