Don't rush into fair employment practices

[Jman888]

what is what now??

 

do also die, dun do also die! [:(]

 

 

Don't rush into new framework on fair employment practices, say stakeholders

By Imelda Saad | Posted: 27 February 2013 2049 hrs

 

SINGAPORE: Business groups say the government should not rush into any new framework to promote a Singaporean-first HR policy.

 

They were responding to recent comments by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, during the Budget announcement, on possible new measures to ensure fair hiring practices in Singapore.

 

No one knows for sure what the new framework will be like.

 

But an idea was floated by the Finance Minister who said the Manpower Ministry has been studying work pass policies in various developed countries.

 

Some countries, for example, require companies to advertise job vacancies to locals before they can apply for a foreign work pass.

 

The Manpower Ministry says it will consult various stakeholders on this new framework.

 

Mr Heng Chee How, Co-Chair of the Tripartitie Alliance for Fair Employment, said it's an important signal by the government.

 

"I think the most straightforward read of that would be to say that it is an open direct commitment on the part of the government that it would do whatever is necessary through policy to ensure that the Singaporean core is safeguarded and strengthened, and that would include the area of manpower recruitment," he said.

 

Mr Chan Chong Beng, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprise, cautioned against rushing into any new restrictions.

 

"You may not get the best people that you want. The second thing is it will slow down the company's expansion if they need workers urgently and of course, thirdly... the cost of recruitment will go up," he said.

 

The Singapore National Employers Federation has said that employers are prepared to make reasonable efforts to hire and develop Singaporeans.

 

But they do not support calls to comply with additional control measures such as tests to fill a vacancy with a Singaporean before employment passes can be approved.

 

It said there are already constraints with work permits and 'S' passes for semi-skilled workers.

 

Subjecting employers to additional administrative hurdles before work passes can be approved, it said, will lengthen the time for hiring, add more costs and new rigidities and be unnecessarily onerous on employers, especially the SMEs.

 

This will undermine Singapore's labour market flexibility which has been a key competitive advantage in attracting and increasing investments that creates jobs for Singaporeans.

 

Mr Mark Hall, vice president of recruitment company Kelly Services, said MNCs too may face problems.

 

Mr Hall said: "Multi-national companies come here to enjoy multiple benefits and that could include being a safe regional hub, a great business location, but in addition for a company to thrive, they require talent, and that talent may come in different forms and at different levels.

 

"In addition, companies as part of their global mobility in attracting talent, like to transfer people from other countries into Singapore to enhance their attractiveness to employees.

 

"If their employee cannot get a job in Singapore because of a talent restriction, that may indeed have a negative impact on that company's attraction on their target employees as well.

 

"So companies may decide that if the restrictions are too tough, we may need to choose another location in which our business can thrive better."

 

Guidelines for fair employment practices under the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) were last revised in 2011 to include a chapter on "Hiring and Developing a Singaporean Core".

 

Among the guidelines is that employers should ensure jobs advertised must be open to Singaporeans.

 

Whatever the new framework, Mr Heng said meritocracy should be at the core of hiring policies.

 

Mr Heng said: "Any new framework, over and above TAFEP guidelines that can strengthen the need for employers to look seriously at Singaporean job seekers before they look elsewhere, I think, would be helpful to Singaporean job seekers who have the competence and the aptitude for those jobs."

 

Mr Chan suggested that the Wage Credit Scheme, aimed at helping companies pay more to low-wage workers here, should be given time to take effect, before any additional measures are introduced to ensure fair employment practices.

 

"If you put too much of framework, by then, it would be the employers who are complaining, not the employees who are complaining. So it will swing the other way round. So why don't we just let the guidelines and wage credit work out?" he asked.

 

And Mr Chan said most employers would know that it makes sense to hire Singaporeans first.

 

He added: "As an employer, I should know who is the best person I should recruit besides salaries. Now, salaries for foreigners are no longer cheap. I would obviously employ somebody who knows Singapore, who understand the culture, who can straightaway get into society.

 

"I don't have to worry about whether to give him time to settle down. I think employers all have this same feeling. It is only when we can't find locals, that's when we resort to foreign workers."

 

The authorities say whenever they receive a complaint of foreigners hiring only their countrymen, or companies just hiring certain nationalities, they will look into those cases, and employers will then have to comply with the guidelines.

 

On Thursday, some executive council members from the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises will sign a pledge to signal their commitment to fair employment practices.

 

During the Budget statement, Mr Tharman had said that any new framework "must enable companies to continue to meet their competitive needs so that they can provide Singaporean professionals ample opportunities to do well in their careers". He added that this framework is however "not a matter to be rushed".

 

- CNA/de

[Darryn]

All talk c--k and try to protect their ability to hire low wage workers and exploit them.

 

Singaporean first policy would be good, and should be done!

 

[Kangadrool]

All employers are already spoilt by years and years of carefree and lax employment laws here while enjoying the benefits of political and business stability. Now, take away their pacifiers, all KPKB liao.

[Myxilplix]

Yes, don't rush in fair employment practices!

 

Please let us keep the unfair employment practices!

[Jman888]

All talk c--k and try to protect their ability to hire low wage workers and exploit them.

 

Singaporean first policy would be good, and should be done!

