Tafep - Singaporeans Discriminated In Job Market

[Guest Guest]

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/tafep-admits-singaporeans-discriminated-job-market-4126723.html

An article Lianhe Zaobao (yesterday) admits that Singaporeans are discriminated in job market. What particular striking is passages below, and I (blogger from Veritas Veritas: Financial Institutions Discriminate Singaporeans Recruiting in Favor from One Single Country) have translated it:

Last year, TAFEP ( Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices) received feedback that foreign managers in some financial institution hire in favor of their own country people, rather than hiring Singaporeans.

TAFEP contacted these financial institutions. The senior managements agreed that certain departments do have many employees from one single country. The senior managements claim that they will hire more Singaporeans.

例如去年有人向TAFEP反映，一些金融机构的外籍部门主管在招聘员工时，更倾向把机会留给与自己国籍相同的应聘者，而不雇用新加坡人。

TAFEP与这些金融机构联络后，有高级管理层承认，个别部门的确有许多来自某个国家的员工，并表示将设法聘请和培养更多新加坡人。

This is the first time a quasi government organization admit publicly that rampant discrimination against Singaporeans exists in financial institution. Which is the country nationals that practice such noxious discrimination against Singaporeans? Though it was not stated, the most likely is Indian. In Citibank Changi Business Park, you can hardly see anyone, other than South Asian, in the 8-9 floors building. All these are high paying jobs that many Singaporeans would like to take up. And Singaporeans being among the highest IQ people of around 103 would better fit than Indians of very low IQ of 81.

Today, with Shenton Way and Changi Business Park becoming Little India. Indians brought their racial discrimination. While many India Indians hate and discriminate Singaporeans, they never failed to accuse the victimized Singaporeans as racist. PAP help them in their evil pursuit by condemning Singaporeans as daft and lazy. PAP started campaign trying to convince our graduates to take up jobs like food peddler.

There is no longer any meritocracy in Singapore. The dark side is gaining upper hand. 3000 years ago, the the barbaric forebears of high caste Indians, conquered the then highest civilizations in the world. They told the Dravidian locals, then the smartest people in the world, that they committed sin in past life and hence they are worst than animals. They only can have a career path in **** collection and prostitution. The Dravidians believe. Today, their descendants, the so call Dalits, are the most miserable people in the world, still collecting **** and prostituting after 3000 years.

Now, high caste Indians come to Singapore. They have the support of PAP discriminating Singaporeans. They do not have high IQ. Their weapons are racism and tribalism. Already, many Singaporeans graduates start to believe themselves being lousy, and contented with making a living by peddling food, driving cabs or working as cashiers. We will be further condemned in the future if we do not fight against racism and PAP today.

The link can only be access by subscriber.

本地人未获平等机会占半数 职场歧视投诉增多http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp130305_004.shtml

去年TAFEP共收到303起公平雇佣的投诉，比2011年多了26起。这与2010年的115起相比，增加了约一倍半。

新加坡的企业在公平雇佣上还有进步空间，人力部正在探讨设立新框架，要求企业在招聘时候必须公平考虑雇用新加坡人。本地人未获平等机会占半数，职场歧视投诉增多。新加坡的企业在公平雇佣上还有进步空间，人力部正在探讨设立新框架，要求企业在招聘时候必须公平考虑雇用新加坡人。去年TAFEP共收到303起公平雇佣的投诉，比2011年多了26起。这与2010年的115起相比，增加了约一倍半。过去三年职场歧视的投诉呈增加趋势，而雇主没能给新加坡人平等机会占各类投诉中的半数。政府近年来一直倡导企业打造以新加坡人为核心的工作团队，不过还是有人在面对外籍员工竞争时，遇到雇主厚此薄彼。例如去年有人向TAFEP反映，一些金融机构的外籍部门主管在招聘员工时，更倾向把机会留给与自己国籍相同的应聘者，而不雇用新加坡人。

