By Leong Sze Hian
I refer to the report “Measures to encourage low-wage workers to take up training expected during Budget” (CNA, Feb 7).
It states that “Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong has hinted that issues such as making it easier for low-wage workers to continue to upgrade themselves and making the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme more accessible will be tackled in the Budget later this month”.
Since this statement and the Economic Strategies Committees’ recommendations on manpower are hinged on the rationale that more training, skills upgrading and Workfare will help to solve the problems that low-wage workers face, I think a good starting point may be to evaluate the success of the SPUR scheme.
In this connection, I refer to the articles “Fewer in full-time jobs” (Today, Jan 7), “42,000 workers have found jobs after Spur training” (Today, Dec 22), “42,000 unemployed find jobs through Spur” (My Paper, Dec 22), and media reports that 264,000 people have committed to training under the SPUR programme.
Since two-thirds have either started or completed training, does it mean that one-third, or about 88,000, have not even started training yet, after one year of the SPUR scheme?
So, is it correct to say that the initial goal of having 220,000 training places has been exceeded?
Media reports state that 42,000 who went through SPUR have managed to find jobs.
So, how many people are still unable to find jobs, after re-training under SPUR?
How many of the 264,000 who have committed to training are employees, and how many were not employed when they were on a SPUR course?
If we add the SPUR unemployed trainees to the average number of unemployed residents last year, which was about 87,000, what would be the total figure?
How many of the 87,000 unemployed have gone through SPUR?
The above statistics may help all stakeholders to review, evaluate and re-design SPUR, so that its effectiveness can be benchmarked for analysis in the future.
The rhetoric on more training and upgrading skills to help low-wage workers is not new, but it does not appear to have been very successful, given the fact that 401,600 resident workers earn less than $1,200 a month as of June 2009, and after adjusting for inflation at 1.4% per annum, the real increase in income for the first two quintiles of households from 1997/98 to 2007/08 was -1.7 and 0.9 per cent per annum respectively.
By the way, the CNA report “Survey shows Singapore in bottom 10 of salary rise rankings” (Apr 7, 2009), stated that: “Employees in Singapore will see some of the lowest pay rises this year compared to their counterparts in other places.”
Out of 53 countries surveyed, Singapore is in the bottom 10 — at number 43. Why is this so?
Mr Gan said his Ministry is studying if the qualifying period for Workfare should be shortened.
To qualify, low-wage workers must have worked for at least three months in a six-month period during a calendar year, or at least six months in a year.
Mr Gan said: “Having discussed this at length with our tripartite partners, we feel that an important objective of Workfare is to encourage regular work.”
”As part of the Workfare qualifying criteria, we will still require a minimum qualifying period and hopefully we encourage our Workfare recipients to go for regular work all the time, so that they can receive Workfare on a regular basis”.
I think the logic of the argument may not be quite sound — it may not be so much that low-wage workers don’t want to work for “at least three months in a six-month period during a calendar year, or at least six months in a year”, but whether they can get work in the first place?
Why would any low-wage worker choose not to work “regularly”, as the minister put it?
Perhaps one could get feedback from low-wage workers and apply some common sense rather than rely on “tripartite partners”?
In my view, perhaps the most important consideration may be to ask why should a low-wage worker be penalised by not making him or her eligible for Workfare, just because he can’t get “regular” work?
With 328,000 qualifying for Workfare, if we include those who did not qualify, or the self-employed who may have chosen not to contribute because the entire Workfare goes to their CPF making them even more “cash poor”, how many older (over age 35) workers are there in total?
If not for the temporary assistance during the recession, given to low wage workers through the one-off WIS Special Payment, which was given in cash, instead of CPF, will the number of workers receiving Workfare decline again from the 2006 figure of 362,000 to the 2008 figure of 297,000?
Why did a staggering 106,000 self-employed Singaporeans drop out of Workfare in 2007, after just 1 year?
According to the CPF Board Question and Answer website:
Q: Why do Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) and informal workers not get cash under Workfare but all the Workfare is paid into Medisave instead?
