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


kobayashiGT
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15 minutes ago, JanM said:

"b) Fact is exceedingly cheap labour is all around us...."

Mr A was at a food court.  He was not really hungry and actually moderately overweight but what's wrong with eating more?  So finally ended up in front of two stalls.  Stall on the right was selling delicious and sweet bubor cha cha with creamy coconut milk on top for only $2.  Stall on left was selling salad poke bowl with lots of healthy celery stems for $8. So which one? The $2 bubor cha cha which taste so shiok and can be slurped down without much trouble ?  Or the salad bowl where each cut of the celery stalk have to be chewed for quite a while before swallowing, enduring the strong taste of the celery meanwhile.

tell that to the american with their fast food [laugh]

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Turbocharged

This is a very sensitive subject which will draws many reactions. Are people truly aware of the situation or base on their perceptions? I must qualify I am no expert but surely these questions can be verified

1) True that BTO will shoot up when Singaporean are the builders? This assumption is based on labour cost alone? Then if current labour source set min salary like our Domestic workers? Then it goes down again to what is actual BTO cost?

2) Why is construction different from the other industry? All technical / skill workers are imported? To me, the key reason is because imports are cheaper and not the skill set. As long as you allows that to happen, it will kill the locals. Doctors, Lawyers and CEO civil servants will be cheaper too if we allow imports.

3) I remember someone said this before. We expect our hawker food to stay in the 60 prices while they absorbed the inflation. this is not sustainable. Same goes to BTO but BTO has the land cost element and ensuring buyers get profit to deal with. It is not public housing, that is the problem. 

  

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(edited)
9 hours ago, Thaiyotakamli said:

Singapore weather also too hot la

those angmoh countries or even hk much much more cooling to work as construction worker lol. Also road repairs too. 

Angmo countries......with the state-mandated military service like singapore? No.

Don’t think young singaporean is that weak because of home weather.. https://www.cmpb.gov.sg/web/portal/cmpb/home/life-in-ns/saf/basic-military-training

Are all S’pore’s young getting ‘soft’?No. ....Maybe those too "spoilt" and "pampered“ ones from the richer family.  The poorer ones still have that “nothing much to lose” altitude ...i feel.

 

 

Edited by Odyssey2011
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Turbocharged
23 minutes ago, Odyssey2011 said:

Angmo countries......with the state-mandated military service like singapore? No.

Don’t think young singaporean is that weak because of home weather.. https://www.cmpb.gov.sg/web/portal/cmpb/home/life-in-ns/saf/basic-military-training

Are all S’pore’s young getting ‘soft’?No. ....Maybe those too "spoilt" and "pampered“ ones from the richer family.  The poorer ones still have that “nothing much to lose” altitude ...i feel.

 

 

In simple terms, if being a grab food delivery can earn $2K a month. Working in a construction site also $2K, which would you choose? Then why immigrant workers can accept less than $2K? that question is simple right?

We have Korean, Chinese, Thai, Malaysian involved in our construction industry. Why now mainly Bangladesh? We will continue to rely on foreign workers if we want cheap. Not entirely wrong but are we getting the best deal based on cheap is good? There are also social issues to resolve. I agree with Leong, we need to have core group of skill Singaporeans in construction as a career. This is then supplement with foreign workers but in a controlled numbers. The current BCA training is too basic and I find the construction quality poor. Supply of cheap labour come in many layers (middle man) and these layers are not adding to the quality and benefit to the BTO price. 

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Mr Leong dare to venture this tough call of Singaporean into Construction, i will give him credits and the courage to speak out, yes it 's true the hard earned money under hot sun, 8-10 hrs a day is no joke.

Yes I had worked as a unskilled worker in my younger days to earn pocket money with a construction coy hiring Singaporean young worker during my secondary school holiday and I repeat that I enjoyed the short stint as a brick and mortar layer cum water pipes installer in a popular chinese school at Bukit Timah area.

it was hard work 8-5pm monday to friday, Sat is optional, the early days of workers were from Malaysia chinese community and we hardly speak, he gave the instruction what to do and leave to me to figure out, no follow through instruction, no proper training, lunch on my own, own uniform and no supervisor 's care. I took it as an eye-opener what i really want to do when i grow up. Well I did and no regret working in construction sector, but not for long term career.

