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Aug 6, 2009
Re-tune foreigner policy ker lan
By Kor Kian Beng
Mrs Teo has three suggestions on how to tweak the policy to reduce the over-reliance on foreign labour in sectors where the problem is rife. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
LABOUR leader Josephine Teo wants the Government to 're-tune' its foreign worker policy to arrest the declining productivity of Singapore workers.
Mrs Teo, who is also a Member of Parliament, has three suggestions on how to tweak the policy to reduce the over-reliance on foreign labour in sectors where the problem is rife.
Doing so will force the companies to review their work processes and improve their standards and this will lead to a boost in productivity, she said.
Mrs Teo, an assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), was speaking to about 150 workers of Tien Wah Press at the printing company's ceremony to mark National Day on Thursday.
Her call echoes a growing chorus in the labour movement for measures to halt the slide in labour productivity, or output per worker. It dipped 15.4 per cent in this second quarter, compared with the same period last year, continuing a steady decline since end-2007.
But the fault does not lie with Singaporean workers because they 'have been working as hard as they have been in the past', she said.
She blames the local companies, saying they failed to work smarter during an economic boom, choosing instead to hire foreign workers as an easier, cheaper option to meet higher orders.
Singapore has around one million foreigners in its workforce. About 870,000 are unskilled work permit holders labouring in construction and as domestic helpers.But falling productivity is an 'unintended consequence' of the foreign worker policy, she said, which she described as fundamentally sound.
She proposed changes in three areas:
* One, reduce the foreign worker quota in sectors with stagnating or falling productivity.
* Two, raise the quality of foreign workers allowed in, by setting higher skills standards and tightening regulations to ensure their superior qualifications are what Singapore requires.
* Third, 'reward' industries or firms that are productive with a higher foreign worker quota.
Mrs Teo, who had urged the Government to re-look the foreign worker quota during last year's Budget debate, said she is re-visiting the issue to offer another option as a solution. She stressed she is not casting her call as a 'foreign versus local' debate.
Latest comments
Aiyah! Just another Papa Troupe Wayang, la!
Papa knows that this excessive FW issue will cost them lots of votes in the coming election. So, Papa sent daughter to voice this suggestion!
Next, Papa will ‘cho hoe lang’ (take the goody good role) and say that they’ll fine tune the policy BUT it’ll take time. Then, they’ll drag, drag and drag and everything will be forgotten if they’re voted in again and we’ll be back to the square one! Arms wide open again to welcome more foreigners!!!
Posted by: kampongkid at Fri Aug 07 00:59:58 SGT 2009
wow! suddenly it become politically correct for the GOV ppl to speak against FT/FW, b4 the topic will always get shot down on the media, minister and MP.
election time is near ...
Posted by: millionaire394 at Fri Aug 07 00:37:59 SGT 2009
Don't u think S'pore needs to learn U.S Political System.? It's one of the reason why S'pore has to depend on overseas workforce. S'pore always has to over-rely on it until the city state practices real democracy. U'll see more n more S'poreans will emigrate to US, Aussie, Canada, UK and NZ. U'll see current political system is the problem itself for such problems.. Similar problems will also be encountered in the future..
Posted by: winterko at Fri Aug 07 00:34:30 SGT 2009
I work in a GLC.
My boss wanted to hire a Project Manager.
So I recommended a 40yo local whom I've known as a deccent Project Manager who is keen to move from a foreign bank to a local bank.
Guess what? My boss was not even keen to see his resume.
With Hiring Managers like that, who NEEDS goverment policy?
Posted by: yekaiyao at Fri Aug 07 00:06:11 SGT 2009
It's not just the unskilled. but what about the untrained but skilled foreigners?
They still take a preference over locals, simply because locals are not given the opportunity.
The sad fact is that I work under a local GLC and this still happens.
Perhaps all GLCs should provide statstistics of direct and indirect hire to show how patriotic these GLCs are.
What's the point to outsource to IBM,HP if in the end they hire alot of foreigners and do not benefit from the outsourcing scheme.
There should be an AUDIT in the employment scheme in the GLC sector.
There is NO EXCUSE why GLC should hire foreigners when locals are able to handle the jobs given adequate training.
THe fact is GLCs are not even keen to provide adequate training to LOCALS!
The bosses, CEO, CFOs and top management need to be put under grilling conditions to explain why they short-changing locals during the boom times and discard them during the recession days.,
These so called talent-managers (CEOs,CFOs) ought to be sacked!!!!
