This was supposed to be the main news of the day if not for the Indonesian bombing
I think Singaporeans should take this very seriously and ask what can be done to stay employed, including changing attitude and be less fussy
Really as an employer, I want to say this. Don't be fussy and picky and there will always be job
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC090718-0000075/Thousands-to-face-the-axe
Thousands to face the axe
Many firms making retrenchment plans, looking at shorter work weeks
by Leong Wee Keat 05:55 AM Jul 18, 2009
THE economy grew 20 per cent in the second quarter and the number of lay-offs fell by two-thirds from the first quarter, yet the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has sounded a warning about the next two quarters, based on several signs.
For one: It has received retrenchment notifications from companies for a range of "few hundreds to thousands" of workers, mainly in the manufacturing sector, said NTUC industrial relations director Cham Hui Fong.
Some companies have told NTUC they would axe workers within months, while others are planning for future retrenchment either due to the bleak economic outlook or business re-restructuring, said secretary-general Lim Swee Say.
Companies are also uncertain about demand in the months ahead, noted Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, giving the labour movement's mid-year update on Friday.
In the electronics sector, firms have their order books filled until September, but expect a drop in sales from October.
Companies in the machinery industry said demand remains "very low" with "drastic drops" in orders. The situation is worse for those in the plastics sector: New orders are not coming in for after August, some are expecting losses, and more severe cost-cutting steps have been implemented.
General Secretary Tan Chai Kun of the Metal Industries Workers Union told 938LIVE that 200 to 300 of his 22,000 members could be let go soon, and 10 more companies are looking at shorter work weeks.
"The numbers are not big because the companies are already very lean, but still there'll be retrenchments.
"Some companies informed us in June that for the next few months, they'll have some restructuring. And some say the orders are not there, so they intend to start the shorter work weeks."
Some 6,150 workers in the unionised sector - 4,744 in the first quarter and 1,406 in the second - were retrenched in the first half.
Of these, 29 per cent were aged 50 and above, or 13 percentage points higher than during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998. This is a reflection of an ageing workforce, said NTUC.
One bright spot was in the services sector as fewer workers were retrenched compared to 1998. This could be due to previous manpower shortages and employers holding onto their staff in anticipation of competition for manpower from the two Integrated Resorts, said Mr Lim.
In the first six months of this year, NTUC assisted 3,212 retrenched Singaporean and Permanent Residents - half those laid off, as the other half were mostly foreigners - with employment advice and counselling, retraining and reskilling, and job matching and placement.
While earlier re-training efforts emphasised employability and functional training, Mr Lim said greater emphasis would now be on developing increasing capability to allow workers and companies "to make the quantum leap".
I think Singaporeans should take this very seriously and ask what can be done to stay employed, including changing attitude and be less fussy
Really as an employer, I want to say this. Don't be fussy and picky and there will always be job
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC090718-0000075/Thousands-to-face-the-axe
Thousands to face the axe
Many firms making retrenchment plans, looking at shorter work weeks
by Leong Wee Keat 05:55 AM Jul 18, 2009
THE economy grew 20 per cent in the second quarter and the number of lay-offs fell by two-thirds from the first quarter, yet the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has sounded a warning about the next two quarters, based on several signs.
For one: It has received retrenchment notifications from companies for a range of "few hundreds to thousands" of workers, mainly in the manufacturing sector, said NTUC industrial relations director Cham Hui Fong.
Some companies have told NTUC they would axe workers within months, while others are planning for future retrenchment either due to the bleak economic outlook or business re-restructuring, said secretary-general Lim Swee Say.
Companies are also uncertain about demand in the months ahead, noted Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, giving the labour movement's mid-year update on Friday.
In the electronics sector, firms have their order books filled until September, but expect a drop in sales from October.
Companies in the machinery industry said demand remains "very low" with "drastic drops" in orders. The situation is worse for those in the plastics sector: New orders are not coming in for after August, some are expecting losses, and more severe cost-cutting steps have been implemented.
General Secretary Tan Chai Kun of the Metal Industries Workers Union told 938LIVE that 200 to 300 of his 22,000 members could be let go soon, and 10 more companies are looking at shorter work weeks.
"The numbers are not big because the companies are already very lean, but still there'll be retrenchments.
"Some companies informed us in June that for the next few months, they'll have some restructuring. And some say the orders are not there, so they intend to start the shorter work weeks."
Some 6,150 workers in the unionised sector - 4,744 in the first quarter and 1,406 in the second - were retrenched in the first half.
Of these, 29 per cent were aged 50 and above, or 13 percentage points higher than during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998. This is a reflection of an ageing workforce, said NTUC.
One bright spot was in the services sector as fewer workers were retrenched compared to 1998. This could be due to previous manpower shortages and employers holding onto their staff in anticipation of competition for manpower from the two Integrated Resorts, said Mr Lim.
In the first six months of this year, NTUC assisted 3,212 retrenched Singaporean and Permanent Residents - half those laid off, as the other half were mostly foreigners - with employment advice and counselling, retraining and reskilling, and job matching and placement.
While earlier re-training efforts emphasised employability and functional training, Mr Lim said greater emphasis would now be on developing increasing capability to allow workers and companies "to make the quantum leap".