TAFEP与这些金融机构联络后，有高级管理层承认，个别部门的确有许多来自某个国家的员工，并表示将设法聘请和培养更多新加坡人。一些机构还改善内部沟通和投诉机制，鼓励有不满情绪的新加坡员工与管理层沟通；公司也展开跨文化培训，让外籍员工融入本地文化。另一起个案中，本地一家酒店在网上招聘区域行销经理时指明要请“中国人”，这引起TAFEP注意。TAFEP告诫这家酒店这么做不符合劳资政公平雇佣指导原则，人力部也向酒店发出警告。酒店随后在网上道歉，并修改了工作程序，确保招聘广告符合指导原则。

有人力资源业者也观察到，个别行业的确存在发展机会不平等的现象。金融招聘网站eFinancialCareers去年对近700名金融业者展开的调查显示，57％土生土长的新加坡员工觉得，公司更青睐外籍专业人士，忽略了新加坡人的职场发展。TAFEP也透露，各种公平雇佣投诉中，招聘广告含有歧视内容的投诉占了一半。

例如一家商店在招聘广告中列明要聘请“35岁以下”的售货员。公司解释，提出年龄要求是因为这项工作需要员工提举重物。在TAFEP敦促下，公司答应删除具体年龄要求，不过在筛选过程中加入额外环节，测试应聘者提举重物的能力。人力资源顾问公司GMP集团企业服务部副主任吴坤豪认为，公平雇佣应基于应聘者能力，招聘广告中不该有年龄、性别、种族和宗教等与工作无关的条件；如果工作有特殊要求，雇主在广告中必须写明提出这些要求的原因。政府上周一公布新财政预算案时透露，人力部正在考虑设立一个新框架，确保企业在招聘时公平考虑雇用新加坡人，这也是为了确保新加坡人与外国人竞争时不处于下风。吴坤豪指出，公司的运作必须对其所在的社会负责，为当地人提供平等就业机会就是其中一个层面，这在长远上能加强企业品牌，获得当地人的支持，也能吸引更多人才。凯利服务新加坡总经理赫尔（Mark Hall）则说，新加坡没有就公平雇佣立法，很多做法是否能被接受还是模棱两可，“创立一个法律框架后，公司对于招聘时哪些做法可以被接受才会有更好的了解。”

职总就业与职能培训中心（e2i）代总裁陈财喜受访指出，虽然有时雇主并不是刻意歧视，不过一些招聘条件会把原本能胜任工作的应聘者拒之门外。他说：“许多公司要求应聘者有‘令人满意的荣誉学位’，可是早年有这类学位的人不多，很多年龄较大的求职者即使能胜任，也很难应聘成功。”

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the article, I work in Changi South business park and not only me but all my Singaporean colleagues keep asking why Citibank has to hire so many Indians from India. We have so many true blue, loyal, humble and smart SIngaporean Indians that able to take up those job. So something is very wrong somewhere on how a company practice hiring people in Singapore. Most of the time this happen when the Management position is being fill by a foreign born person. And without a law to empower the HR manager that a company must hire Singaporean first, those foreign born manager will abuse their power to make the HR to hire their own kinds. You complaint to MOM, all they can do is to investigate and then give HR manager or CEO a call and issue a warning, that;s all. I still don't understand how does all those company/MNC able to get away with the quota requirement to hire a foreign person. I think either MOM is sleeping or the company is really smart in finding loop holes to hire foreign workers. Is very sad that our Singaporean Government are very pro-business here and they I find it very hard to believe they will ever pass a employment law to protect Singaporean. In Hong Kong and Australia, there is a well thought employment law to protect the interest of their own citizen not being discriminated from jobs in their own country.

 

I think what Singaporean can do now, is not to be afraid to question your manager, your HR or even send an email to your CEO to question him/her why they fill a certain position with a non-Singaporean. They will be very careful in answering you. It maybe a very diplomatic answer or they simply ignore you but at least they be very wary now that Singaporean employees are questioning their practice and they might get into more problem if they stop doing their discriminatory practice. I know one may fear that you maybe unjustly fire by your manager if you question them, but at least you able to file a valid complaint to TAFEP or MOM that when you are unjustly fire. They cannot ignore your complaint and in fact you will be given them a stronger case for them to act for you rather then telling them your company is not hiring Singaporeans. Just use a little wisdom to deal with this kind of situation, and don't be afraid because now every foreigners know that Singaporean are very unhappy about them so they are more fearful of Singaporean instead of you fearful of them. Always remember this is your country, as a Singaporean you have every rights to get the best education and get a good job in your own country. You should not let any non-Singaporean to take away or question your rights.

