Tuesday, February 26, 2019

‘We agonised over this’: Chee Hong Tat explains tightening of foreign worker quota for services sector

A number of MPs raised their concerns in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 26), while some suggested how businesses can deal with the challenge.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/tightening-foreign-worker-quota-chee-hong-tat-budget-11291362
 (Updated: )

Ricky Lim
“We should strengthen this linkage,” he said, suggesting that companies that have been shown to hire more displaced or retrenched local workers be given favourable consideration for renewal of S Passes as well.
“At the end of the day, we want more of the S Pass type of jobs to be undertaken by Singaporeans, whether they are seniors, ITE or poly grads or back-to-work mothers.”

“The editorial hit the nail on the head by observing that if we do not control the total number of foreign workers, it will affect the employment outcomes of local workers and lead to socio-political problems in Singapore,” he said. “We have seen this happen in other countries.”
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This will go a long way to ensure that more and more Singaporeans will able to secure jobs with good pay.


This will prevent business from favoring foreigners and not Singaporeans.
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Ricky Lim
Singapore, albeit many Developed Countries all over the World, previously have to rely on cheaper foreign immigrants to work so as to ensure our Economic competitiveness.
Even US do it being one of the most competitive Nation and R&D cap.

But this has bring about the unintended effects - of crowding out local workers and deprive them of jobs.
This has thus bring about Government changing hands worldwide - due to job losses experience by the local workers.

But Singapore in order to be competitive must transform our businesses and jobs - so that busiensses can be productive and competitive and local workers can be trained in higher-value added jobs and earn good salary and keep their jobs.

Hence ITM (Industry Transformation Map) - is the antidote to ensure that Singapore business continue to be competitive and productive, while giving good jobs with good salary to local workers.

And the outcome prove to be true - as for the last 3 years since implementing ITM, we have experience positive productivity growth for the 1st time in history.
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Luigi Liew
Our garmen has been talking about productivity, etc for the last two decades at least.... alas.. still talking at it and not much has improved since they are still harping on this topic.
Lots of hot air... but balloon still on the ground....
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Ricky Lim
Luigi Liew - According to data released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Wednesday (Feb 14), overall labour productivity grew by 4.5 per cent last year 2017.

Productivity index since 2016 (after ITM implementation) have been above the 100 point index - indicating productivity growth.

However, Productivity push seeing results but gains are uneven for some economic sectors - and these sectors will need to work harder.
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Augustine Teo
1 fxxking laundry shop in tkurau rd , how the fk can get so so many foreigners to work under a single shop ? Connection ? Cheat? Corruption ? Clarify
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Shrio Tang
Augustine Teo Phantom singaporean workers
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Chia Leckmeng
Augustine Teo, how com you posted such a question to neitizens on internet. Since you know where the shop is; why don't you direct the quest/ask the same right at the owner's face. The owner will dare not 'bash' you up in such a busy mall. I love to accompany you to comfront the owner, but I'm wheelchair bound. (Unable to physically support, but is a moral booster, by clapping my hands.)
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Eric Foo
What about employment pass holder. The threshold at $3600 is too low and is taking away the jobs of Pmet and affecting the graduates employment prospect. A Pmet with more than 5 years experience easily command more than $3600. Employers will go for employment pass holders
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Paladin Nicholas Lawrence
Indeed.
That is the real problem that the PAP government is trying to avoid, while making it seem like they are solving the problem by declaring in Parliament that they have reduced the number of FTs in McDonalds and Subway.
And since that was such an "agonising" thing for them to do, we S'poreans should be eternally grateful to them. [rolls eyes]
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Paul Tan
If they don't employ Citizens , there isn't much citizens can do except cutting backback our consumption and don't patronize these businesses.
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Ben Ben
dont vote for them..simple..later more n.more affrcted u see..
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Kee Wee Lee
Government has a good calculation. Time is bad. Business down. Less workers needed.
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Ben Ben
cut the pmet foreign workers n not the general service workers who command lower pay n cant fill up by local, again govt dont know what is happening out there in real life. only see statitics..ok mah..figures look nice..😂
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Paladin Nicholas Lawrence
I believe the government knows : )

They just choose to ignore the real situation, and use what is known as a strawman argument to make it seem like they are actively doing something to solve the problem.

