CREATING MORE JOBS

last SG · 2004-08-14T18:39:32+00:00

The casino is going to come up. There is no doubt about it. The revenue stream is simply too large to ignore.

robertteh SG

Minister Lim Swee Say says he will create more jobs by creating lower-paying jobs like cleaners into value-add ones to entice Singaporeans.

This is the right move. More efforts should be made to preserve jobs for local instead of passing all of them to foreigners because of excuses like locals don't take them etc. Past policies can be wrong such as this one. Any views or further suggestions?

Qitai SG

Are you sure that is an excuse? How many people you know who are jobless are willing to take up those jobs? I do not have any figures. But judging that many of us has become soft, I think that could very well be the truth.

robertteh SG

To: Qitai,

Do not be so defensive of status quo. It is part of constructive feedbacks when forumnites here try to point out certain past policies are wrong citing examples. If like what has happened, we keep jumping to Government defence, this is not openness or feedbacks. Be more tolerant towards feedbacks that offer suggestions.

Government has the duty to create jobs. They will be deemed failing in this duty if they are so easily dissuaded by difficulties of one kind or another. Many governments around the world will not easily open up their job markets to others and even if they do, they will try to preserve jobs for the local as far as they can.

After all, look at election speeches and party manifestoes, such are their duties. Please do not be so sensitive to suggestions pointing out truths as stated in the tenth commandment Idea Rolling Eyes

Qitai SG

Hi robertteh,

Maybe I have given you the impression I am pro government. I would not say exactly so. As it is, I have made several points about where the government has not done right. But yet, it is also true that this government is not always wrong. There are too many baseless negatives comments made about the government. And I feel I need to correct that whenever I feel it otherwise. In this case, your remark of government using excuses about Singaporean not wanting to be cleaner is one where I am doubtful about it just being an excuse. It could very well be the truth.

Despite that, I do not disagree with you that the government could have done more to help the employment situation in Singapore. It is the only adding of the above remark that I disagree with.

I am tolerant towards different opinion. But I am not tolerant of baseless attacks and blaming. The one thing I always hate to see is when people concentrate their effort on blaming then building. Hence, the common phase blame storm to ridiculed Brain storm session. Perhaps, I am trying to just bring about the balance here, where blaming seems to be the more common approach. Probably, I overrated myself

the.raven SG

does that mean giving more pay fot cleaners? whoa then everyone also become part time cleaners then become damn rich can buy houses and cars and Shit.

robertteh SG

Hi, Qitai,

I respect your sense of balance. However, I cannot quite agree that there was an baseless attack on government. Unemployed need help but the problem is not yet solved. Sometimes, the point just has to be made across more robustly instead of accepting problem as unsolvable. Rolling Eyes

thinker SG

Putting aside all opinions & judgements etc, the true fact is there are still 4.5% of people unemployed and that relates to more than 100K people not able to get a job. The government should help those who are willing to help themselves to get a job. It is the government’s task to create jobs for the common people. Prolong unemployment will cause psychological and family issues to these people directly or indirectly, probably adding social issue to Singapore.

Clown9 SG

Agree, beside that, I also feel that Singapore depends too much on foreign employees(out-sourcing). Yes, it could be necessary 4 S'pore's economic growth, in order to face today world's tough competition. Or probably there are also other reasons.

However, not only low paying jobs like cleaners, there are many average paying jobs like clerial or administrative jobs have been taken by foreigners. esp. Malaysians or other asian. (nothing against them).

I jus find it quite disheartening that some of those wif work experienced, but older Singaporeans whom have dip or degree end up looking 4 jobs like drivers, fast food counter staffs & so on.(understood if the economic is really bad & no choice) but not to 4get that there are many "high paid foreign talents" also wif degrees. Worse is that wat really happen 2 those with lower education?! Crying or Very sad

I understand our leaders/bosses cannot "please everyone", but I sure hope they will not only choose to please certain group of Singaporeans/ pple. But extent the "pleasing" fairly to needy(unemploy) Singaporeans.

