Interesting word usage of get versus
help. I thought I was reading theonion.sg for a
minute. Bless them all.
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Singapore to develop new ways to get elderly citizens
to work longer
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia |
Posted: 08 January 2009 1551 hrs
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Singapore to
develop new ways to get elderly citizens to work longer
SINGAPORE: Singapore will need to develop new arrangements
to help the elderly work as long as they can.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said one such feature in place is
getting companies to rehire workers aged 62 years for another three
years till 65. But that could mean taking up a different job at a
lower pay.
Housekeeping is not the most sought-after job, but someone has to
do it.
66-year-old Lee Lai Eng has been working as a housekeeper for over
20 years. The grandmother of four chose to continue working six
days a week, eight hours each day, even after retirement.
Even though she gets the same pay as her younger colleagues, the
former nurse feels empowered by her added responsibilities as a
housekeeping trainer. She is also glad that being employed means
her medical needs are taken care of by the company.
Madam Lee said: "My children have asked me to stop work, but it is
hard." She said she prefers to be independent financially. "I
prefer to be free."
"Pay is important, but I feel that I don't need so much money since
I'm so old," said Madam Lee.
That is something Prime Minister Lee will be glad to hear.
Speaking at Singapore's first Retirement Conference on Thursday, he
said social attitudes must change.
"The job of hotel attendant may be a humble one, but it is an
honourable employment. We should not discourage anyone from taking
on such jobs. To do so would limit his options to be active,
engaged and to earn an income," Mr Lee said.
"They need to be ready to adjust to different responsibilities, and
possibly lighter work and less pay and understandably, these
adjustments are harder to accept," he added.
Besides attitudes, Mr Lee said wage structures - where workers get
paid according to the number of years on the job - must also change
with the times, so that companies will hire more older workers
instead of younger and cheaper ones.
The labour movement is working with companies to make older
workers' wage structure more competitive so that it is easier for
them to stay employed.
NTUC deputy secretary-general, Heng Chee How, said: "For the older
workers, you are looking at aspects of health, you're looking at
aspects of skills, you're looking at aspects of job
performance.
"And all these are specific areas that must be further enhanced
because as the population ages, you'll have more and more older
workers. They'll have to work longer and they'd want to work
longer."
The unions are also working with companies to help older workers
find and keep jobs during this downturn.
Union leaders say they are working with companies to encourage them
to send not just the younger workers for retraining but the older
ones as well, as part of the government's S$600m skills upgrading
scheme.
- CNA/ir