[Guest 蒲松龄]

It is so common to see foreign companies hiring their own people in Singapore. 

 

One good example is, Selandia Ship Management (S) Pte Ltd. Full house Indians employing Indian Nationals only. No kidding! When they want to sack a Singaporean, they will politely tell him/her that entire department is retrenching. 

[Guest It's true]

Yeah that is true.

 

The rules must be tightened for these companies especially increasing the penalties for not recruiting enough Singaporeans when it is viable to do so.

 

And for these companies their turnover rate and possibility of phantom workers must be monitored and penalized them if need arise.

ie decrease their exploitation of the current work pass/ Spass system.

[Guest guest]

It is so common to see foreign companies hiring their own people in Singapore. 

 

One good example is, Selandia Ship Management (S) Pte Ltd. Full house Indians employing Indian Nationals only. No kidding! When they want to sack a Singaporean, they will politely tell him/her that entire department is retrenching. 

 

If you want, you can report this to TAFEP to bring to their attention, you can tell them you want to remain anonymous and they will respect it. But at least bring to their attention of such company practice so that they will investigate. Now they are pressure to make sure that all the companies operate in Singapore must not be discriminate Singaporean and their right to the jobs in Singapore. Until there is a more effective employment law to protect Singaporean of their rights, the next best thing is do is to make a report to TAFEP. But please don't abuse TAFEP, make sure you are reporting a genuine case or else they will be overwhelm with untrue complaints. 

[Guest guest]

 

http://www.tafep.sg/

 

 

TAFEP is located at the following address:

51 Bras Basah Road,
#04-07, Manulife Centre
Singapore 189554

(Nearest MRT Station: Bras Basah Station)

Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.

If you have a question or feedback, please contact us by:

Phone: +65 6838 0969
Fax: +65 6732 6849
Email: query@tafep.sg

[Guest guest]

You can also report to TAFEP if you think you are being discriminate or abuse (both verbally or physically) in your work place due to your sexual orientation

[Guest GUEST]

If you want, you can report this to TAFEP to bring to their attention, you can tell them you want to remain anonymous and they will respect it. But at least bring to their attention of such company practice so that they will investigate. Now they are pressure to make sure that all the companies operate in Singapore must not be discriminate Singaporean and their right to the jobs in Singapore. Until there is a more effective employment law to protect Singaporean of their rights, the next best thing is do is to make a report to TAFEP. But please don't abuse TAFEP, make sure you are reporting a genuine case or else they will be overwhelm with untrue complaints. 

 

If your company has a UNION you can ask them for help too. I agreed with the above view, we have to speak up if you see any such discrimination against Singaporean.

[Guest Guest010]

Saw this job ad on JOBSDB.COM recently... 

 

Vice Superintendent (Based in China)

Responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Managing Director, you will be responsible for administering the office’s daily affairs of our subsidiary company in Guangdong, China
• Ensuring proper implementation of the company policies and procedures
• Monitoring workers’ disciplinary behaviour
• Attending to visitors from government agencies such as Tax Dept., Customs, Public Security, Fire Dept., Utilities Board and etc.
• Conducting interviews with job applicants
• Perform any other related duties assigned by the MD from time to time

 Requirements:

• Degree in any discipline. Additional qualifications in business management would be an added advantage
• At least two years working experience in a similar capacity is preferred
• Self-motivated and a good team player with excellent leadership and interpersonal skills
• Possess problem-solving skills and conflict-management abilities
• Meticulous and ability to work under pressure
• Good command of written and spoken Chinese as this position is to be based in China
• Be prepared to station in China for long period
• Only Chinese nationals with Singapore Citizen/PR status need to apply

 

If interested, please apply online or send your MS Word format resume in CHINESE, stating clearly current and expected salaries to:

No. 35 Sungei Kadut Street 4, Singapore 729057

Attn: Managing Director

 

[Guest 蒲松龄]

Saw this job ad on JOBSDB.COM recently... 

