At a tripartite dialogue Lim Swee Say cautioned businesses against depressing wages.
He pointed out that workers could and would change employers if their wages fall below the market rate. In reality, however, labour mobility remains a luxury, not a given. For one thing, unskilled and low-skilled elderly workers do not have the bargaining power. Foreign workers constitute another group who can ill afford to walk out on their bosses. Also, the current work permit system allows foreign workers to work only for the employer stated on their work permits.
Labour mobility thus rings hollow in the absence of stronger enforcement measures and reforms to the work permit system.
Ong Yanchun (Ms)
All these statements from ministers and other govt leaders seem to be for show only. Because it is not legally binding.
ReplyDeleteA profit-making company who is dependent on WP, S-Pass and lower-level EP will take advantage of the law, and only follow the law to its letter, no more.
So companies will pay wages as low as the market will take. In our case, the market includes 1.8M foreigners (incl. PRs).
It is the reverse of the drastic bidding up of property prices, whatever the market can take, in order to earn super-normal profits.
Restricting the number of foreigners and having a basic minimum wage is a much better method to achieving reasonable levels of wages for Singaporeans and also help ensure greater employment opportunity for citizens.
Wah! Mr Lim Swee Say fighting for the rights and rice bowls of employees!
ReplyDeleteI feel so safe and protected now.
When I saw my CPF account statement, I feel sooooo rich!!!!
ReplyDelete