ntuc-tripartite model not effective for workers benefits?

qpicanto SG · 2007-05-10T11:52:01+00:00

Interesting article on the possible costs of abandoning manufacturing http://sound.westhost.com/manufacture.htm

qpicanto SG

despite the existence of ntuc for so many year workers' wages continue to fall behind rising costs of living.

It keeps saying local workers are competiting with those from developing countries hence wages got to be low. It keep urging Sporeans to work till they drop and forget about retirement.

However, it is interesting to note that in many developed countries wages are not allowed to fall below a certain point so that the good quality of life for the workers can be sustained.

In fact a Spore GLC transport firm is paying the driving force of the co in London :

"Drivers in Metroline earn on average £24,000 before overtime. The revised company offer will put drivers on just under £25,500 per annum.

The company believes that the offer made by Metroline to drivers is fair and reasonable in the context of recent improvements to pay and our current financial performance"

Jaspal Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Metroline a subsidiary of Comfort Delgro

14-11-06---------------------------------------------------------

ntuc can afford to push for higher pay for local workers now that the economy is better, GST hike coming and big profits by GLC in transport, utilities with hugh surplus in a sure make money monopolistic environment.

Wages for workers remain 3rd world whilst of cost living is 17th costliest in the world per 2006 ranking.

oxford mushroom SG

Ah, then you would prefer France's model:

"...Young people enter the workforce late; able-bodied, experienced people retire early; the standard working week has been reduced to 35 hours."

And the result?

"The British "employment rate" - ie those adults who have jobs - is 72 per cent. France's is 58 per cent. France works 617 hours per inhabitant per year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, compared to 800 hours in Britain, 865 in the US, 796 in Denmark."

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article2444445.ece

Sure, workers in France and Sweden have high salaries, generous benefits and work few hours...it's heaven if you have a job. Employers are not daft...they would move their businesses away to other countries very quickly.

And that's why France is the sick man of Europe.

the Bear SG

just asking...

so, screw humanity.. anything to feed the machine?

check.. Smile

oxford mushroom SG

How do you think humans have come to rule the earth?

"Modern humans may have driven Neanderthals to extinction 30,000 years ago because Homo sapiens unlocked the secrets of free trade, say a group of US and Dutch economists. The theory could shed new light on the mysterious and sudden demise of the Neanderthals after over 260,000 years of healthy survival..."

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/human-evolution/dn7221-free-trade-may-have-finished-off-neanderthals-.html

Survival of the fittest ensures the best genes survive whilst the rest perish. It ensures survival of the species..

walesa SG

What else do you think minimum wage is meant to safeguard? Why do you think the fascists are so disinclined to enforce this?

rooki SG

Seriously, who cares about the workers?

The tripartite model has been very successful in making workers' concerns subordinate to that of the government and private enterprise. As long as the politicians and corporate fat cats get their money and cheap, competent workers, nobody should complain.

And if the workers are pissed, there are always hungrier foreigners willing to do your job for even less. Such is the reality of Singapore's job market.

eagleye007 SG

And if the French worked longer hours, the unemployment rate will increase further. No?

Another news:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2007/03/29/france_unemployment_rate_hits_24_yr_low/

oxford mushroom SG

The French are daft to think that they can solve unemployment by making everyone work fewer hours, so that it takes two workers to do the job of one. Businesses are not stupid. Employers would rather take their businesses to the UK where 1 Polish worker can do the job of 2 Frenchmen for less pay.

The unemployment rate in France has dropped a little on the strength of the global economy but it is still close to 10%. Just ask the french who are flocking to London for jobs and you will have a better idea of France employment woes.

ShutterBug SG

Originally posted by oxford mushroom:
How do you think humans have come to rule the earth?

[b]"Modern humans may have driven Neanderthals to extinction 30,000 years ago because Homo sapiens unlocked the secrets of free trade, say a group of US and Dutch economists. The theory could shed new light on the mysterious and sudden demise of the Neanderthals after over 260,000 years of healthy survival..."

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/human-evolution/dn7221-free-trade-may-have-finished-off-neanderthals-.html

Survival of the fittest ensures the best genes survive whilst the rest perish. It ensures survival of the species..[/b]

I think you could be optimistically mistaken - HUMAN race is on a slow but steady course towards extinction...

