Manual workers should be better paid

The garbage truck passed my house. It was manned by foreign workers.

I wonder - if the wages for garbage collectors is $2,000 a month plus CPF, there could be some Singaporeans who are willing to take up this job.

And it does not mean that the consumers have to pay more for garbage collection. Already, consumers are paying a lot to the town council and to the government. The higher wages could mean that the surplus of the town council and the government is slightly reduced, and it does not mean higher cost for consumers.

If locals are willing to take up this types of manual work for higher wages, there will be more employment opportunities, especially for those who are not well educated. We need some of these types of people in our society. Many of our forefathers who came from China or India had to do manual work.

If our manual workers are well paid, they will be able to raise a family and be able to consume, leading to a more robust domestic economy.

We need to change our prejudice against certain kinds of jobs, and have a more balanced economy.

Tan Kin Lian