 

 

you wouldn't be here if they do that! [laugh]

 

ok joke aside, for some professional, the reason may not just be cost alone, but stability of the workforce. The concern is they need a stable people who dun just quit the next day cos they fight with their b/g friend

 

 

[S4vtec]

they are already hooked on the low cost labour drug.

 

give them a painful dose like what MAS did. shock them out, if not it will never materialise. Then again, this concerns the macro economy and multi million dollar businesss.... easier said than done knowing how the goverment's pro business approach is

[S4vtec]

"You may not get the best people that you want. The second thing is it will slow down the company's expansion if they need workers urgently and of course, thirdly... the cost of recruitment will go up"

 

 

 

Does he mean that a Singaporean table wiper cannot wipe as cleanly as a Chinese or Philipino one?

Point 2 is irrelevant if point 3 is taken care of.

[Twnll]

Long overdue, incomes must commensurate with cost of living otherwise there is no reason for people to work for you. Imagine, if I am willing to accept low pay just to get a job, I will spend my day in the office to find a better paying job to move to than working for the company that pay peanuts. If the company dun fark care you why should you bother with them? If you do, they will still exploit you and threaten you now and then they can hire foreigner for less. As long as this FT loophole is not closed, there can never be a truly committed workforce. In the end who wins?

Edited February 28, 2013 by Twnll

[Scion]

survival of the fittest

 

many SMEs and businesses have been pampered for long period... time to let the non-competitive ones die off

[Jman888]

survival of the fittest

 

many SMEs and businesses have been pampered for long period... time to let the non-competitive ones die off

 

 

sad to say many sme would die faster and the mnc (still foreigners) are the final winners

[S4vtec]

sad to say many sme would die faster and the mnc (still foreigners) are the final winners

 

 

isn't that what the goverment wants? they claim that in human resource scarce Singapore, it must be balanced the workforce be diverted to high value industries ( MNC) , which also explains the drive a few years back to " encourage" SME to venture overseas.

[Windwaver]

All talk c--k and try to protect their ability to hire low wage workers and exploit them.

 

Singaporean first policy would be good, and should be done!

 

That's what I was thinking when I saw it in the news. Most SMEs have not been actively adding value to workers but just reaping easy profits. It's about time these people think about innovating their businesses.

[Alpha78]

sad to say many sme would die faster and the mnc (still foreigners) are the final winners

 

In fact, I believe that is the right way to go, until Singapore industries can develop the high value-add sectors that pay decent salaries, and leave the low-cost jobs to be operated from the low-cost countries.

 

Case in point, there are still many American and European firms who pay high salaries to their professionals, and these jobs can be taken on by locals in Singapore if they setup an office here. Win-win situation, they hire equally competent staff at salaries lower than in their home countries, but the salaries paid in SGD is above average for locals to survive.

 

For SMEs in the IT / software industry, they may be better off hiring foreigners working from their home countries, setting up satellite offices there, managed by SG professionals. Forget about trying to bring these people here and adding to the crowd, yet paying them a salary that is so low that they have problems living in Singapore.

[Jman888]

playing devil advocate, these mnc (with their resources) has created a 'comfort' and 'pampered' group of younger generation but leave many sme to coping with such terms & conditions (not all so lucky to join the big guys but expecting the same!).

 

for sme and recruiter, they face these problems of unstable workforce who just quit for small tiny issue, and these are not even the high post.

 

 

In fact, I believe that is the right way to go, until Singapore industries can develop the high value-add sectors that pay decent salaries, and leave the low-cost jobs to be operated from the low-cost countries.

 

Case in point, there are still many American and European firms who pay high salaries to their professionals, and these jobs can be taken on by locals in Singapore if they setup an office here. Win-win situation, they hire equally competent staff at salaries lower than in their home countries, but the salaries paid in SGD is above average for locals to survive.

 

For SMEs in the IT / software industry, they may be better off hiring foreigners working from their home countries, setting up satellite offices there, managed by SG professionals. Forget about trying to bring these people here and adding to the crowd, yet paying them a salary that is so low that they have problems living in Singapore.

[Alpha78]

SMEs have an advantage as due to the bao sua bao hai nature of the job, the workers gain a lot of experience as compared to one working in an MNC. But the new generation of graduates must see the value of this, and be willing to slog for the initial years to gain experience.

 

Thereafter, with the skills and experience, most MNCs will welcome them and pay them handsomely.

 

Those who follow the slow and routine MNC career path have a greater chance of becoming obsolete in the industry as the years go by.

[Camrytron]

Long overdue, incomes must commensurate with cost of living otherwise there is no reason for people to work for you. Imagine, if I am willing to accept low pay just to get a job, I will spend my day in the office to find a better paying job to move to than working for the company that pay peanuts. If the company dun fark care you why should you bother with them? If you do, they will still exploit you and threaten you now and then they can hire foreigner for less. As long as this FT loophole is not closed, there can never be a truly committed workforce. In the end who wins?

It'll be very misfortune for any company to hire u.

[Twnll]

It'll be very misfortune for any company to hire u.

 

On the contrary, I am an employer .... I always put myself in the shoes of those who work for me ;)

 

[Ahtong]

The white paper for 6.9 population and recent moves to restrict foreign hiring seems contradictory leh.