Rule the Earth, I think the Earth would probably have the better over us in time...

reyes SG

ntuc-tripartite model not effective for workers benefits?

yes you are right! why do NTUC chief secretary has to be members of the PAP?
or rather why member of the PAP has to become the NTUC chief??
it one head wear 2 hats! a line that cannot be drawn clearly.

anyway, it the unionise members themselves has to blame. they fail to elect their own leader to lead their own respective unions.
they fail to remain independent of NTUC. but prefer to join the bigger umbrella.
the results? most unions has lost their soul and sold it to PAP.

this is a another masterstroke of the PAP to further control the singaporeans!

my own protest dispite i am non unionise members.
(a)i stop purpose anything from NTUC instead i buy from cold storage, mama shop, 7 eleven, giant etc.
(b) i dont buy NTUC car insurance, anyway they are not the cheapest anymore.

i dont make a difference, but i dont care. i just doing my bit as a singaporeans, making my own protest to the NTUC.
NTUC is the one that need to be retrain, reform, and rejuvenate itself.

hawkeye1819 SG

Sorry, eagleye here, but changed nick Wink

It's the same everywhere. Companies go to countries with cheaper labour cost. Even in Singapore, 1 person do the work of 3 people, companies still want to relocate.

Knowing this, Singapore built its strength on offering something other countries cannot. France can start thinking about this.

Reducing pay is not a solution. Cost of living is high and wages have come down lower than before. Any lower and the PAP will start losing votes. They know it.

the Bear SG

so.. where do we stand?

there was a Dilbert comic once.. the pointy-haired boss told the staff, "In order to compete with our rival, we have to start working 18-hour days."

Dilbert replied, "Why don't we just say we're working 18-hour days, the rival will then make their staff work 20-hour days. After a while, their staff will die and we will be market leaders by default."

pointy-haired boss: "Do you think it will work?"

Dilbert: "Well, it almost worked on us."

think about it..

back to the tripod-ite model... seems like they have been telling the workers to "lower wages to stay competitive" while on the other side of their mouths, they've been saying "increase gabrament wages to stay competitive"

give me a break and i don't mean my leg or wind...

qpicanto SG

ntuc should read govt mouthpiece classified section today :

MNC KFC is paying only S$4.00 per hour for its Customer Svs Agent, it is also a recipient of People Developer award!

countdracula SG

unions are supposed to represent the workers, here it’s the mouthpiece of the govt…a tool for worker suppression…

oxford mushroom SG

That is why we have to move to higher value services. The Indians and the Chinese can make clothes cheaper than we can, so we abandon the textile industry and make disk drives. The Thais and the Malaysians can make disk drives cheaper than we can, we abandon disk drives for wafer fabs. The Vietnames are now constructing wafer fabs, so we must start moving again to make pharmaceutical products instead.

We must produce more financial professionals to compete with Luxembourg and London. We must increasingly move into R&D as we abandon our manufacturing industries. Whilst the Indians provide cheap call centres, we must provide quality healthcare at a lower price for European and American patients.

The opportunities are out there. Those who can take advantage of the newly created jobs from globalisation will see their salaries rise, those who cannot adapt will be caught in a downward spiral of diminishing salaries due to competition from cheaper economies.

walesa SG

Originally posted by qpicanto:
ntuc should read govt mouthpiece classified section today :

MNC KFC is paying only [b]S$4.00 per hour for its Customer Svs Agent, it is also a recipient of People Developer award!

[/b]

You can't really call KFC a MNC in the traditional sense of the word. Like McDonald's (and many other fast food chains), they're effectively franchises - matters of such nature are dictated by its local franchise.

walesa SG

Do you want to know where the concept of such trade unions originated from? (Don't think this is another wonderful brainchild of the fascists...)

Hint : Go and read up on how Hitler and gang took trade unions in their stride after the Nazis came to power...

countdracula SG

it doesn't matter how it came about, what matters is if it does enough to rise to the workers' cause....you may have more people working but the wage for most are getting are not even enough to see through the basics....the quality of life for most is pathetic....

the Bear SG

so, it's a dog eat dog world out there in the ratrace...

however, we are not dogs... neither are we rats...

we must remember that...

compete, but at what cost?

we abandon this for that, we abandon that for another, all the time the population is being stressed to hell?

look at the last line uttered by Dilbert..

and please... answer this.. are we to sacrifice our humanity at the altar of the false gods of 'economic progress'

or we already have?

reyes SG

ntuc should read govt mouthpiece classified section today :

MNC KFC is paying only S$4.00 per hour for its Customer Svs Agent, it is also a recipient of People Developer award!

ohh my god!!! what the hell is NTUC thinking??

they emphasis too much on job creation that they forgot to fight for quality of pay. in my opinion. $8/hr is a must in singapore to have decent livihood.