SINGAPORE: The Republic needs to be more manpower-lean and
productive, said outgoing Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin on Sunday
(May 3).
Marking his last day with the
Ministry of Manpower, he stressed that keeping manpower growth
tight is "the correct way to go even if companies aren't always
happy".
Mr Tan said while some may not
always agree with how policies have been designed and implemented,
the benefit of Singaporeans and Singapore must continue to be at
"centre of everything".
Mr Tan, who's been appointed
as the new Social and Family Development Minister, shared these
views as he blogged on his reflections on his last day of work with
the Manpower Ministry.
"A most meaningful four
years."
That's how Mr Tan Chuan-Jin
described his stint with the Manpower Ministry. Mr Tan said when he
first joined the Ministry in 2011, he thought the Ministry was an
important driver in the economic landscape.
However, he soon realised that
the responsibilities were also social in nature - affecting the
lives of many. Uplifting low wage workers and helping Singaporeans
achieve retirement adequacy are some critical issues to tackle so
Singaporeans can enjoy a more comfortable future.
MANAGING DIFFERENT INTERESTS
In his reflections, Mr Tan
said being in the Manpower Ministry meant having to manage
differing interests. For example, employers would like easier
access to more manpower.
Some also felt changes to the
Employment Act and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act were
being overly protective of workers. But some still feel
Singaporeans workers are not protected adequately.
Mr Tan said at the end of the
day, Singaporeans must benefit from all that is being done. He said
manpower growth must be kept tight.
Strengthening the Singaporean
core is also more important than "taking the seemingly more popular
Singaporeans first or only approach". He said the latter will hurt
Singapore's competitiveness and the ability to provide good
opportunities and jobs for Singaporeans.
TRIPARTISM
Mr Tan also highlighted the
importance of tripartism in Singapore. He said it enabled the
Government to put in place initiatives which have benefited low
wage workers. He said there is underlying trust between the
parties.
The willingness to look at
longer-term common interests has also prevented gridlocks or
divisions.
From 2011 to 2014, the
Workfare Income Supplement Scheme has also seen S$2.1 billion being
disbursed to 400,000 low-wage Singaporeans in cash as well as CPF
contributions. Singaporeans can also benefit from higher CPF
interest rate for low balances and similarly for CPF members aged
55 and above
Mr Tan said tripartism support
and collaboration had been at the heart of all these efforts, even
if it didn't seem obvious.
WORKPLACE
SAFETY
Turning to workplace safety,
Mr Tan said important regulations and programmes have been
introduced to reduce the number of injuries. The fatality rate has
fallen to an all-time low of 1.8 deaths per 100,000 workers last
year - a goal that was supposed to be achieved by 2018.
Still, he said more should be
done to lower it further. Apart from safety, he said the Ministry
has also come down hard on egregious employment
practices.
For example, the Employment of
Foreign Manpower Act has been enhanced to ensure that errant
employers are brought to justice swiftly. Penalties have been
increased for effective deterrence.
Mr Tan said enabling
Singaporeans to retire more comfortably in their golden years has
always been one of the foremost concerns. Thus, CPF contribution
rates and salary ceilings have been increased. There's also the
flexibility for lump sum withdrawal at the payout eligibility age.
Low-income retired elderly will also benefit from the Silver
Support Scheme, which will be rolled out next year.
Still, Mr Tan said all the
measures would not translate to a comfortable retirement unless one
carefully looks at how they save and prepare for their retirement.
Self-discipline he said is also important.
IN GOOD HANDS
Mr Tan said he is leaving the
Manpower Ministry in the good hands of Mr Lim Swee Say - a man he
deeply respects and admire.
He said he is certain that
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, who takes
over Mr Lim's post as Secretary-General of NTUC, will continue his
good work and will ensure there is strong partnership with
unions.
Mr Tan also thanked Stephen
Lee, ex-president of SNEF, as well as current president Robert Yap.
He said under their leadership, Singapore has a strong and unique
tripartite partnership to safeguard the welfare of
workers.
- CNA/ek