A: A key principle of Workfare is that each beneficiary has a personal responsibility to save for his own future needs. If Workfare for SEPs and informal workers is given in cash, the net result would be that the Workfare recipient would not be saving on his own.
The Workfare payment for SEPs/ informal workers are fully credited to their Medisave Account as SEPs/ informal workers are required to only contribute to their Medisave Account and at much lower rates compared to employees. To benefit informal workers, we have decided to allow informal workers to contribute to Medisave at the rates applicable to SEPs.
I think the answer and consequently perhaps the solution may be obvious — give Workfare in cash to the self-employed and employees too, as putting all or the bulk of Workfare in the CPF Medisave account does not really help low-wage workers in their already very tight cash-flow.
You can’t use Medisave to put food on the table — only when you are hospitalised or need out-patient treatment for a chronic illness!
“….Mr Gan said: “Having discussed this at length with our tripartite partners, we feel that an important objective of Workfare is to encourage regular work.”….”
Eureka indeed! This must be the stupidest statement for a Manpower Minister. Does he mean that BEFORE discussion at length with his triparitie partners, they did not feel regular work was an important objective?
As usual, the question of employability for those in the 40-62 years old range was completely ignored. With the so-called “excellent” triparitie arrangement, I always wondered why this issue should even take root in our society, giving the usual official gripe that Singapore don’t have enough manpower. Would employers willingly take in a 40+ year-old worker with upgraded skills in the first place? Mr Gan, pls justify your pay on this issue, rather than running round in circles (well, maybe he do need the exercise).
The recent prominence of TAFEP is also questionable. Does that mean we never had fair employment practises? Why this emphasis after many years of “excellent” triparitie arrangement? Does it mean NTUC was a failure?
“…By the way, the CNA report “Survey shows Singapore in bottom 10 of salary rise rankings” (Apr 7, 2009),…”
Not true. The current LHL government saw probably the highest pay rise for ministers in the world. …And that for a Tiny Red Dot.
My impression is Singaporean worker need better equipment and technology, not better training or upgrading. For example, if you are able build machines even an idiot can operate, why do Singaporean worker need constant upgrading just to use it ?
It is just like a road sweeper using a broom and dustbin to sweep the road, why not provide him with better equipment and tools ?
I think the reason why Singapore employer constantly under invest in better but more expensive equipment and technology is because our emphasis on cheap labour.
Mr Gan,
Forget about all the study committees no matter how qualfied they are – they live in crystal palaces.
Let me tell you what – just leave your comfortable job and home for 3 months, give yourself a budget of S$1000 per month and try to survive on that amount for food, lodging, family with 1 child, etc…. and look for a job.
Then you will have some idea of the plight facing the poor. Come on – have a brain of your own. Stop following blindly the PAP’s line – that nobody deserves a free lunch in Singapore. Thre are needy people who need a free lunch some rainy days. whats wrong with being a bit more compassionate???
CPF, in all its variants eg. Medisave and Special Account, has always been a means designed by PAP to control the purse strings of the peasants.
The starting point is always ” how can PAP be seen to help the peasants while not using any real money” e.g. housing subsidies and workfare.
Cold hard cash should always be reserved for the PAP elites in the form of extraodinarily astronomical pay – that can be splurged on specially flown in sashimi, 6-week French cooking courses for the family and $300,000 celebrity wedding.
Vote wisely, Singaporeans. Most of you are the bottom-feeders in this great Scheme of Singapore.
Anyone read the article by Sumiko Tan -”Why Singapore always need foreign worker” in Sunday Times ?
For someone who have never perform a low income job in her life, is she the right person to justify Singapore need for foreign worker in order to serve her own needs ?
If Sumiko Tan and others like her are unwiling to perform a low income job, want to be “served” all the time, and prefer foreign workers to do it, something must be seriously wrong with Singapore under 50 years of PAP rule.
On one hand the talented and experienced older workers were not given job. On the other hand PAP screamed that Singapore has not enough talent to justify their influx of foreigners. I find the whole PAP logic very disturbing and worrying.