•  
• Only Chinese nationals with Singapore Citizen/PR status need to apply

 

 

 

Like that even worst. Want Mainlander Chinese. 

[Guest Guest]

Like that even worst. Want Mainlander Chinese. 

It is a position in China - Long Term... plus really, try conversing with people in Mainland Chinese... it's not that easy. I churn out a simple email also take me half hour to make sure my chinese is understandable before i click send.

 

IBM have opened a really big office already in India. So IBM Singapore is full of Indians is not a surprise. Fact is for IT, India does produce some top notch graduates there.

 

My team (of 6) has a fillippino head and i'm the only local (the other 3 are his friends from other company), he tells me that its so hard to find Singaporeans to even want to interview for the job. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that. There are 5 local born Singaporean, 4 converted Singaporean and 19 PR and Pass holders just in my part of the office alone. Another 100 odd of various nationalities (white collar), The quota thing as I learnt, includes PR also, so you can have lots of PR to employ those pass holders.

[Guest guest]

http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-may-tighten-controls-foreign-execs-amid-bias-080501172--sector.html Singapore may tighten controls on foreign execs amid bias allegations

SINGAPORE, March 5 (Reuters) - Alleged bias against locals accounted for half of the employment-related complaints received in Singapore last year, in another sign that the city-state may scrutinise more closely firms which are hiring foreigners to fill higher-paying jobs.

The data provided to Reuters by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) comes amid growing unhappiness among Singaporeans about the surge in foreigners over the past decade.

TAFEP is a body backed by the Ministry of Manpower and tasked with ensuring fair work practices in the small island-state, which as a global financial, business and transport hub attracts hundreds of thousands of higher-paid foreign workers.

Singapore has already taken steps to curb demand for low-wage, low-skilled foreign workers through higher levies on companies and tighter quotas, and Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin will discuss in detail plans to help Singaporeans aspiring for higher-paid jobs when his ministry's budget is discussed next Thursday or Friday.

The increased vetting of applications to hire skilled foreigners -- typically those earning more than S$3,000 ($2,400) a month -- may hit banks such as Citigroup, which has around 10,000 employees in Singapore. Such hires are exempt from the levies imposed on firms recruiting lower-cost workers.

"In 2012, about half of the 303 complaints received by TAFEP were regarding fair opportunities for Singaporeans," a spokeswoman for the organisation said.

The Ministry of Manpower said in a separate reply to Reuters that TAFEP will refer unresponsive employers to the ministry, which will in turn curtail work pass privileges of firms that did not heed its advice.

TAFEP earlier this week published advertisements in local newspapers saying it had met senior management at some financial firms after it got feedback that some supervisors preferred to hire their own countrymen over Singaporeans.

"A few firms acknowledged that certain departments did seem to have "hot spots" where clusters of employees from the same country appeared to have developed over time," the advertisements said, although TAFEP also cited an example of a complaint that was not justified.

WHITE COLLAR JOBS

Singapore last month unveiled a budget heavy on social spending and announced new curbs on companies hiring foreign workers as the city-state tries to reduce its dependence on overseas labour and address a widening income gap.

In budget debate earlier this week, several lawmakers from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) voiced concerns about locals being denied a fair shot at white collar jobs.

Liang Eng Hwa, a member of Parliament who is also a managing director at DBS Group, questioned the large number of foreigners holding managerial positions in areas such as human resources, auditing and general administration -- skills that should be relatively easy to find in Singapore.

Singapore is one of the world's most open economies, with foreigners accounting for about one-third of the workforce.

Currently, it is even more liberal than Asian rival Hong Kong in terms of the ease in which firms can hire foreign professionals.

While the former British colony also has a large expatriate population, employers wanting to hire a foreigner must provide proof that the job cannot be readily taken up by the local work force.

