The reasons why you would not return trays at hawker centres?

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Shortage of cleaners in S'pore worsens after Malaysia border fully reopens​

A cleaner from Perfection General Services working at Chinatown Hawker Centre on Nov 8, 2021. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Joyce Lim
Senior Correspondent

Apr 18, 2022

SINGAPORE - Some cleaning firms are so short of staff that they face having to turn down new jobs or give up on existing contracts because they do not have enough cleaners to carry out the work.
Mr Vincent Goh, managing director of Perfection General Services, said the labour crunch is forcing him to prematurely terminate his cleaning service contract worth about $65,000 a month with Chinatown Complex Food Centre.
Mr Goh, who has been providing tray-clearing and table-cleaning services to 226 food stalls at the popular hawker centre in Smith Street for about six years, said he lost four Malaysian workers when they returned home after the land border between Singapore and Malaysia fully reopened on April 1.
"I also had five workers down with Covid-19 and two more simply didn't turn up for work," he added.
His contract with Chinatown Complex Hawkers' Association expires on Aug 31 but he expects to end his service in July or as soon as the association finds a new cleaning firm to take over, a process that has already begun.
At one point, Mr Goh said he was short of seven cleaners to carry out the work at the hawker centre, which needs 20 workers.
"Currently, I face a daily shortage of three to four workers at Chinatown hawker centre. The hawkers have been complaining about the overflowing tray stations and tables filled with dirty crockery. Some of them used that as an excuse to not pay for their cleaning fees," said Mr Goh.

He added that since the pandemic hit in 2020, it has been increasingly challenging to collect cleaning fees from hawkers, who also cited poor business to delay their payments.
Mr Goh said he was owed more than $187,000 in cleaning fees at the end of last month (March).
Other cleaning contractors who spoke to The Straits Times said they face shortages of between 20 per cent and 40 per cent of workers, especially after the reopening of Malaysia's border, which allows fully vaccinated people to travel freely without quarantine or Covid-19 testing.

Mr Tony Chooi, president of the Environmental Management Association of Singapore, said most foreign cleaners in Singapore come from Malaysia and the border reopening sparked an exodus back across the Causeway.
"The workers want to return home to Malaysia after two years of not seeing their families. Some of them have decided to return home for good and quit their jobs," said Mr Chooi.
While local businesses are hoping that Malaysian workers will return, the inflow is limited now given it is the fasting month of Ramadan, said Mr Chooi, who is the director of cleaning and environmental service provider BNL Services.
Mr Chooi said he hopes "the Government will consider letting cleaning firms recruit workers from more countries, not just Malaysia and China", which will help to ease the labour crunch.

There are about 55,000 cleaners across 1,500 cleaning businesses in Singapore, according to Mr Chooi.
Mr Sean Loo, who runs Shinn Diamond, said he has yet to get a response to an advertisement he placed in several Malaysia job search portals more than a week ago.
"Previously, I would get calls from Malaysians asking about the job scope almost every hour after my job ad was posted," said Mr Loo, whose firm is short of about 20 workers.
"It used to be easy to hire Malaysians. Very often, it was done through word of mouth. I don't know why it's so hard to find Malaysian workers now. Perhaps they have found other jobs and decided to stay in Malaysia."
Mr Loo said he decided not to bid for three upcoming projects that commence in June, July and September given the worker shortage.
"I don't dare to commit as my trade solely depends on labour workers," he added.
Cleaning contractor Tee Kek Ling, who provides services to four hawker centres in Marine Parade, Eunos, Kallang Bahru and Tampines, said he recently won a contract bid for Block 79A Circuit Road Food Centre starting on June 1.
"I had to team up with another cleaning firm so that I can cater to this new business," said Mr Tee, who had lost a few workers to the food and beverage sector.

Mr Tee said he pays his cleaners a minimum gross monthly salary of $1,400 but food and beverage outlets are offering 20 per cent more.
"If I am a low-wage worker, I, too, would jump ship. It's challenging for me to offer more when I can't raise my cleaning fees," he added.
The labour crunch has also spilt into the residential service sector, which allows households to engage part-time cleaners.
Ms Zhong Jing Jing, managing director of Helpling Singapore, said it is tough to hire locals to do residential cleaning.
"Even when we managed to hire some locals, they don't stay long enough in the job," said Ms Zhong, adding that the firm is still 40 per cent short of workers.
Mr Lim Gek Meng, chairman of Chinatown Complex Hawkers' Association, said the association called for tenders to provide cleaning services last week.
The recent easing of Covid-19 restrictions is bringing crowds back to the food centre but "it will be a serious problem if the cleaners can't clear the dirty crockery in time", noted Mr Lim.

Mr Gavin Cher, who runs a food stall in Chinatown food centre, said: "The current cleanliness issue did not pop up overnight or only when the tray return scheme was implemented. When I visited other hawker centres, I find them well-maintained.
"I think Chinatown hawker centre is probably one of the dirtiest hawker centres in Singapore. The design of the food centre's infrastructure and the layout of the stalls, where some stalls are hidden in some corners, make the place challenging to manage."
Mr Cher added: "Besides more cleaners, the cleaning contractor will need to have a good plan on how the cleaning processes will be carried out."

