Helping low-wage workers top Govt priorty:
PM
HELPING low-wage workers to earn more through training and
upgrading is a top Government priority, Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong pledged on Thursday.
He said the trade unions are very seized by this issue and the
Government is paying a lot of attention to these workers to help
them catch up with the others.
'I know many unionists are concerned about these workers,
because their incomes have not increased as much as others, or may
even have stagnated,' he told some 1,500 trade union members in his
May Day Rally address at Downtown East on Thursday morning.
'This is a top priority for the Government; in fact, we are doing
many things to help them.'
These include providing more opportunities for training and
upgrading and investing more in the Continuing Education and
Training (CET) programme.
Also in place is the Workfare Income Supplement, from which some
$300 million has been given out to some 300,000 low-wage workers
this year to raise their income and CPF savings. It is also a way
to encourage employers to hire locals.
The National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) is also doing its part
by helping workers to upgrade their skills, and casual and contract
workers to secure CPF, medical benefits and training.
Mr Lee said the Government is giving its full backing and
support to these efforts and NTUC chief Lim Swee Say is personally
leading many of them.
While these measures may not produce instant results, in the
long-term, they are the most effective ways to help low-wage
workers, he added.
Mr Lee said he recently met the NTUC Central Committee which was
'very seized with this issue' and wanted to know what more could be
done to address the low-wage workers issue.
Acknowledging that is not an easy problem to solve, PM Lee said
countries around the world are also grappling with it.
There are no short cuts. Having a minimum wage or shutting out
foreign workers will not work, he said.
Most S'poreans are doing well
PM Lee also urged the people to see the issue in context. He said
the majority of Singaporeans are doing well and household incomes
across the board have increased.
Singapore's jobless is at a very low rate of 2.9 per cent, while
the employment rate is at record highs. More Singaporeans are
employed than ever before, despite all the foreign workers
here.
Mr Lee noted that especially good progress has been made among
older workers aged 55 to 64, with 74 per cent of the men in age
group still working. This is among the highest level in the world,
he said.
Research and innovation to attract new projects
The Government will improve the lives of all by developing the
abilities and talents of Singaproeans to the fullest.
It will complement this by building new upstream capabilities
through research and innovation to attract new activities and
projects, and upgrade and transform our economy.
It will invest in education to equip the young generation to do
well and stress quality education for every child.
In the long-term, this is the best way to minimise the problem
of low-wage workers, said Mr Lee.
Citing ITE graduates as an example, PM said they are in demand,
with 93 per cent of them finding jobs within six months, and
drawing good starting salaries of around $1,400, on average.
'This is the way to grow our economy, create more jobs and
opportunities, and improve the lives of all workers,' said Mr
Lee.
'Not just highly qualified and educated workers, but all collars
- from cleaners and security guards to technical and professional
staff. Not just young workers, but all ages - from new job
entrants, to mid-career and mature workers. Not just local workers,
but all nationalities - from Singaporeans to others who are here to
help us reach our goals.'