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‘Strong S’poreans’ Can Work As Construction Workers Instead Of Delivery Riders, Says Leong Mun Wai


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He is just responding to those ppl who kpkb about the number of Indian nationals entering Singapore.

And those who kpkb never open eyes big big to see our construction industry, marine industry, road construction/repair are all done by these low wage Indian FW. Who is going to replace them when we stop them from entering?

Is the delivery riders going to take up such jobs? Obviously not.

So where else can we get low wage workers from? Ppl always like to point fingers and blame others when something happened. With the virus it is even worse. Ppl only criticise but never help. No different than Mr Leong here. He suggests smth that is not going to work. I can also criticise and say our opposition is really smth when it comes to quality suggestion.

Talk is cheap.

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Turbocharged
(edited)
1 hour ago, BabyBlade said:

Mr Leong,

You say it best.... When you say nothing at all...... 

I have already told Mr Leong: 

When you have nothing good to say, don't say anything. Period.

Edited by DOBIEMKZ
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3 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

He is just responding to those ppl who kpkb about the number of Indian nationals entering Singapore.

And those who kpkb never open eyes big big to see our construction industry, marine industry, road construction/repair are all done by these low wage Indian FW. Who is going to replace them when we stop them from entering?

Is the delivery riders going to take up such jobs? Obviously not.

So where else can we get low wage workers from? Ppl always like to point fingers and blame others when something happened. With the virus it is even worse. Ppl only criticise but never help. No different than Mr Leong here. He suggests smth that is not going to work. I can also criticise and say our opposition is really smth when it comes to quality suggestion.

Talk is cheap.

We shouldn't have a reliance on low wage workers.

As others said earlier, if an Australian or a Brit can be in construction in their country have have a reasonable standard of living, why can it not happen in Singapore or elsewhere? It is a major mindset change required, an increase in salaries and reputation of trades and a getting out of the downward quality spiral. When even mainland Chinese labourers don't want to come because salaries are too low, you know there is a problem.

It exists with the construction companies as building quality reduces but prices keep increasing. We are now paying more, for worse. Over time, stuff is supposed to get better, not worse.

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Supercharged

Leong MW has a point by saying that the gig economy will do harm in long-term for SG.

The grab drivers/delivery etc earn a nice living now, but they do not really develop any high value skillsets and there is no chance of career progression. No CPF or other medical benefits to cover them. When one day the economy turns against this model, they will be left hanging with no other choice than to work as odd labourers.

So his warning on the danger of the gig economy, IMHO is correct.

The part about these folks going to construction is however, quite a joke. The grab personnel are most probably not the type of character that can tahan hard menial work.

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Turbocharged
5 minutes ago, t0y0ta said:

Leong MW has a point by saying that the gig economy will do harm in long-term for SG.

The grab drivers/delivery etc earn a nice living now, but they do not really develop any high value skillsets and there is no chance of career progression. No CPF or other medical benefits to cover them. When one day the economy turns against this model, they will be left hanging with no other choice than to work as odd labourers.

So his warning on the danger of the gig economy, IMHO is correct.

The part about these folks going to construction is however, quite a joke. The grab personnel are most probably not the type of character that can tahan hard menial work.

delivery job will be gone. same as taxi driver. just a matter of time.

plumbing, electrician, tradesman. these will stay. i see old man electrician come. transport up front $30. no do work yet. song bo?

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Turbocharged
(edited)

HDB flats are expensive not because the construction cost or labour cost is high.

It is more because the Singapore land is expensive.  The land price cannot be lowered to make public housing more affordable because someone said that would be akin to raiding national reserves.

Actually, the land should be given to us at zero cost.  Why?

"Have you ever wondered why must we serve?  That's because we love our land and want it to be FREE, to be FREE yah!"

 

Edited by Albeniz
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Turbocharged
5 minutes ago, Albeniz said:

HDB flats are expensive not because the construction cost or labour cost is high.

It is more because the Singapore land is expensive.  The land price cannot be lowered to make public housing more affordable because someone said that would be akin to raiding national reserves.

Actually, the land should be given to us at zero cost.  Why?

Have you ever wondered why must we serve?  That's because we love our land and want it to be FREE, to be FREE yah!

 

Free from enemies. Not free from money. 

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2 hours ago, Philipkee said:

Actually I did think of this  before.  We do have a pool of able bodied workers for construction. 

1)  conscientious objectors to NS.  They are healthy and fit but because of religion, they serve NS in DB.  Why not let them serve NS as construction  workers or cutting grass in HDB?

2) minor offenders in DB.  Why not let them serve in such jobs for the duration of their sentence and in return, remove the DB record from NS so that they can go to university after ORD?