Dumbo
Feb 8, 2010 10:09
People like them who always stressed on low-end skills instead of the middle- and higher-end skills are simply trying to cause confusion and to divert attention. And that is one of the utmost reasons why even the MOM did not or should I say, dare not, define the difference between these groups of FW.
if i am the minister i will also confuse the whole subject since i dont have any constructive idea to resolve the issue.
ESC is waste of time…. example, they suggested gradual increase of FW levy for less dependence on FW …
hahaha ..Thought they already have the quota system / work permit system to control incoming workers? Chinese saying goes ‘pull down your pants to fart’….. haiz….. all wayang.
go to hell la
ApApA
Feb 8, 2010 11:30
Hi,
If even the government agencies are offering jobs DIRECTLY to foreigners, aren’t they lying about creating jobs for Singaporeans? Aren’t they lying about Singaporeans First ?
The whole issue has been a lie all this while. Their so-called “help” is just another pacifier. That’s all.
Hi Sze Hian,
I have been observing a lot of issues raised recently. All I can say is this : That they are simply tossing and turning (like roti prata). They do not really have a good solution to all these existing issues. Maybe they are just simply trying their luck, hopefully the problem will just go away.
If even the government agencies are offering jobs DIRECTLY to foreigners, aren’t they lying about creating jobs for Singaporeans? Aren’t they lying about Singaporeans First ? Are they also trying to imply that these are jobs Singapore Citizens shunned ?
i agree with most comments. at the end of the day, companies are just looking for cheap labour.
In the case of low wage workers, do i care whether the singaporean worker having so much certification and will i consider them over a cheap foreign worker? obviously no. once i employed the foreign worker, i will squeeze him until he is 100% productive.
For example, will i get a fast vacuum cleaner that clean the office at 20% which the singaporean is certified to do but at a higher rate or will i just employ 2 foreign workers? it so bloody obvious that i will choose the later and force them to complete the task as fast. somemore, my assets is limited to brooms and in the event biz are bad, i just fire one of them and demand the same quality of service.
that is how reality works. many bizmen told me when making biz decisions, emotions has to be thrown out. if not, how to survive?
the way i see, just another way to squeeze more money out from the people.
hmm , Feb 8, 2010 12:02 – “In the case of low wage workers, do i care whether the singaporean worker having so much certification and will i consider them over a cheap foreign worker? obviously no. once i employed the foreign worker, i will squeeze him until he is 100% productive. ”
I agree with hmm. The govt has created a no u-turn situation. Businesses here are so reliant on foriegn workers, esp the lower skilled ones, that there is little or no impetus at all to employ local staff who are deemed as more expensive to hire. Increasing the levy will only exacerbate the situation with opportunistic employers or recruitment agencies demanding higher “employment fees” from these foreign workers.
IMO, the only way out of this dicey situation is to implement MINIMUM WAGE. With labour costs being fixed to a certain extent, employers will have no choice but to resort to other avenues to maintain or even lower costs of production, i.e. raising productivity. And to do that is to simply invest in training your local staff and raising the technology know how.
My answer is No, of course, cos our gov is so dumb.
Cos the scheme is for 35 years and above. What abt those earning low wages but r younger than 35? By not helping them, our gov is creating a vicious cycle since they r the ones that need the most help. By the time they r 35, they r trapped in a vicious cycle. By the time , they r 40, they will lose much of ur time already.
Is that the way, the gov sincerely help a worker? at age 35?
Why we have no unions? Our gov sux
“Do upgrading skills and Workfare help low-wage workers?”
Where to find the money to pay for the upgrading skills if their low-wage not even enough to feed their family? Also, where to find the time to upgrade? Will their employers so generously grant them the time or will they turn around and say that the workers are choosy and do not work overtime?
Whatever it is, the FT will always be cheaper, better and faster, right?
objective
Feb 8, 2010 13:57
Have you ever seen low-paying workers working round the clock ?
@objective, Feb 8, 2010 13:57
Singapore in the worst recession ever, and yet our ministers don’t even show any inclination to reduce their highest paid civil servant salaries in the world to a more reasonable level. Is that the extremely bad attitude referring to? Or this is a role model for our workers, in you opinion?