 

[lianbeng]

What happens when I clear the table and return the utensils and trays?
When I eat, some food, soup or gravy may spill onto the table.
When there are bones, I put the bones on the table. Even if I put the bones back into the bowls when I clear my table, the table is already dirtied.
There is also water condensation from cold drinks that fall onto the table.
The NEA is expecting all patrons to use tissues to wipe the table but this is a naive expectation.
Not all patrons carry tissue, and not all patrons see it as their responsibility to wipe the table.
Yes, they can clear the table but will not wipe the table.
From far, the table looks clean to the cleaners, and they will not come over to wipe the table.
But the table is still dirty and the next patrons cannot occupy the table, or have to take out tissues to clean the table.
It is better to leave a clean table for the next patrons.
And the way to do it is to leave the table uncleared, have the cleaners come over and clear the table as well as wipe the table.
The patrons do not have to put up with the hassles of clearing their own tables, more cleaners are employed, and the table is cleaned for the next patrons.


Forum: Over a third refuse to return trays, clear used tissues at hawker centres

We thank Ms Susan Tan Lin Neo for her feedback (Dangers of bad habits at hawker centres not taken seriously, Aug 13).

We agree with her that patrons at hawker centres must clear their own trays and used tissues. As used tissues or wet wipes can be contaminated, they pose a risk to others who touch them directly, or the surfaces they were in contact with.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) urges the public to properly dispose of their used tissues and wet wipes to keep the dining tables clean for the next user, and minimise the risk of disease transmission to cleaners and other diners.

Ms Tan is also right in stating that leaving table-clearing to cleaners is the wrong mindset to have. We still hear the occasional comment that clearing one's litter or tray would deprive cleaners of their jobs.

This is a misconception, and an excuse that a minority of diners use for not cleaning up after themselves.

Cleaners will still have other cleaning tasks to perform at the tray return points or centralised dishwashing stations.

In fact, leaving trays and soiled tissues behind makes their cleaning jobs more difficult. Thankfully, the majority of those who frequent hawker centres understand the important roles played by cleaners as essential workers in safeguarding public health, and do their part to keep Singapore clean.

The NEA has been deploying SG Clean Ambassadors to hawker centres since June 19 to advise patrons to return their trays and used crockery, and to properly dispose of their used tissues or wet wipes. Disappointingly, only about 60 per cent of diners comply when advised by our ambassadors.

The average tray return rate at new hawker centres with automated tray return and centralised dishwashing facilities, as well as a few existing hawker centres with manual tray return racks, is currently above 60 per cent, compared with around 30 per cent for most other hawker centres across the island.

The locations of the centres with good tray return rates are well spread out geographically.

This shows that more can be done to improve tray return rates, and all of us can play a part starting with the hawker centre that we patronise.

We urge everyone to work with the NEA to take greater ownership of our hawker centres, to help maintain the clean and hygienic environment of our community dining rooms.

Andrew Low
Director, Hawker Centres Division
National Environment Agency

lianbeng says it's the table cleaner's job mah!

 

[plzhelpme]

Sinkies need to learn to not eat like pigs. Keep the table and tray as clean as possible, so that clean up is quick and easy.

KNN

Chao Turtle can say that
Pigs are more civilised in eating.

You watch a family with brats and observe how dirty that table will be.

 

[blissquek]

This is another example of an overreaching totalitarian shithole govt.

'Ambassadors' were originally social distancing enforcers, but somehow along the way some NEA bureaucrat has decided to hijack that for its public sanitation agenda.

A bloated govt is not only inefficient, it has to constantly stir shit or invent things to do to justify its own existence. Case in point: UNESCO 'hawker culture' bid. Your taxpayer money is paying for this nonsense.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Gustavo Fring
Apr 11, 2022

Amoy Street Food Centre's tray return station overflows, nearby tables and seats seen inundated with used plates and utensils​

Cleaning auntie was almost near breaking point, constantly screaming at patrons to dump their shit just about anywhere and get lost. For every tray she cleared from the station, another three or four arrived the next moment. Hurrah for PAP's epically disastrous tray return legislation.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Gustavo Fring
May 7, 2022

All tray return stations @ PLQ Kopitiam full, only one cleaner on duty​

 

[LexLuthor]

The birds in the surrounding love this new arrangement. Now they have a centralized spot to hunt for food and no longer have to pick up crumbs on the tables.

 

[tobelightlight]

This is suggest by a minister? This is the type of caliber of minister in Singapore. A total waste of taxpayers money.

 

[LexLuthor]

This is suggest by a minister? This is the type of caliber of minister in Singapore. A total waste of taxpayers money.

It's a cost-cutting measure masked as "gracefulness". If the cleaners are not required to collect trash from table to table, then they should now be stationed at the tray collection area to ensure that there will always be space for people to return the trays. This is what IKEA has been doing since its inception. However, it seems that they have done away with the cleaners as well, and this is why the tray return area is what it is now - a mountain of trash !

