Workers can expect better pay rise: labour chief

Rock^Star SG · 2010-08-05T11:38:56+00:00

I believe our government will inject another round of Vitamin $ into every Singaporeans Account, CPF or Saving. Don't forget Election is around the corner.

Rock^Star SG

Workers can expect better pay rise: labour chief
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 22 July 2010 1945 hrs

Photos 1 of 1
Video

Workers can expect better pay rise: labour chief

SINGAPORE: A strong economic rebound and robust growth of 13 to 15 per cent projected for the year for Singapore spell good news for wages.

Labour chief Lim Swee Say said he is optimistic that workers will get better wage increases this year compared to last year.

But he added that companies have to be mindful of the way they share the fruits of labour with their workers.

".....what the tripartite partners are mindful is that as we reward, of course, we'll reward in a fair manner," said Mr Lim.

This means rewarding workers based on contribution and performance.

Mr Lim said that the wage increase should be put into three baskets - a fixed increase, an annual variable and a monthly variable. This is to ensure that companies are always prepared for the next rainy day.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a global conference on service excellence, Mr Lim also expressed concern that the push for productivity could take a toll on some workers.

Mr Lim said: "We received feedback through our union leaders that some of the workers are finding this overtime becoming too excessive. When we talk about improving productivity, we're not talking about getting workers to work longer hours, because that is not sustainable.

"So we have to find ways to work smarter, in a more productive manner, so that higher output need not necessarily be done at the expense of the work-life balance."

One company that heeded this call is Japanese food chain Sakae Sushi. It added Vitamin E to its sushi rice for product differentiation.

CEO of Sakae Holdings, Douglas Foo, said: "The adding of Vitamin E does not require additional time, so to speak. And you don't have to stay longer to do that. If you can finish things in a much shorter time, but the output you get is a lot better, I think that's what we're trying to do in the productivity movement."

Mr Foo also encouraged small and medium enterprises to leverage on innovative breakthroughs to gain a competitive edge.

- CNA/ir

Rock^Star SG

CNA wrote that Sake Sushi heeded its productivity call? Hahaha. I dunno abt the sushi industry but Sakae Sushi is where it is today because it constantly innovates. There's no need for prompting from any of the govt bodies. Perhaps Douglas Foo has good links with the press and wants to do SPH a "favour" by saying he has gone along with the productivity initiative.

The headline goes: "Workers can expect a better pay rise." That's quite misleading huh? Are private enterprises going to play along? I think at the end of the day, the Labour chief has no idea about their individual bottomlines, so he should stop this tripartite nonsense of saying that NTUC helps the people.

Disman SG

may be election is coming

may be

Junyang700 SG

Last time employers and employees listen to gahmen.

Now everyone thinks its propaganda and GE coming.
So there shall not be pay rise. They shall only be increase in price of goods and services.

Rock^Star SG

I'm thinking we are somewhat north korea in our propaganda.

~PEPPER~ SG

may be election is coming

may be

haha lol

Disman SG

would my daily expenses went down - no

would my income/salary went up - no

how many singaporean benefit from it

miw could jolly well said what they want - heck care

angel7030 SG

The obvious is seen here, GDP is an indication for public sector performances, obviously, most civil servants will get paid increases and that include the Govt and Ministers. If you are smart enuf to understand him, he is talking direct for workers but indirectly for himself and his colleague ministers paid hike.

During the downturn, many workers paid were either cut or freezed, it goes on for about 2 years, and today, he dare to say that he is expecting paid to rise??? I think it is more of a make up for the lost and the sacrification of the workers during the downtime, there is actually no paid increase at all, just a make up of what was suppose to be given earlier.

ditzy SG

Faster! Cheaper! Better!

Fenixx SG

When he says this, the only ones getting fatter pay checks will be the ministers and mps. Bosses will get more pay. But you think they will distribute the company's better earnings to employees? Wait long long lah.........

Junyang700 SG

I'm thinking we are somewhat north korea in our propaganda.

No lah. Our expression different.

See the 2 videos and you know.

Their teachers cry.... to make them remember
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM9oTF4x9WU

Our teachers scold... to make you remember
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfYT88rEe78

troublemaker2005 SG

pay rise...yeh correct. last few years got pay cut, now pay rise and my salary back to status quo

like the cpf restorration. they call it 'increase' and i told them many times its not an 'increase', its a 'restoration'.

angel7030 SG

Base on the last contribution, it is an increase, but if you base on 10 years ago cutting of CPF, then it is a restoration, but damn, most of us young professionals never witness the cut, so it is an increase for us ya

bic_cherry SG

Workers can expect better pay rise: labour chief
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 22 July 2010 1945 hrs

Photos 1 of 1
... ... - CNA/ir

Still, in SG, nothing beats a Minister's salary:

better, ‘betterer’ and ‘betterest’:

[YouTube excerpt]

Lim Swee Say: if you’re ‘betterer’ today, strive to be ‘betterest’