Look at the current batch of ministers — quote “…changing jobs to a higher paying one, yet sometimes unable to cope with the “stress”…” — unquote. Amen. If the rot starts at the bottom, Singapore still have hope; but if it starts at the top, then we are really screwed…..
their MILLION DOLLARS salaries have been institutionalised and it is unlikely that there will be any reduction, at least not when the old man is still alive. Even then, he has openly proclaimed that he will rise from the grave should there be any revolt to his policies.
Their announcement on the obligatory pay cut in view of the receission is pathetic, not least in the infamous words of Mrs Goh – “peanuts”. And with their bonuses pegged to the GDP, which is in turn propped up by the incessant influx of foreigners, that will more than make up for the so called pay cut. For that matter, I suspect many of them have in fact a fattened wallet for the CNY.
“….Mr Gan said: “Having discussed this at length with our tripartite partners, we feel that an important objective of Workfare is to encourage regular work.”….”
This is a kind of a very stupid conculsion is it NOT?? You mean Singapore workers have a habit of irregular work?? Hey – let talk more sense.
So what if they shamelessly help themselves to the multi-millions year after year. It is still not going to wake up his comatose wife, nor provide a miraculous cure to his son’s cancer. The familee LEACHES all deserve it !
I really worry about my future here especially when as i near age 40 even though i am well educated and have lots of experience.
I dun like his kind of sense of security and will want change if I can have it.
Folks,
We may discuss in this cyberspace and throw all sorts of saliva to those multi-million dollars pigs up there, the situation will unlikely to be changed!
The only change is when the whole lot of true blue native singaporeans stand united as one people start to contact each other and start to discuss how to protest, then there will be a change.
It is only unjust laws that we need to overthrown out!!! And we need to overthrown those pigs who dont even deserves those pay. Care to talk to any opposition party and ask them for help, see whether they are able to pull resources and solutions and get the western influences to engage in our country’s issue.
Otherwise , singapore really will have no hope…
Singaporeans would not be faced with these problems if the influx of foreigners had been more stringent and better regulated. Now it does not appear so. You may pretend or feign ignorance or you got it all wrong. You are in politics not to serve the nation but your allegiance is to yourself and the party, in this instance, the PAP – which sadly is bereft of workable solutions. Yes, surely, they (PAP) have indeed found a solution or it seems like that to me that this so-called foreign talent scheme is a scheming way to perpetuate power and nothing else. Singaporeans were used first and now that it is obvious to the ruling govt and party – change tactics lar – use foreigners now. So much for intergrity, so much for principles, so much for consultative govt. All crap and empty>
Let me repeat lar – most foreigners are here to establish themselves economically and only to later move back or go to another country. There is a lacunae in the law that allows them to get a free ‘ride’ at the expense of Singaporeans. Excepting a few, the rest are all migratory.
Many Singaporeans opine that the prospects for employment are dim and bleak cos foreigners are ’stealing’their jobs.
Don’t come up with rationalizations. Enough has been heard from you and the incumbent ruling party. The reasons, arguments and rationalizations and justifications put forth for such a pro-foreigner policy is RESOUNDINGLY HOLLOW JUST AS YOUR PARTY. PAP is nothing more than this – DOUBLESPEAK AND DOUBLETALK.
I suggest you resign your job lar. U seem to have run out of solutions and your desperate attempts to shore up confidence with the LOCALS (in caps cos Singaporeans have been the forgotten and relegated lot) by rehashing and repeating it to the point of delirium smacks of ineptitude and hypocrisy lar.
Lastly, the words PAP has been using egs, like focus, committee, re-building nation, Swiss standards, skills – aiyoh, stop lar and I plead cos it all means nothing. They are EMPTY words. It is being deceptive and misleading the public.
this minister all eat rice waste seeds braindead idiots…
what is upgradin? how does it benefit in a job seekin envoirment?
if the minister can proved upgradin will get an opportunity to be employed and promote faster
how come all the ole supposed to be DEAd minister still ruinin the policies of singapoor?
anybody here needs me to points fingers?