Employers must also provide remuneration packages that are in line with the prevailing market standards in Hong Kong -- a condition that makes it harder for firms to replace local managers with lower-cost replacements.

 

[Guest Guest010]

I urge all Singaporeans to back this effort with unity to secure our future. 

[Guest Anti鬼佬]

 

 

 

 

 

This organisation is for "show" only. 

 

Foreign pilots (in SIA, Silkair, Scoot, Tiger Airways, Jetstar Asia) still around, local pilots still jobless.

Somebody has complained. No action taken.

[Guest Anti鬼佬]

I urge all Singaporeans to back this effort with unity to secure our future. 

Not easy.

 

The only way is to topple the parliament first. Then, we are able to see entire policy change.

Foreign students still getting local scholarhships. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Foreign students graduated and do not want to leave. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Foreigners spoiling housing market. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

 

Many many more... ...  Issues are endless.

[lausanne]

Why dun the govt do this - for ANY foreigner that a company want to hire, be it low skilled worker or PMET, the company has to:

 

1) show that that no suitable Singaporean has applied to do the job within a specific period of time. 

2) the foreigner must be paid at the same rate as the Singaporean

3) Pay an additional levy for hiring the foreign worker

 

That way, the company will have an incentive to hire Singaporeans from a cost perspective. 

[lausanne]

Not easy.

 

The only way is to topple the parliament first. Then, we are able to see entire policy change.

Foreign students still getting local scholarhships. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Foreign students graduated and do not want to leave. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Foreigners spoiling housing market. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

 

Many many more... ...  Issues are endless.

1) The problem is meritocracy - if foreign students really do better than local students, then really the scholarships cannot be denied to them. Based on meritocracy, birth right does not count. I suggest then that if more Singaporeans are to get the scholarships, then less foreign students need to come into Singapore. 

 

2) I think this happens everywhere, whether in the US or UK or Singapore. Graduates cannot find a job back in their home countries, or they find working in the current country to pay better than their home countries. I find this to be a global problem - the whole world is generating too many graduates, heightening their expectations, and yet the kind of jobs available dont fit a graduate's profile. Simply put - there is a job and expectation mismatch - job does not require university credentials, so graduate does not want to take the job, thus staying unemployed. Blame economics if you want to, but the way i see it, the world may have to reduce the number of graduates - not just Singapore. Otherwise, strengthen enforcement - really ensure that foreigners who graduate in Singapore either find a job in Singapore within a certain amount of time, or ship out. 

 

3) Permanent Residencies are given away far too easily in my view. There has to be way to curb this. Many foreigners are cash rich. Regardless of the kind of the market restrictions you place on this group of people, they wont find it too difficult go over the hurdles.  I am glad that now there are more stringent conditions proposed for obtaining PR / citizenship. I only ask the govt to be much more selective in who they allow to be PR / citizens. 

[Guest Support]

Why dun the govt do this - for ANY foreigner that a company want to hire, be it low skilled worker or PMET, the company has to:

1) show that that no suitable Singaporean has applied to do the job within a specific period of time.

2) the foreigner must be paid at the same rate as the Singaporean

3) Pay an additional levy for hiring the foreign worker

That way, the company will have an incentive to hire Singaporeans from a cost perspective.

Agree

They should justify!

Hong Kong is doing (1) & (2).

[Guest Guest010]

We have to keep voicing and keep voicing to make ourselves heard. If we give in and think that there is no use in voicing out then its really over for all of us Singaporean. I really wonder if the government really did not see the property market booming or did not anticipate the rising of living standards. I really think very highly of our government. They had definitely saw all these coming. All they can do now is to act like they care and give incentives to soothe the symptoms. The real root problem is still lying deep inside and not addressed. All the measures taken by the government do not address the problem at its root. 

[Guest Guest]

' I really think very highly of our government'    huh? i got hear wrongly or not? aiyooooo

[Guest Guest010]

' I really think very highly of our government'    huh? i got hear wrongly or not? aiyooooo

Please read between the lines... don't take it literally.. 

