http://power2thepeoplesg.blogspot.com/
Would a legal minimum wage law help the poverty situation in
Singapore? We have the lowest 20% of income earners suffering a
drop in average income for the past 10-15 years. While the top 10%
of income earner continue to receive income increases. There are
households with breadwinners but still struggling to make ends
meet.
for example, Australia as a minimum wage law of about $511 Aust per
week.
USA about USD5.15 per hour, UK about 5.35 pounds/hour.
According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, The average
wage for the lowest 10% of households with income earners was S$459
in year 2000. Bear in mind that 2000 was before SARS and 9/11. For
some reason I can't find data on income distribution on the Stat
Dept website newer that year 2000. But I figure there will not be a
huge difference in the 2006 Data.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Singapore#Growth_in_household_income_by_decile
Some Benefits with implementing a minimum wage law (from
wikipedia)
1. Increases the average living standard
2. Creates incentive to work.
3. Minimum wage is administratively simple; workers only need to
report violations of wages less than minimum, minimizing a need for
a large enforcement agency
4. Stimulates consumption, by putting more money in the hands of
low-income people who spend their entire paychecks
5. Increases the work ethic of those who earn very little, as
employers demand more return from the higher cost of hiring these
employees
6. Decreases the cost of government social welfare programs by
increasing incomes for the lowest-paid.
Maybe we should get an MP and lobby for minimum wage laws here in
Singapore.
Are you one of those that starts thinking "As long as I give my 10%
of my paycheck" or "I donate to charity every month"? Are we,
Singaporeans that narcissistic? Do we start ignoring the very real
situation about poverty here in Singapore? As long as there is a
roof over your head, you got a job, a comfortable life, you
children go to school, they are safe, PAP is fine?
Has narcissism and materialism infected the majority of
Singaporeans to such a degree, that they think only of their own
households, and choose to believe or play along with whatever the
PAP says, as long as status quo is maintained?
The poverty here in Singapore is just the symptom of a larger
problem (but thats another post of another day). With a fully
controlled press that practices self censorship, Singaporeans who
are not exposed to foreign press, are only getting one side of the
whole story.
Get the government to do something about the high influx of foreign
workers, get the government to do something about the minimum wage,
and the poorest of the poor here in Singapore. Make them bloody
work for their still unjustified multi million dollar
salaries.