you know liked mdm ho ching..ex-chief justice…useless prata eatin puppet and laulee himself
If i am the PM,
1) Reduce salaries of all the Ministerials’ and Super grades’ by 50%
2) Retirement and social benefits for Singaporeans (on top of CPF)
3) Implement minimum wage system for Singporeans
4) Scrutinise all incumbent / aspiring politicians’ personal asset
5) Reform electoral guidelines & boundaries
6) Be it good times or bad times, keep a constant supply of new HDB flats’ unless a sudden change in major policy like opening floodgates for foreigners
7) Contain the growing costs for small businesses
8) Nationalise MRT & Buses, POSBank, SP (PUB)
9) Open up the books of our national assets for transparency but not to extent of compromising national security
Vote me.
ApApA,
I will vote for you if :
1. Reduce Cabinet Ministers’ salaries by more than 70% and that no civil servants is allowed to own more than one residential property;
2. Reduce whatever grades civil servants by 60%
3. Ensure that ALL SINGAPORE CITIZENS are FULLY EMPLOYED, fully utilize to their capabilities;
4. Accountability of all Public Assets, including GIC & TLC
5. Criminalize all non-essential and non-life threatening abortions;
6. Ensure affordable health care
7. Abolish HDB Ownership Scheme
8. Review all existing PRs and New Citizens qualifications;
Can you do that ?
9. 100% FULL-TIME Members of Parliament
It is a clever move designed by the Government to kill two birds with one stone : (a). upgrading SIngaporeans’ skills so that they could compete more effectively with foreign talents, and (b). growing the country’s education industry which in turn pull the general economy along.
This is far better and much more productive than giving away the country’s reserves to Singaporeans for consumption.
@ My Views
“This is far better and much more productive than giving away the country’s reserves to Singaporeans for consumption.”
Yeah, better to give away country’s reserves to Temasick and GIC to splurge on failed investments
It is a clever move designed by blood-sucking PAP to kill two birds with one stone:
(a) encouraging unemployed Singaporeans to upgrade so that they will not be captured in the unemployment statistics,
(b) using these already down and out Singaporeans to prop up GDP even further as they enrol into commercial courses, so that the ministers can receive $$$$$$$$$$
This is far better and much more productive in squeezing $$$$$$$ out of Singaporeans than other forms of taxation.
Hi Idiot,
You are very clever with your comments!
My Views
Feb 9, 2010 3:18
lol, you sure anot?… o.O
my reply to your
a) you mean our education system over the decades is inferior to the foreign ones? our “world class” education label, is BS? lol…
b) our education industry growing? really? there were several high profile cases where private schools just shut their doors… they did lots of damage to S’pore’s seemingly bullet-proof “worldclass” reputation….
wah, you say like S’pore reserve is not judiciously guarded. “giving away the country’s reserve” seems to imply lax control… hmmm, who got that “ang pao” har?
Aiyoyo
first things is to cut the ministers pay immediately to 80% cos dey totally dun deserves such an obscene pay.. Anyone in singapore can just do their jobs!! So their monthly pay should be $ 30K PER MONTH WILL DO! NOT MILLIONS ,OK!!
IF THOSE PIGS TINK DEY DUN DESERVES SUCH KIND OF LOW PAY WHICH THEY TRULY DUN DESERVES AT ALL, THEN ASKED THEM TO PACK THEIR BAGS AND GO TO THEIR PRIVATE SECTOR, AND SEE WHETHER DEY CAN TRULY EARN MILLIONS DOLLARS OR NOT? IF THEY TINK THEY CAN, THEN PLS GO, DUN BE LIKE A PARASITE AND STAY IN CABINET AND OBTAIN A MINISTER RANK AND EXPECT THE TAXPAYERS , BE IT POOR, LOW, MIDDLE OR RICH TO PAY THEM SUCH AN OBSCENE SALARIES!!!
THOSE BUNCH OF DAFT PIGS DUN DESERVE IT SINCE THEY ARE NOT FULL OF PASSION SERVING US TAXPAYERS WHICH IS THEIR BOSSESS!!!!
DEY NEED TO REALISE TAXPAYERS IS THEIR BOSSES AND NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND! WE CAN FIRE THEM ALL OUT!!!
