[Ngck]

The china drivers were wrong to go on strike in the first place & for the wrong reason.

 

If they claimed that SMRT bullied them, why didn't they go on strike when SMRT increased their pay which was a breach of contract as nobody should revise the pay? One has to be fair to all. You can't just keep those good things that benefit you but go on strike when something doesn't benefit you. A contract is a contract.

 

Never escalate a company specific problem into a national problem. If the managment doesn't listen to u, just leave the company. There is no need to impose your way on the company. Going on strike is a serious problem and is very disruptive to any business. I've a friend who is a plant manager and he told me that his company would suffer $1m loss per day if one production line stopped working. I asked him - Would u set up your plant in a country where strikes are being encouraged even though the labour cost is low? He said no as the disruptive cost would be too great and could cripple the company.

 

Businesses want stable environment and we must eradicate negative factors that impede business survival which will in turn be our own survival. SMRT's mismanagement is just a company specific problem and the china drivers shouldn't go on strike. If we allow such culture to develop whenever there is any mismanagement in any company, who will dare to come to SG to invest? However, the author would just prance at the chance for his personal & insidious gratification. This is something I don't like and will not agree to. PLS DO NOT DISRUPT THE SOCEITY'S PEACE FOR YOUR OWN BENEFIT. NEVER ADVOCATE STRIKE!

 

you are a very simple minded man... i feel...

 

or just posting rubbish reasons to justify your position

 

[Wind30]

I see quite a few people keeps mentioning Taiwan and Korea has strikes but they are still doing well so strikes cannot be bad for Singapore.

 

Some people quote Spain and Greece (Especially) as examples of bad effects of Strikes on the economy.

 

Nobody actually went to discuss whether Singapore is more akin to Greece or Taiwan/Korea.

 

I think for Taiwan/Korean a major part of their economy/jobs come from domestic firms.

 

For Korea, I can list so many huge companies that will have significant presence in Korea no matter what happen.

 

Taiwan has close ties from China. They also has a very strong home grown tech sector.

 

Seriously, how many companies you think in Singapore is tied to Singapore? PSA?? SIA?? STEngineering?? any more? Singapore economy is based mainly by attracting OVERSEAS MNCs. How do we attract such MNCs??? just think about it. What makes MNCs come here? you will understand what will make them leave.

 

Just ask yourself where you are working in currently. Will your company stay if there is wide spread strikes in Singapore? I am sure mine wont. Maybe yours will.

[Royho1979]

I see quite a few people keeps mentioning Taiwan and Korea has strikes but they are still doing well so strikes cannot be bad for Singapore.

 

Some people quote Spain and Greece (Especially) as examples of bad effects of Strikes on the economy.

 

Nobody actually went to discuss whether Singapore is more akin to Greece or Taiwan/Korea.

 

I think for Taiwan/Korean a major part of their economy/jobs come from domestic firms.

 

For Korea, I can list so many huge companies that will have significant presence in Korea no matter what happen.

 

Taiwan has close ties from China. They also has a very strong home grown tech sector.

 

Seriously, how many companies you think in Singapore is tied to Singapore? PSA?? SIA?? STEngineering?? any more? Singapore economy is based mainly by attracting OVERSEAS MNCs. How do we attract such MNCs??? just think about it. What makes MNCs come here? you will understand what will make them leave.

 

Just ask yourself where you are working in currently. Will your company stay if there is wide spread strikes in Singapore? I am sure mine wont. Maybe yours will.

 

You should read my post and understand my points in a holistic manner. I was trying to counter the simplistic logic that strike = no investment and economic disaster. Strikes does not have to be so, if your economy is up to mark in infrastructure. There are ways to make our economy better yet able to withstand the mild discomforts associated with strikes.

 

Is Singapore at a point where we cannot have strikes because we had not made efforts to develop local companies? Lets take a look at Hong Kong. It does not have many more world beaters MNC than SIngapore. They have strikes and had them before 1997. Are they doing something that allows their economy to flourish yet allow freedom of expression? My point is: strikes are tiny factor influencing FDI. Guess what, you cant have big FDI in small countries yet expect your SMEs to growth into world beating MNCs like Samsung and Hyundai. DBS, UOB and OCBC are where they are now only because the likes of CITI, Stanchart and the big boys are restricted from entering the banking scene in the past, so your local linked MNC explanation cannot happen for as long as we stick to our economic model.

 

It seems what you are trying to say is that at present, our our country lack the right incentive to draw investment that unless it has a ready pool of exploited pseudo slaves available they will leave? Is this the right way to run the economy? Is there not a greater underlying problem wit the economy that needs to be address?

 

Finally, are you sure homegrown companies have such strong links to where they are from? How of P&G shampoos are made in US? Did HSBC not considered moving its HQ to Hongkong?

 

 

 

 

[Ahtong]

I have to agree with Royho.

 

Just want to add that strikes / protest are not always violent civilian vs polis clashes our nation building press like to potray.

 

For bus driver strikes, I have encountered it a few times overseas. Somtimes they continue driving but don't collect fares. Other times, they totally don't drive for a day (but give ample warning beforehand)

 

So the SMRT mass MC / sit-in /strike is really quite mild.

 

Sometimes a country and its citizen needs to have more mature thinking.

[Cerano]

I have to agree with Royho.

 

Just want to add that strikes / protest are not always violent civilian vs polis clashes our nation building press like to potray.

 

For bus driver strikes, I have encountered it a few times overseas. Somtimes they continue driving but don't collect fares. Other times, they totally don't drive for a day (but give ample warning beforehand)

 

So the SMRT mass MC / sit-in /strike is really quite mild.

 

Sometimes a country and its citizen needs to have more mature thinking.

