SDP criticises jailing of SMRT bus
driver
THE jailing of an SMRT bus driver "solves nothing", opposition
Singapore Democratic Party said yesterday in a sharp criticism of
the actions taken by the authorities against those behind the
strike.
It warned that labour relations and worker
discontent would worsen as long as the Government continued to rely
on cheap foreign labour to maintain economic growth.
"Not only will workers be exploited, diplomatic
relations with countries of the workers will also be adversely
affected," its secretary-general, Dr Chee Soon Juan, said in a
media release.
He said the SDP would continue to fight for
Singaporeans' priority for jobs but also called for foreign workers
not to be exploited.
It was the second statement issued by the
opposition party over the two-day strike by SMRT bus drivers.
Last week, it criticised the Government for
"dismantling" Singaporean workers' rights and attributed the strike
to underlying problems.
Yesterday, it pushed for its idea for a
"Singaporeans First Policy" to be implemented. Among other things,
this calls for businesses to show why they needed to hire foreign
workers, retrench locals only as a last resort and adhere to a
minimum wage law.
"The SDP's proposals are forward-looking and much
needed for Singapore," the party said. It added that details of the
policy will be presented in a population and immigration paper
early next year.
Home, The Straits Times, Wednesday, December 5 2012, Pg B7