3)  minor offenders in prison.  Like those who steal food or small sums of money cos they need to feed their family. They get a small wage as well and no criminal record so they can still find a job later on.

tenor.gif?itemid=11629859

Sound like a plot from 300. hahahhaha.

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Supersonic
1 hour ago, RadX said:

Same vein, pay the $$ accorded

i say again, when I was 16, I worked as one. Earned $50 per day. Big $$ then

 

@Soya Lai Lai😂

U dun tok so much hor

Ur GLC would look outta place in a bangla dorm

 

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Moderator
2 minutes ago, Soya said:

U dun tok so much hor

Ur GLC would look outta place in a bangla dorm

 

Shd get the ML instead?😂

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Hypersonic
(edited)
1 hour ago, bsswan said:

We shouldn't have a reliance on low wage workers.

As others said earlier, if an Australian or a Brit can be in construction in their country have have a reasonable standard of living, why can it not happen in Singapore or elsewhere? It is a major mindset change required, an increase in salaries and reputation of trades and a getting out of the downward quality spiral. When even mainland Chinese labourers don't want to come because salaries are too low, you know there is a problem.

It exists with the construction companies as building quality reduces but prices keep increasing. We are now paying more, for worse. Over time, stuff is supposed to get better, not worse.

The Brits complains about the Poles who do precisely what Malaysians do for Singapore (not to the bangla/indian national FW extent)

Edited by Lala81
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Turbocharged
2 hours ago, Lala81 said:

I don't really know how to reconcile these 3 facts together.

a) To make Singapore a more equitable society, where your blue collared workers can make a decent living. Cleaners/landscaping/construction/healthcare assistants/stall assistants should be able to raise a family and earn a decent wage. Not everyone can be a highly productive worker/in a "good job".
Workfare is a good scheme.

vs

b) Fact is exceedingly cheap labour is all around us. SEA/indian subcontinent. It doesn't make sense for a small nation like us not to make use of it. U can call it "exploit" or what, but the fact is that it's there. And it will be there for hundreds of years or more given the current world situation. 
Many cities are precisely built on such labour. Or if not, then allowing low skilled migrants to arrive to work in F&B or other low skilled jobs. 

vs 

c) Rising costs. Which makes the part a more difficult to achieve.

 

To me there are two kinds of blue collar jobs, those that need interaction with the population (hawker center helpers, cleaners, delivery workers, etc) and those that you can hide them in one corner and let them do their jobs (construction, marine). 

It will be REALLY stupid not to expoit the cheap labour for construction. I thought the FW weathered the COVID pretty well, and they really don't have that much interaction with rest of the population so lesser risks. 

 

 

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53 minutes ago, Wind30 said:

 

To me there are two kinds of blue collar jobs, those that need interaction with the population (hawker center helpers, cleaners, delivery workers, etc) and those that you can hide them in one corner and let them do their jobs (construction, marine). 

It will be REALLY stupid not to expoit the cheap labour for construction. I thought the FW weathered the COVID pretty well, and they really don't have that much interaction with rest of the population so lesser risks. 

 

 

You use the right word, "exploit". So when the tit is removed, what do we have left to suckle on? 

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Supercharged
2 hours ago, bsswan said:

We shouldn't have a reliance on low wage workers.

As others said earlier, if an Australian or a Brit can be in construction in their country have have a reasonable standard of living, why can it not happen in Singapore or elsewhere? It is a major mindset change required, an increase in salaries and reputation of trades and a getting out of the downward quality spiral. When even mainland Chinese labourers don't want to come because salaries are too low, you know there is a problem.

 

Bro...those countries got winter la.........do construction job not so bad, can keep warm some more.

Here is under hot sun 365 days.

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2 hours ago, t0y0ta said:

Leong MW has a point by saying that the gig economy will do harm in long-term for SG.

The grab drivers/delivery etc earn a nice living now, but they do not really develop any high value skillsets and there is no chance of career progression. No CPF or other medical benefits to cover them. When one day the economy turns against this model, they will be left hanging with no other choice than to work as odd labourers.

So his warning on the danger of the gig economy, IMHO is correct.

The part about these folks going to construction is however, quite a joke. The grab personnel are most probably not the type of character that can tahan hard menial work.

I wanted to say something similar. He is right that it is wasteful to see educated, able bodied young people doing food delivery/Grab driver. Today's pay may be OK, but there is no pay increase, no promotion, no future.  Unless the older ones are doing it to pass time after retirement. 

Is it they don't want a regular job (too restrictive, too demanding, mentally too hard?) or they cannot find one?  In 10 years we have have many thousands of job seekers with no work experience other than bike riding, if a new biz model makes human food delivery redundant. 

 

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