I agree that the real problem is not with FTs in the service industries, but the FTs in the PMET positions who are making S'poreans poorer.
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Luigi Liew
You have agreements like CECA that pull hand brakes mah....
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Louis Ang
Totally agreed with Eric Foo, Ben Ben & Paladin Nicholas Lawrence.
FTs in PMET are the one who really took away Singaporean position especially in those foreign company/office.
Many of them from 1960 onward are suffering from the PMET FTs and many became private hirer, etc....,
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Christopher Tan
These blue collar Foreign Talents fill the gap and there is no reason to reduce the quota for the services sector. What is of utmost concern is the number of white collar Foreign Talents, whereby while they contribute to the economy, every job that they fill results in a Singaporean going jobless.
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Paladin Nicholas Lawrence
We had our differences in the past, but this is one post I agree with.
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Luigi Liew
This issue of foreign workers was created by the establishment in the very first place. Including those FTs who take away PMET jobs. Dun tell me you only realise now there will be social and economic issues. Where is your 20-20 foresight? Dun have?
The problem has been there for more than a decade! OMG!
Elections coming?
LikeReply44h
Paladin Nicholas Lawrence
Definitely an election ploy.
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Paladin Nicholas Lawrence
Firstly, the real problem is not with FTs in the service industries, but the FTs in the PMET positions who are making S'poreans poorer.

Secondly, if the PAP needs to "agonise" so much over supposedly doing the right thing to protect S'poreans, then their moral compass must be really skewed, if they had one in the first place.
LikeReply14h
Christopher Bong
PAP government cannot differentiate their fingers from their toes. It is not foreigners in service sectors that one has to cut because we need them like in Food and Beverage, nursing, sales assistants etc.. It is the PME sector that we need to cut but they are not doing so to appease the companies with cheaper labour. They should also review the CECA agreement with India.
LikeReply13h
Kermit Low
Meanwhile, there are so many Fat Cats in GLCs and gov agencies...
LikeReply3h
Jim Tan
Please check on the phantom workers
Lots of old folks personal data is being used tonregister phantom workers in return for 200 dollars cpf contribution
Mom is turning a blind eye to this rampant practice
LikeReply3h
Foong Mun Loh
no need agonize lah........let in UNLIMITED foreign workers also never mind.......the GUTLES DUMBFARKs will still vote the same way.........
LikeReply2h
Chua Lee Kheng
Parliament speeches always sound so sweet but life in real Sgp is sour & bitter!
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Ace Lim
in sincerely to secure jobs for true blue Singaporean as priority, besides reducing of S Pass on service sector, corporate and sme office non-executive adminstrative jobs on S Pass should also be reduced and gradually to zero percentage.
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Mohamat Wahida
Singaporeans need more wp and spass holders and reduction of EPs. Small business startup will need these workers.

Ep dependency ratio is more meaningful.
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Mikey Mikey
Chee Hong is correct. It is not an easy task unless we have an exceptional HR database. I can help design one if he wants my inputs.
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Caroline Chung
For the F&B sector, they are simply too greedy as they expand top aggressively. Certain popular brand can be found in almost every shopping mall.
LikeReply212h
Brian Soh
Greedy? That's business. If you don't have the support of such brands, how can a mall survive and provide to you and I the basic necessity? As you have rightfully said it - certain popular brand...if you are the owner and see the opportunity to expand, will you not?
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Fadzli Rahim
If expansion is done without proper planning and the business end up failing. U can't blame on rising cost or labour cost, u gotta blame on the business strategy. Just look at what happened to Hyflux
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