[Love2Blow]

Watch this program, I think the indian program is more open (with English Subtitles)

 

http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/idhayam-pesugirathu-sr-2-episode-7/2b1m5b89d

[Guest guest]

Watch this program, I think the indian program is more open (with English Subtitles)

 

http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/idhayam-pesugirathu-sr-2-episode-7/2b1m5b89d

Wow Love2Blow, thank you very much for letting us know about this TV program at our local channel Vasanthan. Yes indeed I think our Singaporean Indians are more vocal and more daring to speak up. I think this is something we can learn from them. I like the comment from one of the lady audience is "Why is it that we have the same degree and master degree as those foreign Indians but instead we have to endure the frustration of not being hire in Singapore".  

 

 

In fact, as a Singaporean chinese and I have to say I am very fortunate to have a wonderful Singaporean Indian neighbours and one of my best friend is Singaporean Malay. We have chatted about this topic before and we also don't understand how did we all singaporeans of all races begin discriminated in our country especially in job opportunity. My Indian neighbour share with me that some of the Rich Indians that migrate to Singapore even look down at our Singaporean Indian because see them as lower caste and poor. That is so sad that they have to face this kind of inequality in our own country.

[abang]

Those of us above 40 are always fearing that dreadful day when the company announces restructuring.

The word is synonymous with "getting rid of the over-paid/highly paid".

 

I have seen friends left high and dry without jobs for months.

They have at least a basic college degree but that was earned some 20 plus years ago.

Their experience in a particular industry does not count as an asset to some myopic employers.

 

For those who are in the PME category, please look into e2i for their enhancement classes.

I was told that although e2i isnt a job-matching organisation, they offer job alerts and other job-relevant seminars and talks.

[Guest Beware of the Plague]

For  a  start, the spelling of the bank is wrong. It should be Sitibank.

 

Next, it doesn't take much to figure out that the former CEO happens to be .... drumroll... an Indian. Fortunately, he has been kicked out.

 

Thirdly some of you are still using that bank... well you know where your money goes to.

 

Historically, it was that Mr Gogogo who signed the FTA with India and who knows what kind of fetish he has developed. Sometimes if a wife finds a certain  kind of character favourable, it might just brush off onto the husband just like the Malay saying that if you marry a pontianak then the husband becomes a hantu (ghost). There are such characters even among Chinese who are fascinated secretly with working in the same office, staying next to Indians and of course the porn as well. Sorry if some of you threw up.

 

All these are just private  but it really gets personal when a whole office full of fake degrees get a better life than the people in the country. Some gyms have also become extremely filthy due to their large numbers. Scary to think that the slums of Calcutta have moved to Singapore.  Yes, we need a Mother Theresa to save us.

[Guest Guest]

Those of us above 40 are always fearing that dreadful day when the company announces restructuring.

The word is synonymous with "getting rid of the over-paid/highly paid".

 

I have seen friends left high and dry without jobs for months.

They have at least a basic college degree but that was earned some 20 plus years ago.

Their experience in a particular industry does not count as an asset to some myopic employers.

 

For those who are in the PME category, please look into e2i for their enhancement classes.

I was told that although e2i isnt a job-matching organisation, they offer job alerts and other job-relevant seminars and talks.

 

In case you are unaware, you are pretty yesterday if you think that it is only "Those of (you) above 40 are always fearing that dreadful day when the company announces restructuring". This age ceiling is now getting lower and lower now to the extent that even those at 35 should start worrying soon.

[Guest Guess]

"This age ceiling is now getting lower and lower now to the extent that even those at 35 should start worrying soon."

This age ceiling has been observed by our labor ministry a decade ago to be approximately 37 yrs old. I shudder to think what new number is charting now looking at the past few years.

A friend of mine in finance got retrenched a couple years back at the age of 32, did not find employment a year and a half later, and at a much lower rate.