VOTE FOR NEW GOVT TO RISE IN THE MIDST !!! VOTE FOR CHANGE!!!
by the way, ask those pigs , see whether anyone can compare with our DEARLY LATE PRESIDENT ONG TENG CHEONG? Shame on them, pui!
A MAN WHO TRULY FOR HIS OWN , A MAN WHO FIGHTS FOR OUR RESERVES BY QUESTIONING THE GOVT, A MAN WHO WILL NOT BE BRIBED EASILY BY MULTI-MILLIONS SALARY, A MAN WHO WILL NOT THINK OF RECEIVING HIGH STATUS, A MAN THAT TRULY STANDS ALONGSIDE WITH HIS PEOPLE , A MAN WHO CALL SHOTS, A MAN WHO CALLS FOR PRESS TO STEP DOWN AS A PRESIDENT AND WENT BACK TO HIS ARCHITECT PROFESSIONAL FIRM, A MAN WHO LOVES HIS PEOPLE DEEPLY FROM HIS HEART, A MAN WITHOUT HYPOCRISY A MAN WILL ALSO BE REMEMBERED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE , WHETHER HE IS ALIVE OR IS DEAD.
HE IS FOREVER REMEMBERED TILL TO THIS DAY… HE IS TRULY A TRUE LEADER IN SINGAPORE!! HE IS THE HERO, THE EXAMPLE FOR THOSE CURRENT CABINETS PIGS TO LEARN AND FOLLOW HIS FOOTSTEPS INCLUDING THE MM AND SM AND PM!!!!
FOREVER LOVE TO OUR PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT, MR ONG TENG CHEONG!!!
MISS U FOREVER….
My previous boss told me its a good chance to torture the FWs.
Later he tells me, with my pay he can hire 4 FWs, he then said he don’t believe I can work faster than 4 FWs. I was given the butt.
I have an aunt who used to work as a factory operator. She lost her job due to economic restructuring. She was told to upgrade her skill (learning how to use computers) and so she did. After the training, she was introduced to a job where her new skill could apply. In less than half a year, she lost that job too since the company decided to restructure and leave Singapore. After that, she could not find a job where her “upgraded skill” would be of use. Finally, she decided to downgrade her skill level and become a cleaner. She is now earning less than before but she is happy that she has a job. I guess this is what our dear government meant by helping Singaporeans achieve a higher income.
Asking locals to upgrade, employer employ foreigners which are cheaper, no CPF contribution, medical bill,annual leave,
No matter which side of the coin is tossed, locals will always lose out!
with no legislation for a minimum wage in Singapore, employer will decide pay at their whims!
alamak
elites talk about increase productivity,
just think – china has the headcounts to do more productivity work, correct?
why not look into creativity/innovative (like what silicon valley did; which they can survive so long)
suggest all elites to get out of their box office & start thinkinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
alamak
Do upgrading skills and Workfare help low-wage workers?
They are just using this buying time as an excuse to calm down the anger of those many older singaporeans who are now directly affected by their policy. Tell me, how many of those who had gone thru the upgrading programe did actually land themselves a decent job? all those BS just to buy time for them to get rid of all the angry singaporeans by replacing them with more new citizens who are more likely to buy their vote this coming election, what else do you people think they will whole heartedly looking into your welfare or just for their own interest of their own party.
Hahaha, I am very happy with the way things have been developing these last 10 years and whrer we are heading. Singaporeans are very materialistic, greedy and self-serving, as long as they are OK, they don’t give 2 hoots about the less fortunate around them. Remember the story about the boiling frog!
Maybe now things will start to hot up and enough citizens will be affected to take concerted action. But remember, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!
Truely, I believe that by training to improve the salary of people is only “by name” not fully mesurable unless the government can measure how many people enjoy higher incomes through initatives from WDA. Othere than that, the money just go to the train and to the training centre which only profit through this reduandant scheme set up by the government. I vote for the opposition because the governement is ensuring growth, through cheap labour, at the expense of the ordinary singaporeans. It is time we show them they can fall. I ask all citzens of Singapore to let them know that they are vurneable and there is no “lee dynasty”