Something must be very wrong, if the standard of living keeping rising, Singapore's economic recovering & yet there r many jobless & pay cuts or pay strucked. Idea

tspg SG

I think you have a point there. Most cleaning jobs not only has a image problem, the paid is a also extremely low for most people to consider. Average pay for cleaning job is abt $800 compared to $1000 in factory. End up only old ppl with no other skills or choices will take up these jobs.

Nowadays most cleaning work is tendered to contractors. The contract amt may be enough to give workers a better pay, but to maximise profits, contractors turn to foreign workers. Restricting number of foreign workers in these sectors will forced the contractors to hire local workers at more competitive rates.

robertteh SG

Maintenance, security, housekeeping, and simple repairs can be combined with cleaning with appropriate re-naming of post.

Examples:

General Assistant (Maintenance/Housekeeping/Cleaning)
Housekeeper (Cleaning plus housekeeping)
Specialist Cleaner (Use of Machine/Polisher/Waxing) in various industies.

Many cleaners are now confined to cleaning and doing purely cleaning and refuse removal. Fair enough for such jobs, nothing much can be done to re-name the posts or to enlarge the scope.

However, I notice many cleaners in various environment cannot be fully occupied either because the jobs are minor or building smaller but there are many other works to be done within the companies. By imaginatively re-packaging our available jobs many interesting new positions can be created for our unemployed.

Government may wish to take a lead in this area. Rolling Eyes

robertteh SG

Example (2) of creating employment opportunities for unemployed and young graduates (launch them to be entrepreneurs from start).

Design a process-management kit to enable unemployed to offer free-lance off-site for accounting, book-keeping, property management and maintenance and office administration management

In Australia there are many such part-time or free-lance jobs. Cool

tspg SG

Maybe older retrench middle mangers will be a better choice in this sector.

robertteh SG

There is no need to keep going for re-training. Focus on one's existing knowledge or skill and developing it further may fetch greater return. There is a saying in Chinese "Hun Hun Chu Chuan Yan", or roughly "any profession has its mandarin".

In many cases, after a person is re-trained, he may still not get employed either because he may be older or he may fail to get the targeted jobs due to supply and demand situation.

Rolling Eyes

robertteh SG

To:tspg,

Agreed that middle managers may need more help because of vulnerability and age. A process management kit properly sanctioned by the MOM will open up a lot of opportunities to make them entrepreneurs. Rolling Eyes

paperduck SG

4.5% of people unemployed , to my understanding

some are Loan-Shark Cundergound 4-D and some part-time job..

correct me if im wrong.

and may i know full-time house-wife is in the 4.5%?

robertteh SG

If a country cannot create jobs and business opportunities by spinning the economy and making monies go round, there will be a lot of people turning to unproductive gambling, drug trafficking, share speculating and loan sharks.

Example (3) for job creation - create hobby clubs of all kinds not just for football but for arrowoners lovers etc. I heard that arrowoner is now a big export industry. Such clubs will create knowledge bases and vibrancy for the economy. Idea

tspg SG

The present strategy is to create Singapore as a hub for education, medical tourist, conventions and so on.

I think its a good strategy as the money spent by the foreigners will inject more money into the economy and create jobs in the service industries.

Maybe the govt shd put more efforts in this area.

robertteh SG

A business master plan will integrate all component activities into a whole to benefit all downstream industries.

If Singapore should start a casino, it can be part of the master plan to generate spin-offs to all sectors.

The problem faced is always in the doing not the conceptualizing. Don't you think? Question Rolling Eyes

robertteh SG

Example (4) for job creation:

This place can set the example to be an idea club. Be informal. Everyone is very willing to share, broadminded and even help one another when the right idea for business or improvement in works are agreed among them and accepted. Rolling Eyes

paperduck SG

i think there a need for Casino.
hard tax is still secondary..the main thing to improve singapore attraction.

but i hope singapore govt play big part of supervising the Casino.