The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has said that wages still contain
significant elements of seniority-based pay and so wage adjustments
help older workers to remain employed ('Adjustments help seniors
stay employed'; Saturday).
However, it is unrealistic to peg older workers' wages to
productivity and performance in sectors where better equipment,
mechanisation and new technology are not in place in the first
place. Moreover, there are physical limits for older workers in
'blue collar' industries.
The employment rate of older residents aged 55 to 64 was 57 per
cent last year. Since seniors continue to contribute to the
country's economic growth with reduced incomes, the public and
private sectors should balance that with fair and genuine
concessions.
Actually most of the current concessions to older workers and
the elderly are conditional and insincere. For instance, in public
transport, why impose time-zone restrictions when seniors need to
travel to and fro from work?
Why are ticket concessions in cinemas withdrawn on public
holidays, weekends and weekdays after 5pm when it is family
time?
The seniors in our society deserve genuine concessions. They
have no desire to be treated as 'load-fillers' by public transport
operators and 'lull-period customers' by commercial businesses.
The Government could also look at offering older workers
discounts in hospital and medical bills, waiver of radio and TV
licence fees and lower property tax rates.
Paul Chan