<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>May 2, 2009
PM AT MAY DAY RALLY
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>More help for white-collar workers
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Fresh grads will also get assistance as flu outbreak threatens global recovery </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Sue-Ann Chia, Senior Political Correspondent
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WORKERS celebrating May Day amid the economic downturn had reason to cheer yesterday as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced new help measures, especially for white-collar workers and companies, in the fight to save jobs.
'We will do more for middle-income earners. Many are PMETs who are also affected by this crisis,' he said, referring to the category of professionals, managers, executives and technicians who are bearing the brunt of the job losses here.
As such employees' salaries are higher, employers will receive more money when they send them for training under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur) which subsidises training.
The amount employers can claim to cover the salaries of employees attending courses goes up from $6 to $10 an hour.
A new traineeship scheme to encourage companies to recruit fresh graduates and PMETs will also be introduced.
This 'apprenticeship' scheme will ease fears of fresh graduates, he said, adding that he was aware that they were 'very very anxious, wondering where their jobs are going to come from'.
There will also be updates to Spur to encourage employers to recruit and retain local workers. Called Spur-Jobs, it defrays costs for companies which undertake on-the-job training, job redesign and productivity improvements.
The Manpower Ministry will provide further details of these schemes later.
The good news comes amid a recession that now has an additional challenge: the outbreak of a new flu strain that is threatening to dent the hopes of those who had seen signs of a slow global recovery.
'Overall, the world situation has somewhat stabilised, but outlook is still troubled,' said PM Lee at the May Day Rally.
Noting the recent talk of 'green shoots' or early signs of recovery in the United States, he said: 'I hope these are real. But we know there are serious problems not yet solved, which cannot go away quickly.
'And now we also have to contend with swine flu, which will affect the global economy.'
=> Yet another excuse for BEST PAID ministers in the world to underperform?
As a precaution, the 1,400 guests attending the rally at the Downtown East entertainment complex were screened by a thermal scanner for signs of fever.
'I don't think we turned anybody away,' quipped PM Lee, who later attended a reception with unionists and bosses.
In his remarks, also delivered in Mandarin and Malay, he painted a grim picture of the economy and said that it was prudent to prepare for the worst.
=> Hence quickly up ministers' pay by a million or two first?
'Better for us to plan on the basis of a prolonged downturn, and prepare for a long slog ahead. If green shoots burst forth, we will treat that as a bonus.'
Noting that the economy is expected to contract between 6 per cent and 9 per cent this year - the worst-ever official forecast - he said: 'Some analysts think the Government is being too pessimistic. But I believe this is a realistic estimate.'
=> Weren't the same ministers overly optimistic just last year? Now purposely set low expectation and if better, claim credit and another round of pay hike for the ministers?
The 'optimistic scenario' is for a deep and fat U-shaped recovery, which means a prolonged recession before a rebound.
If Singapore is 'not lucky', this could be L-shaped - the economy would stop contracting but there would be no growth for several years.
While the shape of the recovery hinges on how the US economy develops, Asean should work together to tackle the crisis.
=> If luck and Uncle Sam are the determining factors for Peesai's economic performance, why should the ministers be paid millions?
But the grouping suffered a setback when its leaders' summit in Pattaya was scuttled by demonstrators.
And as Asean works to rebuild its credibility and effectiveness, he said Singapore must distinguish itself from the region and show that it still offers opportunities.
The Government has done the right thing by focusing on saving jobs in this downturn, he said, noting that some 1,300 firms used Spur and signed up more than 82,000 workers for training.
The jobs focus also kept the unemployment rate at 3.2 per cent in the first quarter even as the economy shrank by 11 per cent.
Like labour chief Lim Swee Say, who used a football analogy to show how Singapore was tackling the recession, PM Lee said Singapore had been on the offensive, 'creating new jobs and capabilities (and) scoring goals'.
Unionist K. Thanaletchimi was cheered by the event and PM Lee's speech, saying: 'It inspired confidence that he listens to the ground and the Government is doing all it can to help workers.'
=> By importing more FTrash?!