[Guest Guest]

There are many such cases. If u take cabs often, u will find tt there are many drivers who are educated, in their 40s, retrenched simply because they are replaced by cheaper labour, not necessarily better labour. I have encountered several engineers, regional managers

[Guest guest]

One thing is very clear here and of course PAP will never admit. If PAP never suffer a big vote less in the last election and also Punggol East By Election, they will never do anything to proctect the interest of Singaporean. This is people most of the PAP minister are born wil silver spoon, go to elite school and scholar groom by PAP since they start their education. So people from this kind of lifestyle have less worry about job security and discrimination in their work place. They always say they understand but they will never know how it is truely like to be so frustrated that Singaporean are not protected by law when come to employment.

 

So now they start implementing the necessary things/law they should have done long ago. Singaporean for the past few years keep telling PAP that we are being discriminate and abuse in our job and work place and we need their help. But all they do is just smile at you and say they will take note.

 

So to me it is very clear, if it is for the courage of more Singaporean to vote in more opposition party member into the parliament, PAP would never take action or do things that is right for Singaproean.

 

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/450-000-workers-to-benefit-from-employment-act-review-080849476.html

 

New salary rules for hiring foreign workers: MOM

 

Firms looking to hire foreigners must now pay their full-time local workers at least $1,000 a month.

This new requirement was announced by Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin in Parliament on Thursday.

Tan also revealed new changes to be made to the Employment Act which will benefit up to 450,000 workers once they come into effect in 2014.

Here's who will benefit and how: 

With effect from 2014, the Employment Act will cover non-manual workers earning up to $2,500, making them eligible for over-time pay. 150,000 workers are expected to benefit from this change. Previously, only non-workmen earning up to $2,000 qualified.

Tan said that to help employers manage their costs, the amount of over-time payable will be capped at a salary level of $2,250, meaning that workers earning between $2,250 to $2,500 would get the same over-time rate of $17.70 per hour.

A total of 300,000 professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) earning up to $4,500 will now also be protected by the Employment Act. Currently, they are only covered by the EA in one aspect of salary payments.

With the changes, PMEs will be protected against unfair dismissal and enjoy sick leave benefits. However, they will still be exempt from the section of the Act which deals with working hours and over-time pay.

Other post-review changes to the Act include mandatory payslips and enhanced penalties on employers who fail to pay salaries.

Tan added that there would be a second phase of reviewing the Employment Act where his Ministry would try to explore how contract workers, free-lancers and self-employed Singaporeans can be better protected.

MOM intends to table an amendment bill in the second half of this year, with the changes coming into effect in the first half of 2014.

Additional reporting by Nurul Azliah Aripin and Shah Salimat

[Guest Guest]

We welcome true foreign talent to help to contribute to the growth of Singapore society and create job for Singaporean. unfortunately many foreign talent abuse the system here and only take care of their own kind when come to hiring. The saddest thing our government until now don't want to pass the employment law to ensure that Singaporean are being consider first before a company hire non-Singapore. I really don't understand why. In Hong Kong and Australia they have so many immigrants, but at least their government make sure their citizen are being protected against discrimination in job hiring.

 

 

Singapore (The Star/ANN) - Singapore's ambition of becoming a global city that attracts the world's top talents is facing a setback in the face of a strong public backlash against immigration.

Whether the policy was poorly implemented or explained, the pursuit of this objective is now clouded by a fog of resentment against foreigners.

Transforming the republic into a flourishing cosmopolis has long been the dream of the ageing Lee Kuan Yew, who once said he would like to see it take place before he leaves this world.

With many Singaporeans feeling they have lost control of their own destiny, talk of global city and diverse imported talents has all but disappeared.

The dilemma is compounded by rising emotions.

The public is increasingly turning some of its anti-immigration resentment - rather unfairly - to foreign workers.

This is predictable since it has affected local jobs and families.

Singaporeans - once one of the world's most obedient citizens - are both worried and angry despite recent government curbs and a cut-back on arrivals.

Two recent instances show the extent of the emotions.

In the first, a Tamil TV forum attended by Singaporean Indians as part of a national dialogue produced some heated comments seldom heard over any state-owned media.

Commendably, the programme was allowed to be aired as a result of a more tolerant attitude towards the immigration controversy, probably as an emotional release.

