After following the joint actions of the Government and the NTUC
in cutting staff numbers, followed by cuts to wages and CPF over
the last few months, the Government has still ignored the Singapore
Citizens silent gripes about the Government reluctance to respond
to the high costs of utilities, telephone bills, transport charges,
hospital fees (the Minister of Health has the audacity to say that
he will try to hold out against any new increases), and GST - and
most recently increase to admission charges to all Public Swimming
Pool.
In this Thursday Straits Times - 4 September 2003, during a tea
session with employers, GCG has left it to the NTUC
Secretary-General to tell the employers that the government has
done its part, and it is the employers' turn to contribute to help
workers.
Has the Government done enough, or should they listen take action
in response to the very advise that they are dishing out to the
employers.
Read the following taken from the Straits Times:
GOVT TO EMPLOYERS: It's your turn
to act
Speaking on behalf of PM Goh, NTUC chief reminds employers of their
obligations to workers and issues an action list
By Lydia Lim
NOW that workers have accepted the Central Provident Fund (CPF)
rate cuts, it is time for employers to act, said Prime Minister Goh
Chok Tong.
Mr Goh mingled with about 500 business leaders at an Istana
reception. -- JOYCE FANG
He delivered this message to some 500 business leaders at an Istana
reception last night.
Calling on National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) chief Lim Boon
Heng to speak on his behalf, he said there was a need to 'balance
out the debate' by letting employers know their obligations to
workers, particularly in this time of economic transition.
So what was traditionally a night for cocktails and convivial
conversation between entrepreneurs and the establishment became an
opportunity to deliver some straight talk to employers.
Mr Lim put it plainly - some workers have lost faith in their
companies' management at the way they handled retrenchments and
wage cuts.
He then issued a list of what employers ought to do to protect
workers, by not just focusing on reducing costs, but also
generating revenue and creating and preserving jobs.
First, he urged employers to listen more to what workers have to
say about their problems and their ideas for improvement.
They must also explain to workers when change is needed and not
expect union officials to do all the communicating.
Next, they should build a new social compact with employees, to
help them upgrade skills and stay employable.
'Some grassroots unionists said to me recently: 'Enough said about
asking workers to change their mindsets. Someone must tell
employers they too must change their mindsets!' ' - NTUC chief Lim
Boon Heng, on unionists' sense of frustration and
helplessness
This can replace the old compact based on lifelong employment.
Concrete steps that employers can take include being flexible in
rostering workers on shift duty and working with NTUC to co-fund
individual learning accounts for workers.
He also challenged employers to re-design jobs to better suit
Singaporeans, instead of expecting them to work long hours on
demand at low pay.
If employers put their heads to it, they can find ways to help
older workers be more productive, he said.
They can also maintain their 24-hour, seven-day operations and
still let younger workers have time for family and a social
life.
He noted that the chief of a Czech factory did it by making sure no
one had to work a 12-hour shift on Sundays.
Mr Lim also said employers must also stop taking the easy out by
retrenching to save costs when they can achieve the same goal by
making wages more flexible.
'It is much easier to retrench than it is to reorganise. That is
why the natural tendency is for companies' management staff to
favour the retrenchment option. But retrenchment comes with huge
social costs,' he said.
He reminded them that layoffs should only be used as a last
resort.
To get workers to accept lower fixed pay, employers should also
give them a 'fair share' when profits improve.
He held up PSA Corporation as an example.
When the port operator needed to cut wages by up to 14 per cent to
stay competitive, its management promised workers that if it
achieved a target level of savings in two years, they would get a
bonus.
As the audience took in the speech, faces sobered up and later,
some told The Straits Times they know their to-do list is
long.
Dr R. Theyvendran of media company Stamford Media, for example,
said employers were often reluctant to revamp wages because workers
are so used to high fixed pay. Both sides think 'short term instead
of long term', he admitted.
But some said the changes are going well. Robinson and Company's
chief executive Peter Husum said it implemented the monthly
variable component with no objection from workers.
Underlining that economic recovery must be a combined effort, the
Government will be communicating more with businesses and other
players in the days ahead. Mr Goh and other Cabinet ministers will
be holding a dialogue with unionists and business leaders
tonight.
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,208044,00.html?