[email protected] See Singapore
PM AT MAY DAY RALLY
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>More help for white-collar workers
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Fresh grads will also get assistance as flu outbreak threatens global recovery </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Sue-Ann Chia, Senior Political Correspondent
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WORKERS celebrating May Day amid the economic downturn had reason to cheer yesterday as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced new help measures, especially for white-collar workers and companies, in the fight to save jobs.
'We will do more for middle-income earners. Many are PMETs who are also affected by this crisis,' he said, referring to the category of professionals, managers, executives and technicians who are bearing the brunt of the job losses here.
As such employees' salaries are higher, employers will receive more money when they send them for training under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur) which subsidises training.
The amount employers can claim to cover the salaries of employees attending courses goes up from $6 to $10 an hour.
A new traineeship scheme to encourage companies to recruit fresh graduates and PMETs will also be introduced.
This 'apprenticeship' scheme will ease fears of fresh graduates, he said, adding that he was aware that they were 'very very anxious, wondering where their jobs are going to come from'.
There will also be updates to Spur to encourage employers to recruit and retain local workers. Called Spur-Jobs, it defrays costs for companies which undertake on-the-job training, job redesign and productivity improvements.
The Manpower Ministry will provide further details of these schemes later.
The good news comes amid a recession that now has an additional challenge: the outbreak of a new flu strain that is threatening to dent the hopes of those who had seen signs of a slow global recovery.
'Overall, the world situation has somewhat stabilised, but outlook is still troubled,' said PM Lee at the May Day Rally.
Noting the recent talk of 'green shoots' or early signs of recovery in the United States, he said: 'I hope these are real. But we know there are serious problems not yet solved, which cannot go away quickly.
'And now we also have to contend with swine flu, which will affect the global economy.'
=> Yet another excuse for BEST PAID ministers in the world to underperform?
As a precaution, the 1,400 guests attending the rally at the Downtown East entertainment complex were screened by a thermal scanner for signs of fever.
'I don't think we turned anybody away,' quipped PM Lee, who later attended a reception with unionists and bosses.
In his remarks, also delivered in Mandarin and Malay, he painted a grim picture of the economy and said that it was prudent to prepare for the worst.
=> Hence quickly up ministers' pay by a million or two first?
'Better for us to plan on the basis of a prolonged downturn, and prepare for a long slog ahead. If green shoots burst forth, we will treat that as a bonus.'
Noting that the economy is expected to contract between 6 per cent and 9 per cent this year - the worst-ever official forecast - he said: 'Some analysts think the Government is being too pessimistic. But I believe this is a realistic estimate.'
=> Weren't the same ministers overly optimistic just last year? Now purposely set low expectation and if better, claim credit and another round of pay hike for the ministers?
The 'optimistic scenario' is for a deep and fat U-shaped recovery, which means a prolonged recession before a rebound.
If Singapore is 'not lucky', this could be L-shaped - the economy would stop contracting but there would be no growth for several years.
While the shape of the recovery hinges on how the US economy develops, Asean should work together to tackle the crisis.
=> If luck and Uncle Sam are the determining factors for Peesai's economic performance, why should the ministers be paid millions?
But the grouping suffered a setback when its leaders' summit in Pattaya was scuttled by demonstrators.
And as Asean works to rebuild its credibility and effectiveness, he said Singapore must distinguish itself from the region and show that it still offers opportunities.
The Government has done the right thing by focusing on saving jobs in this downturn, he said, noting that some 1,300 firms used Spur and signed up more than 82,000 workers for training.
The jobs focus also kept the unemployment rate at 3.2 per cent in the first quarter even as the economy shrank by 11 per cent.
Like labour chief Lim Swee Say, who used a football analogy to show how Singapore was tackling the recession, PM Lee said Singapore had been on the offensive, 'creating new jobs and capabilities (and) scoring goals'.
Unionist K. Thanaletchimi was cheered by the event and PM Lee's speech, saying: 'It inspired confidence that he listens to the ground and the Government is doing all it can to help workers.'
=> By importing more FTrash?!
[email protected] See Singapore