Posted by: yekaiyao at Fri Aug 07 00:00:52 SGT 2009
Aug 6, 2009
Re-tune foreigner policy ker lan
By Kor Kian Beng
Mrs Teo has three suggestions on how to tweak the policy to reduce the over-reliance on foreign labour in sectors where the problem is rife. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
LABOUR leader Josephine Teo wants the Government to 're-tune' its foreign worker policy to arrest the declining productivity of Singapore workers.
Mrs Teo, who is also a Member of Parliament, has three suggestions on how to tweak the policy to reduce the over-reliance on foreign labour in sectors where the problem is rife.
Doing so will force the companies to review their work processes and improve their standards and this will lead to a boost in productivity, she said.
Mrs Teo, an assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), was speaking to about 150 workers of Tien Wah Press at the printing company's ceremony to mark National Day on Thursday.
Her call echoes a growing chorus in the labour movement for measures to halt the slide in labour productivity, or output per worker. It dipped 15.4 per cent in this second quarter, compared with the same period last year, continuing a steady decline since end-2007.
But the fault does not lie with Singaporean workers because they 'have been working as hard as they have been in the past', she said.
She blames the local companies, saying they failed to work smarter during an economic boom, choosing instead to hire foreign workers as an easier, cheaper option to meet higher orders.
Singapore has around one million foreigners in its workforce. About 870,000 are unskilled work permit holders labouring in construction and as domestic helpers.But falling productivity is an 'unintended consequence' of the foreign worker policy, she said, which she described as fundamentally sound.
She proposed changes in three areas:
* One, reduce the foreign worker quota in sectors with stagnating or falling productivity.
* Two, raise the quality of foreign workers allowed in, by setting higher skills standards and tightening regulations to ensure their superior qualifications are what Singapore requires.
* Third, 'reward' industries or firms that are productive with a higher foreign worker quota.
Mrs Teo, who had urged the Government to re-look the foreign worker quota during last year's Budget debate, said she is re-visiting the issue to offer another option as a solution. She stressed she is not casting her call as a 'foreign versus local' debate.
Latest comments
Aiyah! Just another Papa Troupe Wayang, la!
Papa knows that this excessive FW issue will cost them lots of votes in the coming election. So, Papa sent daughter to voice this suggestion!
Next, Papa will ‘cho hoe lang’ (take the goody good role) and say that they’ll fine tune the policy BUT it’ll take time. Then, they’ll drag, drag and drag and everything will be forgotten if they’re voted in again and we’ll be back to the square one! Arms wide open again to welcome more foreigners!!!
Posted by: kampongkid at Fri Aug 07 00:59:58 SGT 2009
wow! suddenly it become politically correct for the GOV ppl to speak against FT/FW, b4 the topic will always get shot down on the media, minister and MP.
election time is near ...
Posted by: millionaire394 at Fri Aug 07 00:37:59 SGT 2009
Don't u think S'pore needs to learn U.S Political System.? It's one of the reason why S'pore has to depend on overseas workforce. S'pore always has to over-rely on it until the city state practices real democracy. U'll see more n more S'poreans will emigrate to US, Aussie, Canada, UK and NZ. U'll see current political system is the problem itself for such problems.. Similar problems will also be encountered in the future..
Posted by: winterko at Fri Aug 07 00:34:30 SGT 2009
I work in a GLC.
My boss wanted to hire a Project Manager.
So I recommended a 40yo local whom I've known as a deccent Project Manager who is keen to move from a foreign bank to a local bank.
Guess what? My boss was not even keen to see his resume.
With Hiring Managers like that, who NEEDS goverment policy?
Posted by: yekaiyao at Fri Aug 07 00:06:11 SGT 2009
It's not just the unskilled. but what about the untrained but skilled foreigners?
They still take a preference over locals, simply because locals are not given the opportunity.
The sad fact is that I work under a local GLC and this still happens.
Perhaps all GLCs should provide statstistics of direct and indirect hire to show how patriotic these GLCs are.
What's the point to outsource to IBM,HP if in the end they hire alot of foreigners and do not benefit from the outsourcing scheme.
There should be an AUDIT in the employment scheme in the GLC sector.
There is NO EXCUSE why GLC should hire foreigners when locals are able to handle the jobs given adequate training.
THe fact is GLCs are not even keen to provide adequate training to LOCALS!
The bosses, CEO, CFOs and top management need to be put under grilling conditions to explain why they short-changing locals during the boom times and discard them during the recession days.,
These so called talent-managers (CEOs,CFOs) ought to be sacked!!!!
Posted by: yekaiyao at Fri Aug 07 00:00:52 SGT 2009
