Vicious circle?
'The contractors had to tender cheaply. The only way to make a profit was to cut the cleaners' pay.'
MR STEVE TAN: 'I refer to Wednesday's report, 'Civil servants rapped for sloppiness', which took the Ministry of Education to task for not considering the lowest bid for a cleaning contract in schools. My experience in dealing with cleaners working in schools is that many are illiterate and have no option but to work for cleaning contractors. Despite their salaries being pared down over the years, they don't complain out of fear of losing their jobs. Contractors have told me that they had little choice but to cut their cleaners' pay because they had to tender cheap bids to win government contracts. The only way to make a profit was to cut the cleaners' pay. It was a vicious circle that ended with the cleaners being paid $600 a month or less, often without medical and other benefits. The public sector should take the lead in outsourcing responsibly and be brave not to source cheaply at the expense of the workers.'
'The contractors had to tender cheaply. The only way to make a profit was to cut the cleaners' pay.'
MR STEVE TAN: 'I refer to Wednesday's report, 'Civil servants rapped for sloppiness', which took the Ministry of Education to task for not considering the lowest bid for a cleaning contract in schools. My experience in dealing with cleaners working in schools is that many are illiterate and have no option but to work for cleaning contractors. Despite their salaries being pared down over the years, they don't complain out of fear of losing their jobs. Contractors have told me that they had little choice but to cut their cleaners' pay because they had to tender cheap bids to win government contracts. The only way to make a profit was to cut the cleaners' pay. It was a vicious circle that ended with the cleaners being paid $600 a month or less, often without medical and other benefits. The public sector should take the lead in outsourcing responsibly and be brave not to source cheaply at the expense of the workers.'