One by one, the speakers laid the blame of many things gone wrong on "foreign talents", including taking jobs away from Singaporeans and causing the cost of living to rise.

A well-dressed woman said: "Even Singaporeans are not taken care of. So who is going to take care of the foreigners".

Another said many of the new migrants "will run back to their respective countries if Singapore faces problems."

A gentleman commented, "As such I think it is good to set a limit for this economic growth."

(Activists are planning a second protest at Speakers Corner on Labour Day (May 1) with police approval and said some 10,000 people are expected to attend.)

The second case was the recent opening of a Philippine fast-food branch here.

It was marred by a boycott staged by Singaporeans who were incensed by the company hiring foreigners en masse in preference over Singaporeans.

Organisers said they wanted to let businesses know that hiring foreigners ahead of locals are not welcomed here.

On the opening day, however, there was a crowd of customers with many of them being Filipinos working here. Online both Singaporeans and Filipinos exchanged heated insults.

This event brought out a side of Singaporeans seldom seen before. Traditionally they had always welcomed foreigners and mixed freely with them.

With a modern history of less than 50 years this migrant society is made up of off-springs of people who came from diverse lands to make it their home.

Of late, however, the level of tolerance for foreigners has evidently declined. Tempers have grown shorter, at times provoked by some hot-headed foreigners.

This mood may slow down the government's efforts to make it a global city capable of attracting top talents from the world to work and settle here.

On this rests the success or failure of another ambition - to create a skilled service hub and raise GDP growth.

Until the immigration problem is resolved, it will be a lot tougher to attract truly talented foreigners, since other countries are also competing for them.

Some analysts believe that they now understand better why the leaders here have described Singapore as - not a country - but a city.

For years, many were baffled why this pouring of cold water on the nation's status and indirectly the people's spirit of nationalism.

In 2009, Law Minister K. Shanmugam created waves when he told an audience of top lawyers in America:

"This is where most people make a mistake ... I have tried to explain that we are different. We are a city. We are not a country,"

He was replying a question from a US economist why Singapore had deviated from the democratic norm although it was seen primarily as a country.

He later explained: "I made it clear that we are a sovereign state (and) we are a country in the legal sense."

The Law Minister was echoing what Lee had said on several occasions.

In 2011 the then Minister Mentor said: "We are a nation in the making. Will we make it?

"Am I certain we'll get there? No, I cannot say that. Something can go wrong somewhere and we'll fall apart."

Assessing Singapore's chances of becoming a true nation, Lee added: "If you believe it's a reality, then I think you're making a mistake.

"It's an aspiration, it's something we must make into reality probably in another 20, 30, 40, 50 years."

Some analysts believe that the pragmatic, economic-minded leadership was preparing to change Singaporean mindsets to submerge their national feelings for a global city.

When they made these comments they probably already had in mind two things - a 6.9 million population, half of which being new migrants, the analysts said.

One pointed out that global values do often clash with a people's national identity - which can explain the present immigration dilemma.

So with their long-term configuration of a hub economy, calling Singapore a city - not a country - actually spells pragmatism.

Trouble is too many Singaporeans may not be buying it.

COPYRIGHT: ASIA NEWS NETWORK

 

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/view-hiccups-being-global-071007737.html

 

 

[gstc82]

Not easy.

The only way is to topple the parliament first. Then, we are able to see entire policy change.

Foreign students still getting local scholarhships. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Foreign students graduated and do not want to leave. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Foreigners spoiling housing market. (we have already sounded, Gov't not listening)

Many many more... ... Issues are endless.

topple the govt? By what means you want to topple the govt?

Singapore being in the best economic position do and will continue to give out aid to students around the region who are less previledged. If you can't get this simple logic and want a total ban on such shows how shallow you are.

I challenge you to tell us if your plan to succeed in toppling the government by your means, will your choice of government stop all foreigners, severely reduce foreign population both blue and white collar, completely cut off all education aid and meddle with property market to suit your needs? Maybe you should start by demanding your opposition politicians who owns businesses to stop hiring foreigners and stop getting foreign students in studying in singapore. Than you talk.