THE labour movement has urged companies to let go of foreigners first during this downturn. But that call has caused concern to some bosses who can't fill jobs with local workers who have the right skills.
Two of them who spoke up at a dialogue on Friday morning, made the point that in their areas of operation, there was a need for foreigners with specialist skills such as speech therapists.

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A spectacular about-turn by grandstanding Mr Lim SS.

Mr Lim said, "...unless the situation gets so bad that Singaporeans are WILLING to do jobs....who earn around $500 to $600 a month".

Err...excuse me, it is not about S'poreans being "willing" or not. It is about the FACT that a S'porean earning $500 to $600 a month cannot possibly support a family. Foreign workers don't have their families here, so of course they are "willing" (read as "can do it").

Of course Mr Lim must make the private sector bosses happy and profitable.....becos his salary is peg to these very same bosses!!

Stop grandstanding lah. If you are really concerned about S'pore workers, then enact laws to protect us. Enact minimum wage.

The locals in developed countries can work as construction workers in their countries because they are paid decent living wages. Their pay is not depressed by the influx of cheap unskilled foreign workers.

Ironical and illogical isn't it?

How is it possible for a country to have jobs that pays so low that locals cannot earn a living wage if they take it up? Surely, importing foreigners from a poor third world country to do such jobs cannot and should not be the norm? This surely exposes the exploitation of employers concerned and unfortunately with the apparent abetment of the govt, it would seem!

When, in fact, the very opposite should be true - employers should be paying MORE to get these jobs filled. Skills alone cannot be the sole or main criteria for how much employers should pay to get a job done. One supposes that is how the term 'dirty or danger money' came about? And one suspect that too often the employers reap huge profit form taking contracts for such jobs.

Perhaps, the govt and employers should learn one lesson from the current crisis - namely, economic progress should not be achieved at the expense of its citizens who are deprived of a living wage even if they are willing to take on 'dirty' and ' dangerous work, such as in the construction and shipbuilding industries.

Low paid foreign workers live in crowded accomodation, eat very low cost food (just rice and plain curry most of the meals with plain tap water for drink), shower in crowded toilets, work 12 to 16 hours a day up to 6 or even 7 days a week. Despite this misery, they are merely paid 500 to 600 basic wage and with overtime earn about 1200 dollars a month.

I have asked many why they end up in this mess.

Many have told me that they did not know this was going to happen prior to arriving here and were charged huge fees in terms of their home currency (around 5000 to 8000 Sing dollars) for the job and were duped of job offers in other vocations. Only when they touch down here, they realised the kind of **** they have got into.

Left without any choice, passports impounded by their bosses and debt accumulated (due to the fees paid for the job back in their homeland), they force themselves to work here.

As such, it is a matter of fact that no Singaporean can survive the conditions or wages as the Low paid foreign workers.

Is this a first world or third world country? Else, is this a first world country fuelled by third world labour?

I would sum it up as first world country with third world wages for many occupations.

The labour laws in this country need a major overhaul. Priority for locals, unfair dismissal protection, low paid foreign worker minimum wage settings, limitation of work hours, enforcement of humane work conditions, etc, etc, etc.... By merely having penalties or laws for protection of workers with little or no enforcement will only create greedy bosses who look like they are contributing to the economy! Such practices have already driven many of our local talents as migrants to overseas. Surprisingly, many of the foreign workers who come here have also left to foreign lands resettling down for better living conditions and wages!

In conclusion, low paid foreign workers should not be here in the first place! Paying proper wages (first world country salaries) to locals would draw in many low skilled locals for the same occupations and they would contribute and live locally. In my experience in working here in the last 25 years, foreign workers are only hired due to their low cost, very rarely for their skills. Hence the issue of lack of talent or work force in our country has not much truth in it!

So it is just another form of being rhetorical. Wait until work passes expire? Why not stop issuing S-passes? Why not list down the type of skills Singaporeans do not have, or not enough?

ronintan

Well said! I totally agree with what you said, smart guy.

commentator_sc

Well said too!

Well, nice idea, but it comes at a price - who wants to pay?
Pay first world wages and you get first world prices. What you get are price levels like in Europe, and all the consequences. A lunch/dinner in an ordinary restaurant in Europe costs ca. 15 RUR, that's 30 SGD. Dining out is a luxury. Double (triple? We are talking about first world salaries) the pay for employees in hawker centers, and our Hokkien Mee and Laksa would cost twice (three times) what they cost now. Who would be willing to pay 8 SGD for a bowl of fish ball noodles? Makes even snacks too expensive for those now earning decent salaries.
Raise the pay in industry to first world levels and you will see all those factories from Jurong island and Tuas just resettling over the border to M'sia. Gone will be the jobs not just of the lowly paid foreign workers, but also of the Singaporeans working there. S'pore hasn't seen yet the kind of de-industrialization Europe has seen ove rthe past two decades, but it would be likely to come.
Double (triple) the pay for construction workers and up goes the price for building. Who wants to pay 50% more for their HDB flat?
In short, it's all possible. But do we want to pay the price(s)? GDP Growth in most first world countries is 0.5% (Japan) to 2.5% (Europe). The U.S. (4%) has been doing pretty well (with an influx of low-paid workers from Mexico). But S'pore with 7%? Raise wages to first world levels, and expect significantly slower growth and higher unemployment, i.e. much fewer shopping trips to Orchard Road.
Are you willing to pay?

foreignwithalittletalent, you have made a very good argument with more in-depth understanding on the macro environment.
wage control is one of the most problematic issue that concern not just sg but in almost every society. setting minimum wage is easy, but administering the law effectively & coping with the consequences will not.

Singaporeans willing to work for $500-$600 per month? Seriously, I haven't heard such jokes of such nature in my life!