<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Pig head minister says NO to reduce FWs</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>teh_si <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Aug-18 11:35 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 8) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>19418.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>To NMP Teo, it is a matter of pay versus the work requirements. No?
Busineses in Singapore must learn to upgrade their technology, redesign their operations, maximise their labour producitivity rather than resorting to cheap foreign labour.
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ST, 19 Aug 08
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>Foreign worker quota won't be eased or tightened
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Kor Kian Beng
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Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said it would be unwise to relax foreign manpower policies now. Some bosses were concerned that tightening of the quota would affect sectors where firms faced difficulty hiring locals because of long and irregular working hours. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->NOMINATED Member of Parliament Teo Siong Seng yesterday called for a relaxation of the foreign worker quota in sectors where firms face difficulty hiring locals willing to work long, irregular hours.
The plea from Mr Teo, who is president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, arose because of concerns among some bosses that the quota might be tightened to save jobs for locals.
However, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong allayed such concerns, saying the quota system has not been tightened.
But to improve the quality of the workforce, the Government wants to raise the quality of foreign workers through measures like tighter accreditation.
Mr Gan said it would be unwise to relax foreign manpower policies now. This is because the labour market remains soft and is likely to remain so this year, given the cautious economic outlook.
He instead urged firms with manpower problems to consider hiring fresh graduates. They should work with government agencies and the labour movement, which will help look for suitable workers.
Mr Teo said later that Mr Gan's assurance will address concerns in some industries over the quota - the number of foreign workers a firm can hire for each local worker employed. It varies across industries. He said companies such as those in the food and beverage sector operated round the clock and found foreign workers more willing to take up the jobs.
Separately, Minister of State (Manpower) Lee Yi Shyan gave an update on the foreign worker situation during the downturn. Among other things, he informed Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) that in the first six months of this year, the ministry handled complaints of unpaid wages of about 4,500 foreign workers.
These violations affected just 0.5 per cent of the one million foreign workers here. 'In other words, the vast majority of foreign workers are working in Singapore, and are being treated fairly by employers,' he said.
<HR SIZE=1>Edited 8/19/2009 2:37 am by teh_si</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%"> </TD><TD class=msgopt width="24%" noWrap>
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Busineses in Singapore must learn to upgrade their technology, redesign their operations, maximise their labour producitivity rather than resorting to cheap foreign labour.
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ST, 19 Aug 08
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>Foreign worker quota won't be eased or tightened
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Kor Kian Beng
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said it would be unwise to relax foreign manpower policies now. Some bosses were concerned that tightening of the quota would affect sectors where firms faced difficulty hiring locals because of long and irregular working hours. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->NOMINATED Member of Parliament Teo Siong Seng yesterday called for a relaxation of the foreign worker quota in sectors where firms face difficulty hiring locals willing to work long, irregular hours.
The plea from Mr Teo, who is president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, arose because of concerns among some bosses that the quota might be tightened to save jobs for locals.
However, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong allayed such concerns, saying the quota system has not been tightened.
But to improve the quality of the workforce, the Government wants to raise the quality of foreign workers through measures like tighter accreditation.
Mr Gan said it would be unwise to relax foreign manpower policies now. This is because the labour market remains soft and is likely to remain so this year, given the cautious economic outlook.
He instead urged firms with manpower problems to consider hiring fresh graduates. They should work with government agencies and the labour movement, which will help look for suitable workers.
Mr Teo said later that Mr Gan's assurance will address concerns in some industries over the quota - the number of foreign workers a firm can hire for each local worker employed. It varies across industries. He said companies such as those in the food and beverage sector operated round the clock and found foreign workers more willing to take up the jobs.
Separately, Minister of State (Manpower) Lee Yi Shyan gave an update on the foreign worker situation during the downturn. Among other things, he informed Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC) that in the first six months of this year, the ministry handled complaints of unpaid wages of about 4,500 foreign workers.
These violations affected just 0.5 per cent of the one million foreign workers here. 'In other words, the vast majority of foreign workers are working in Singapore, and are being treated fairly by employers,' he said.
<HR SIZE=1>Edited 8/19/2009 2:37 am by teh_si</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%"> </TD><TD class=msgopt width="24%" noWrap>
