MPs reject minimum wage in Parliament

Clivebenss SG

By Rachael Chang

THE recent public debate over whether or not Singapore should implement a minimum wage made its way into Parliament on Wednesday, as close to 20 MPs from both sides of the House grappled with its merits in addressing the plight of low-wage workers.

The marathon five-hour session was sparked off by a motion moved by labour MPs Josephine Teo and Mr Zainudin Nordin, both of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, urging the Government to do more for low-wage workers.

None of the MPs who spoke advocated that Singapore should implement a minimum wage now.

Almost all who spoke on the topic argued that it would do more harm than good; by diminishing the economy's competitiveness, they said the measure would lead to unemployment for the very workers it intended to help.

Instead, suggestions piled up on how to improve the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme, a regular payout given to encourage low-wage workers to stay employed.

As Mrs Teo declared: 'I think it's fair to say that most members agree that Workfare is a better alternative.'

likeyou SG

Meaning more foreigners taking up low skill with low pay.

Left out those low skill to fend themselves with families and kids.

Clivebenss SG

Workfare is don't work if the low skilled remains unemployed.

likeyou SG

My ex colleagues, jobless, took up many govt aided courses, in the end, still work as a security guard, lowly paid too. What's the point?

Rock^Star SG

what to do? We depend on foreign companies to set up shop and drive our economy. That's been the adopted strategy for so many years. Min wage would drive them away to Msia.

WIS is strongly endorsed by the PM, so naturally the fawning dogs would toe his line.

Junyang700 SG

Most of our MPs happen to be businessmen... Haix... Its like employers deciding whether they should pay more for their workers.

jgho83 SG

those people paid to wayang only u all dunno?

Clivebenss SG

those people paid to wayang only u all dunno?

why pay them to wayang only?

Deino SG

"Instead, suggestions piled up on how to improve the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme, a regular payout given to encourage low-wage workers to stay employed."

OMG where the hell is the logic in this?

Giving money to encourage low-wage worker to stay employed? As if you never give people will lose mood and quit their jobs? People are working for a living. Its not like they had any choice at all.

Hitman 2010 SG

Meaning more foreigners taking up low skill with low pay.

Left out those low skill to fend themselves with families and kids.

actually highly skilled and low pay with 10 years experience also wiped out...along with highly educated ,

in the end.................depend on luck only as the spore enviroment destroys all entrepreneurs,researchers,great engineers ,inventors etc etc.with a pay so low.......might as well fold clothes,pack up bag and immigrate to some place where enviroment is better.

Junyang700 SG

I say Workfare is not 3 not 4.
End of day, employers want to send their employees for workfare so that they can get more rebates.
Employees just got arrowed to go down for useless workshops.

Medicated Oil SG

Workfare programme are gearing you to jobs that are taken by foreigners due to lower cost.

So, you are back to square one if your job was replaced by a foreigner.

If they argued against the minimum wage scheme, then the ministers pay should not be pegged to top earners salary since they are never responsible if there are any honest mistake.

Clivebenss SG

I say Workfare is not 3 not 4.
End of day, employers want to send their employees for workfare so that they can get more rebates.
Employees just got arrowed to go down for useless workshops.

One question who benefits from all these workshops?

dragg SG

everything they say is correct.

frankly have they ever adopted a single suggestion from anyone other than those from their million dollar brains?

Medicated Oil SG

Workshop is organised by cheng hu and paid by cheng hu using tax payer money.

So, the kakis of cheng hu who are doing the workshop are the one smiling to the bank.

deathmaster SG

i am very disappointed that even our oppo rejected minimum wage laws.

dragg SG

Workshop is organised by cheng hu and paid by cheng hu using tax payer money.

So, the kakis of cheng hu who are doing the workshop are the one smiling to the bank.

there're people complaining their companies sending them to course just to take the money.

the scheme benefits the employers not workers.

Clivebenss SG

Workshop is organised by cheng hu and paid by cheng hu using tax payer money.

So, the kakis of cheng hu who are doing the workshop are the one smiling to the bank.

someone got to benefit somewhere.

charlize SG

http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/01/13/ntuc-chief-opposes-strongly-to-minimum-wage/

Askingyouto SG

I just think that there's a lot of problems that even minimum wages can't solve. This country has very deep structural problems that began with low birth rates, inadequate number of universities, a government which breeded clutch mentality GLCee and other big and small sub branches of these which just can't seemed to get out of using cheap, young workers, coupled also with unimagainative managers, directors which can only administrate but not problem-solve, no thanks to an education structure that was hughly throttled by PAPist wariness of producing imagnative people capable of creating powerful industries and business which might topple PAPist one day.

I just find this to be too little, too late.

China and India have risen, and they have lots of dirt cheap things and also expensive things to sell to the world. Sinkapore til now have not produced anything worth top dollars, not even PAP is worth a cent.