 

Dear bro Ah tong,

 

its not about violence or anything like that. The simple act of causing service disruption and setting a precedent could prove fatal for the smooth operation of our country. If one day all the nurses or doctors walked out. How many would die?

[Ben5266]

isn't it fantastic?

 

I open a company that operate essential services and have obligations to the public at large naturally. If I make a deliberately damaging decision (on hindsight), commit more gaffes, screw up on damaged control but hey it is ok! let's throw em couple of red herrings!

 

some disquiet but mostly people chewing up one another over the red herrings. Business as usual folks!

 

Ain't life grand?

Are you in anyway related to TH or not? If not, drop your dream of operating an essential service company.

[Ben5266]

So now Vincent admitted anyhow claim... Dr. Vasoo... and wants to take back his words.....

 

 

[Ahtong]

Dear bro Ah tong,

 

its not about violence or anything like that. The simple act of causing service disruption and setting a precedent could prove fatal for the smooth operation of our country. If one day all the nurses or doctors walked out. How many would die?

 

Uncle Cerano, this is a rather leading question. It is a slippery slope assumption that professionals value $$$ above all and will just walk away if they are not happy. Maybe we can survey the docs here if they will just walk out in the middle of treating patients over some industrial dispute.

 

I know of one group of talents who will apparently walk out if they are paid too little but other than them, I think a country and its citizens really need to be more mature.

[Tjkbeluga]

As always, two sides of thought.... one side dont want to rock the boat and keep incumbent political party and tge other side wants to replace it by all means...

[Ahtong]

As always, two sides of thought.... one side dont want to rock the boat and keep incumbent political party and tge other side wants to replace it by all means...

 

Bro, this is a very black or white way of seeing thing.

 

Speaking for myself only as a grey person, I just feel the boat should drift upstream a bit

[Ungtiong]

just one thought...this is suppose to come from the media, even the online media failed and went for the popular "foreigners out" tagline. We are closer and closer to UK/US style media..SENSATIONALISM.

 

BUT both sides are correct, Singapore only survive because it is a 'stable' country. The price of being stable is what we have now (or had). Its like what some1 told me, u can either have fuel economy or performance, but never both (but it never stops us from trying to get both).

 

If one day the gov say with the addition of anothr 1 million foreign workers, the COE will be $5000, i bet majority of the driver will vote for the 1 million foreign workers. or if the the gov say they will remove 1 million foreign workers, but COE will be $200,000, majority of public transport users will support gov.

 

 

[Aventador]

By the eminent and erudite Vincent Wijeysingha. It's time for us to take a deep and closer look at ourselves.

 

... I draw evidence from the fact that this accusation has been published abroad in my colleague, Chee Soon Juan

[Felipe]

If the circumstances really called for it like u said was akin to going to war, the china drivers would not stop the strike after the china embassy talked to them. Those drivers didn't strike when SMRT increased their pay which was already a breach of contract. Going to war is a serious matter. U don't stop easily after going to war.

 

Would Singapore go to war with Msia if Msia agree to extend our water agreement beyond the current contract?

 

 

[Wind30]

Is Singapore at a point where we cannot have strikes because we had not made efforts to develop local companies? Lets take a look at Hong Kong. It does not have many more world beaters MNC than SIngapore. They have strikes and had them before 1997. Are they doing something that allows their economy to flourish yet allow freedom of expression? My point is: strikes are tiny factor influencing FDI. Guess what, you cant have big FDI in small countries yet expect your SMEs to growth into world beating MNCs like Samsung and Hyundai. DBS, UOB and OCBC are where they are now only because the likes of CITI, Stanchart and the big boys are restricted from entering the banking scene in the past, so your local linked MNC explanation cannot happen for as long as we stick to our economic model.

 

It seems what you are trying to say is that at present, our our country lack the right incentive to draw investment that unless it has a ready pool of exploited pseudo slaves available they will leave? Is this the right way to run the economy? Is there not a greater underlying problem wit the economy that needs to be address?

 

Finally, are you sure homegrown companies have such strong links to where they are from? How of P&G shampoos are made in US? Did HSBC not considered moving its HQ to Hongkong?

 

 

err.... hong kong is hardly similar to singapore. Hong Kong has the entire china behind them. Singapore has what?? Malaysia :) Hongkong by the virtue of its unique relationship with china has competitive adv that Singapore does not have.

 

Are the bus drivers "exploited pseudo slaves" ?? common, they are free to leave and resign. Unless you have evidence that the new contract terms are forced upon them and they do not have a choice to resign WITHOUT penalty, I don't see what is wrong. To me, people should be given a choice. If you are unhappy with your jobs, you RESIGN. you don't go on strike, especially if you are in the essential service.

 

If my company wants to cut my pay, I have to take it or just resign. I mean I won't go on strike. Will you?

 

I think our country lacks the right incentive to attract foreign investment if we do not have a stable pool of skilled/cheap labour.

 

If not YOU TELL ME. What is the incentive that attracts all the FDI to singapore?

 

We don't have Market. We are not the cheapest. Neither are we the most skilled. We actually is one of the most STABLE countries in the region, no matter how you look at it. Stable politics, PAP is in power for the last xx years. Stable workforce, strikes were unheard off. Stable location, no floods, no typoons, no earthquakes. Stable and clear laws.

 

This is what attracts FDI to singapore.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Wind30

[Wind30]

you are a very simple minded man... i feel...

 

or just posting rubbish reasons to justify your position

 

I think your two sentence sound much simpler actually.... no matter how I look at it.

[Tjkbeluga]

Vincent Wijeysingha apologises to former PAP MP

Posted on Dec 7, 2012 8:12 PM Updated:

Edited December 8, 2012 by Tjkbeluga

[Ben5266]

Mainstream media mislead the simple minded people again. Hahaha....

[Kiario]

deleted

Edited December 8, 2012 by Kiario