July 3rd, 2010 | Author: Your Correspondent

PAP Minister without portfolio Lim Swee Say who has the propensity of making embarrassing gaffes shocked Singaporeans again with yet another “improvisation” of the English language.
Speaking to reporters on the Customer-Centric Initiative, Mr Lim urged every worker in the service sector to adopt a productivity target and to strive to be the best.
“If every one of us in the service sector in Singapore can adopt the same mindset, in terms of having a service quality target, a productivity target, an innovation target – maybe with the three coming together, there is hope we can achieve a breakthrough in a very widespread manner.”
He added that with stiff global competition, gunning for gold is now not good enough.
“If you’re the best today, strive to be better. If you’re better today, strive to be ‘betterer’ and if you’re ‘betterer’ today, strive to be ‘betterest’ so that over time, Singapore’s service standards can just keep getting better, ‘betterer’ and ‘betterest’”, he was quoted as saying in Channel News Asia.
Mr Lim, who is also NTUC Secretary-General, is famous for coining the phrase “cheaper, better and faster” to exhort Singaporeans to increase their competitiveness in 2007. A few weeks later, Mr Lim received a massive 60 percent pay rise from the PAP. He is set to receive a 8.8 percent pay hike this year.
Though Mr Lim is not in charge of any ministries, he earns more than $2 million dollars a year, or 4 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama, thanks to the “generosity” of Singapore taxpayers.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/07/03/lim-swee-say-if-youre-‘betterer’-today-strive-to-be-‘betterest’/

bic_cherry SG

Workers can expect better pay rise: labour chief
By Evelyn Choo | Posted: 22 July 2010 1945 hrs

So long as our Ministers remain paid proportional to the highest 8 earners in the 6 best paid professions, the life of Singaporeans can never be expected to be too good.
This is because then Ministers would be much too pro business, sharing the same mercenary (profit at all costs- i.e. Profit Above Principle/ 'PAP') ideals as CEOs are oft accused of.
We all know that for most part, a CEO's key KPIs are that of company profitability- which is what essentially determines their salaries. Thus said, it would be better if PAP could find a better way of pegging ministerial salaries factoring in the median of all Singaporean's salaries (possibly including those overseas)- whilst making these calculations transparent.
Though such a new calculation would result in relatively lower salaries then the currently overheated PAP determined ones, a new scheme would go far in convincing all Singaporeans that their leaders are not like any other exploitative CEO (recall many an irresponsible banker CEOs, BP CEO Hayward etc- whose profit minded objectives oft compromise the integrity of society at large, are accused of overworking and under paying workers, polluting the env. etc) but are citizen's true chosen leaders, not exploiters of Singaporean labour but leaders trusted by all to maintain social stability and economic progress, especially for our future generations; - unlike notorious CEOs whose companies are not just bankrupt but also require government bailouts to avoid 'spillover effects'.
What better election show of a good character is there but but frugality on part of a leader, as our nation weathers crisis after crisis.

Whilst SG is unique in many ways, we are not immune to natural limits e.g: "Whatever we do when we get extraordinary rains like we had recently, no amount of engineering can prevent flooding... unless you want to lose half the roads and have canals." ~ MM Lee, ST 22July 2010 [link].
Novel as our Ministerial salary schemes may be, nature and logic dictates that Corrupt officials would be corrupt, no matter how much they are paid, how sustainable is it for SG to pay our Ministers not to be corrupt?

The most true and talented Singaporeans, especially those not out to earn a quick buck would then feel comfortable either in civil service or in government and Singaporeans wouldn't be unreasonable in their expectations of their leaders so long as they feel that all are in it together and for the long term.
For most, an excessive pay doesn't confer much quality-of-life improvement. In anycase, for the really talented, surely they would be able to earn a comfortable living post retirement having done well in government service, as public speech requests and book sales would only be one too many. Without the title of 'Minister Mentor/ Senior Minister' the impact of their opinions about society would be equally resounding, no matter what appointment prefix they have.
As for those whose esteem is so dependent on the size of their salary, let them foray into the focused world of business. In the midst of a committed government elected by a wise and knowledgeable populace, they would find politicians then hard to bribe. May that be the national future we can proudly all look forward to.

References:
- [AFP22Jul2010]: 'Flood response not sufficient: Lee Kuan Yew': "Whatever we do when we get extraordinary rains like we had recently, no amount of engineering can prevent flooding... unless you want to lose half the roads and have canals." [link].
- [Reuters5Apr2007]: 'Singapore ministers set for million-dollar pay hike': "'If we don't do that ... corruption will set in and we will become like many other countries,' Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean was quoted as saying in the Straits Times last week."- [link]
- [CNA:03May2006] 'Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore is at the top of its game because of a strong political system and quality leadership' [YouTube/@1m10s]

sunnytv SG

Lim Swee Say: Believe me, I am Zorro.

dare82 SG

He should be donning the Kermit the Frog mascot costume as he is a deaf frog to the public.

Medicated Oil SG

I think he refering to his fellow co-workers.

I dun think the companies here are increasing the pay as the global condition have not really improve.

Coupled with huge influx of foreign talent, the chances of lower pay is higher.

I wish the local media will stop publishing fairy tale speeches made by the croonies as they end up becoming laughing stock themselves.

Terminator Hitman SG

........................rather watch porn nowadays then go listen to poiticians.porn makes more sense than what the pap now spews out.

u would get more useful info from a porn movie than the whole pap efforts now.

angel7030 SG

for me, i will add on a big bag of pop corns to go with a big gulp of coke (diet)...