Clearly, the objective is not to "train" the sheep to be graceful, but to increase the bottom line profitability by having the customers replace the cleaners.

 

[laksaboy]

This is suggest by a minister? This is the type of caliber of minister in Singapore. A total waste of taxpayers money.

Well, their boss is a piece of shit, a typical 官二代 riding on his daddy's coattails, running the cuntry since 2004. Don't expect the minions to outshine their nincompoop boss.

 

[tobelightlight]

Well, their boss is a piece of shit, a typical 官二代 riding on his daddy's coattails, running the cuntry since 2004. Don't expect the minions to outshine their nincompoop boss.

I don't put back trays unless i want to or like that place enough to do so. This sort of thing is by free will, not be force or law. This is not a school.
Be default, i never put back trays and cutlery and will not do so at all. I simply do not care. i am here to eat, not to clean the crap for you.

If it is like Ikea, mcd or burger king, i respect the western culture for that so i join in the fun.

Not sg, sg do not have the culture of putting back tray. Minister cannot manage based on culture and comfortable habits of people, they should not be in the job at all. using force on trivial things like this will backfired bad.

 

[batman1]

Assign Amy Khor at the Tray Return Point.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Make cleaner job more attractive​

May 18, 2022

The easing of Covid-19 safe management measures in Singapore has led to more customers dining at foodcourts and hawker centres.
Recently, when I was at a hawker centre in Sengkang and a foodcourt in VivoCity, I saw that a lack of workers at both places had led to tall stacks of dirty plates and trays.
Given the foreign manpower crunch, the situation at our hawker centres and foodcourts is going to get bleaker.
Steps should be taken to make the cleaners' job more attractive to groups such as seniors.
More welfare perks could be introduced to enhance the package, such as giving cleaners one free meal from any stall on a day that they are working or giving them discount vouchers when they fulfil a certain period of service.

Chia Eu Foong

 

[Confuseous]

Don't know why they publish crap letters in FORUM page everyday.

 

[LexLuthor]

Forum: Make cleaner job more attractive​

May 18, 2022

The easing of Covid-19 safe management measures in Singapore has led to more customers dining at foodcourts and hawker centres.
Recently, when I was at a hawker centre in Sengkang and a foodcourt in VivoCity, I saw that a lack of workers at both places had led to tall stacks of dirty plates and trays.
Given the foreign manpower crunch, the situation at our hawker centres and foodcourts is going to get bleaker.
Steps should be taken to make the cleaners' job more attractive to groups such as seniors.
More welfare perks could be introduced to enhance the package, such as giving cleaners one free meal from any stall on a day that they are working or giving them discount vouchers when they fulfil a certain period of service.

Chia Eu Foong

They should start a diploma course in crap polytechnics like Nanyang and Temasek dedicated to cleaning. The poly graduates will then be awarded "Diploma in Public Hygiene" and jobs at the cleaning sector will be be available to these poly graduates. There should be a module dedicated to returning of trays, and these diploma holders will have the right to enforce tray returns at hawker centers. In order to run a hawker center, the owner of the hawker center must employ at least 3 of such diploma holders, without which you will not be granted license to run a hawker center.

This will raise the profile of cleaning jobs.

 

[tobelightlight]

I just ate at a coffeeshop and totally leave the tray behind. Come and arrest me then. I will keep doing it all the time.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Your Picture: Visible lack of cleaning manpower at hawker centre​

The writer saw a full tray return area at a Geylang Bahru hawker centre. PHOTO: HO SEE CHEK


SEP 29, 2022

I was at a hawker centre in Geylang Bahru on Monday, and saw that the tray return area was full and not being cleared quickly enough.
I wonder if this lack of manpower to clear the area is due to the cost of foreign worker levies and the need to meet foreign worker quotas.
This is not the clean and organised Singapore that I know.

Ho See Chek

 

[rushifa666]

Pig sinkie want to make elderly jobless. Pig sinkie should be made to lick the floor clean also

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Maxwell Road food centre dinner time

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Many food centres are dirty due to lack of cleaners​

DEC 3, 2022

Since the rule requiring customers to return their trays after finishing their meals at hawker centres, foodcourts and coffee shops kicked in, the state of cleanliness at these eateries has deteriorated.
Food establishments seem to have cut back on cleaners. Many have only one or two cleaners, who are usually elderly and move slowly. And at places that do have enough cleaners, I often see them chatting away instead of cleaning tables.
Tables are not cleaned properly, if at all. Dirty trays are being reused without first being cleaned, and utensils are simply dipped in water and not scrubbed. At one coffee shop, I was served tea in a cup that had a lipstick stain.
The National Environment Agency should conduct random checks at food centres in Singapore, instead of waiting for customers to complain before taking action. More cleaning staff should be hired, and there should be guidelines on how many cleaners are needed based on the size of the food centre.
Dirty food establishments should receive large fines.
Singapore must get its act together quickly before we become known for having dirty food centres.

Wee Gim Leong