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Hire skilled foreign workers to raise productivity: Swee Say
He says labour movement in favour of having more foreign workers
By LEE U-WEN
WHILE Singapore is poised to bring in over 100,000 new foreign workers this year because of the economy's stunning rebound, the labour movement is concerned that this could come at the expense of efforts to improve productivity.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that it is inevitable that companies here will have to bring in more foreign workers to meet rising demand, with the economy now poised to expand 13-15 per cent this year.
Speaking at a tripartism dialogue yesterday, labour chief Lim Swee Say said that the labour movement is in favour of having more foreign workers, though the actual number will depend on the needs and performance of the economy.
'Our union leaders on the ground can see the shortage of workers. Our local workers are putting in so much overtime that it has affected their work-life balance,' he said at the dialogue during the Singapore National Employers Federation's 30th anniversary CEO and Employers summit.
Foreign workers serve two important purposes: One, they act as a buffer when retrenchments need to be made during a downturn. Second, they complement and add value to the workforce, especially during good times.
Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said that it is important not to recruit foreign workers blindly. 'If we keep bringing in those who are unskilled and low-wage, you don't actually upgrade the workforce. This movement towards higher productivity should apply to both the local and foreign workforce,' he said, citing Singapore's aim to raise productivity growth to 2-3 per cent per annum over the next 10 years.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said that while companies continue to bring in higher-quality manpower, they should also think about how to do tasks in different ways so that they eventually rely on fewer people.
Reiterating a point made by PM Lee earlier in the day, Mr Gan said: 'Productivity is about using fewer resources to produce the same value, or using the same amount to produce more.'
Even with the economy in a healthy state and unemployment at a relatively low 2.2 per cent, Mr Gan warned against being complacent. He urged employers to continue to send staff for skills upgrading, especially prized workers, who could decide to jump ship to another company when the economy recovers from the downturn.
Echoed Mr Lim: 'If you don't send your best staff for upgrading during the downturn, when will you ever do so? Invest in them, so they will lead your company to greater heights. That's what some companies have done, and today they are in a much better position to go further.'
Hire skilled foreign workers to raise productivity: Swee Say
He says labour movement in favour of having more foreign workers
By LEE U-WEN
WHILE Singapore is poised to bring in over 100,000 new foreign workers this year because of the economy's stunning rebound, the labour movement is concerned that this could come at the expense of efforts to improve productivity.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that it is inevitable that companies here will have to bring in more foreign workers to meet rising demand, with the economy now poised to expand 13-15 per cent this year.
Speaking at a tripartism dialogue yesterday, labour chief Lim Swee Say said that the labour movement is in favour of having more foreign workers, though the actual number will depend on the needs and performance of the economy.
'Our union leaders on the ground can see the shortage of workers. Our local workers are putting in so much overtime that it has affected their work-life balance,' he said at the dialogue during the Singapore National Employers Federation's 30th anniversary CEO and Employers summit.
Foreign workers serve two important purposes: One, they act as a buffer when retrenchments need to be made during a downturn. Second, they complement and add value to the workforce, especially during good times.
Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said that it is important not to recruit foreign workers blindly. 'If we keep bringing in those who are unskilled and low-wage, you don't actually upgrade the workforce. This movement towards higher productivity should apply to both the local and foreign workforce,' he said, citing Singapore's aim to raise productivity growth to 2-3 per cent per annum over the next 10 years.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said that while companies continue to bring in higher-quality manpower, they should also think about how to do tasks in different ways so that they eventually rely on fewer people.
Reiterating a point made by PM Lee earlier in the day, Mr Gan said: 'Productivity is about using fewer resources to produce the same value, or using the same amount to produce more.'
Even with the economy in a healthy state and unemployment at a relatively low 2.2 per cent, Mr Gan warned against being complacent. He urged employers to continue to send staff for skills upgrading, especially prized workers, who could decide to jump ship to another company when the economy recovers from the downturn.
Echoed Mr Lim: 'If you don't send your best staff for upgrading during the downturn, when will you ever do so? Invest in them, so they will lead your company to greater heights. That's what some companies have done, and today they are in a much better position to go further.'
