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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Hiring woes: Blame fussy S'porean job seekers
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to the letters last Saturday by Mr Kang Kee Beng ('Hiring local') and Mr Richard Wong ('Staffing dilemma'). I have had similar experiences when it comes to hiring Singaporeans for some of my projects.
Looking at the unemployment figures, it is easy to say that Singaporeans cannot find jobs and that job vacancies have been taken up by foreign workers, or that local firms prefer to employ foreign workers. However, Singaporeans do not understand the difficulties that local firms face.
First, the salary package that the companies offer is not acceptable to Singaporeans. For example, few Singaporeans will accept a job that pays $800 per month for a daily eight-hour shift, even though this is the best that the firms can offer if they are to remain viable.
Second, most labour-intensive industries, such as construction, cleaning, food and beverage and landscaping, require a lot of workers to run. These jobs require workers who are physically fit and willing to endure hardship. Many Singaporeans will not even consider taking up such jobs. So, local firms have no choice but to turn to foreign workers.
The authorities have decided to increase the hiring quota for Singaporeans before local firms can employ foreign workers. But the authorities should realise that Singaporeans are too choosy when it comes to jobs. Increasing the quota will not solve the unemployment problem. Instead, it hurts labour-intensive businesses.
Entrepreneurs who have just started their businesses will stand no chance of breaking into their respective industries as they must employ more Singaporeans in order to meet the quota to hire foreign workers.
The authorities should educate Singaporeans to take up jobs that they now shun.
Jobs are always available in Singapore and local firms are more than happy to hire Singaporeans, but our people need to change their mindset.
The authorities are cracking down on the practice of hiring 'phantom' workers and illegal deployments. I applaud such moves to clean up the industry, but I am puzzled why the authorities decided to take action only recently, when such practices have been going on for some time.
If the authorities cannot come up with a solution to the problems faced by companies here, then more and more of them may resort to such illegal practices.
=> What are the other cost components? Who are responsible for them being sky high while being the BEST PAID in the world?
Gan Leng Chye
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to the letters last Saturday by Mr Kang Kee Beng ('Hiring local') and Mr Richard Wong ('Staffing dilemma'). I have had similar experiences when it comes to hiring Singaporeans for some of my projects.
Looking at the unemployment figures, it is easy to say that Singaporeans cannot find jobs and that job vacancies have been taken up by foreign workers, or that local firms prefer to employ foreign workers. However, Singaporeans do not understand the difficulties that local firms face.
First, the salary package that the companies offer is not acceptable to Singaporeans. For example, few Singaporeans will accept a job that pays $800 per month for a daily eight-hour shift, even though this is the best that the firms can offer if they are to remain viable.
Second, most labour-intensive industries, such as construction, cleaning, food and beverage and landscaping, require a lot of workers to run. These jobs require workers who are physically fit and willing to endure hardship. Many Singaporeans will not even consider taking up such jobs. So, local firms have no choice but to turn to foreign workers.
The authorities have decided to increase the hiring quota for Singaporeans before local firms can employ foreign workers. But the authorities should realise that Singaporeans are too choosy when it comes to jobs. Increasing the quota will not solve the unemployment problem. Instead, it hurts labour-intensive businesses.
Entrepreneurs who have just started their businesses will stand no chance of breaking into their respective industries as they must employ more Singaporeans in order to meet the quota to hire foreign workers.
The authorities should educate Singaporeans to take up jobs that they now shun.
Jobs are always available in Singapore and local firms are more than happy to hire Singaporeans, but our people need to change their mindset.
The authorities are cracking down on the practice of hiring 'phantom' workers and illegal deployments. I applaud such moves to clean up the industry, but I am puzzled why the authorities decided to take action only recently, when such practices have been going on for some time.
If the authorities cannot come up with a solution to the problems faced by companies here, then more and more of them may resort to such illegal practices.
=> What are the other cost components? Who are responsible for them being sky high while being the BEST PAID in the world?
Gan Leng Chye
