MADAM MARY WONG: 'I add my appeal among others to the Government
to review the automatic cut in an employer's Central Provident Fund
(CPF) contribution rates for workers aged above 50 ('No automatic
pay cut at 60 for 34,400 workers'; Nov 25). The cut effectively
amounts to a cut in remuneration, as CPF has long been seen as part
of an employee's pay. Many employees peak in their careers from age
50, while workload and responsibilities remain the same, if not
more. Although it is not mandatory for employers to cut an
employee's CPF rate, as they are encouraged to make voluntary
contributions, not many bosses will act on the latter. Voluntary
contributions give employers an extra headache as they must make
adjustments to their computerised payroll system. I appeal to the
Government not to let ageism creep into CPF rates. Let remuneration
be negotiable among employers, employees and unions, and keep our
statutory CPF contribution rates simple and the same for workers of
all ages in the spirit of fair employment practices. While there
may have been good reasons to cut CPF rates previously, I do not
think those reasons apply now.'