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these young, able and strong sporean working as delivery rider are mostly between jobs, students working part time, housewife, house-husband, semi retiree, etc. they come and go as and when they want with a click on the phone apps.

You want to depends on this workforce to be at the construction site? to complete a project on time with consist quality?

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Turbocharged
3 minutes ago, Jman888 said:

these young, able and strong sporean working as delivery rider are mostly between jobs, students working part time, housewife, house-husband, semi retiree, etc. they come and go as and when they want with a click on the phone apps.

You want to depends on this workforce to be at the construction site? to complete a project on time with consist quality?

Of course Mr Leong is not referring to part time construction workers. He is simply suggesting construction as a viable career. 

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One  brother brought out BTO flat will shppt up, it is simply " BUILT-To-ORDER " means applicant view the flat 4/5 room models and decides on placing which types of flat suitable for them, based on quality door to be installed, and quality kitchen cabinet with silent-shut/ open drawer and quality ceramic tiles , colour scheme etc. Most parent has average of 2 children, spent tons on their education from Pre-school JC / Poly ( average young adolescent ) some to Local Uni, who want their son. daughter to be Construction industry, most likely to be in IT, Business / Art or doctorate or Laws faculty. Correct me if I'm wrong . . .[laugh]

Coffee-O and Tea prices cannot be 60s process, moving forward, a cup of kopi-O siew tai or Ka-tai is already .90 cts to 1.30 in typical hawker centre, in prime Orchard road, Ya-kun, Toast boz is $1.70 for regular kopi-O and $2.20 for large size, if one want reasonable Gula Melaka Coffee or Tea, one can get it for $1.70 regular cup at International Plaza , all depends on location, location and boundary within . . . we have to stay relevant in today market

It is not wrong to choose one career one want to be in, it is social norm of who's who divide and class unite, I have always wanted to be in blue worker division, not wanted to be clean and white suit air-con office environment, given time i found my calling in construction's related industry for many decades.

In summary, we live here and we adapt to the kind of work we do to call it a career, be it self-employed, ( decode to be own boss or work for others ) is another matter, towards the end of d day, we do it coz we like the atmosphere, money may be secondary of fews hundred less, bottom line to create space, time and tide creates opportunity for the many construction business to flourish, it is difficult to spice someone desire to be in this construction, workers ( blue collar line ) dirty, stuffy & scurfy looking in white safety helmet, it does not ring in attraction in the opposite sex, only few do [gorgeous]

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Twincharged
(edited)
On 5/13/2021 at 9:25 AM, kobayashiGT said:

I am sure Mr Leong never step foot on a construction site before. :grin:

After he sees us working in construction site, he will feel more uncomfortable and pitiful all the strong Singaporean carry metal beam and pushing cement at the construction site.

I rather he ask for the army and navy to be more open to hiring after they have left the nsf for 10 years …

after all we are still requiring able bodied man

and for the less adventurous maybe SCDF ?

grab or deliveroo is also going drone snd self autonomous delivery soon if sg can collaborate with Hyundai when they start their manufacturing plant. At least that’s my thought on moving forward for the next big thing

Edited by Sdf4786k
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Hypersonic
(edited)

What a good idea. I like this idea.

This lah is call thinking out of the box and innovation.

I will get my MIL this nice outfit.

:D

She will look so nice in it.

Those baskets look a bit heavy. 

image.png.1afdd351df603bcc0bfd7a6f4eabddcb.png

Edited by Jamesc
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10 hours ago, Thaiyotakamli said:

Singapore weather also too hot la

 

those angmoh countries or even hk much much more cooling to work as construction worker lol. Also road repairs too. 

 

See now, that.....that's another misconception.

I've spent more than 20yrs working all over the place, in all weathers..... Winter in Seoul or Dalian is no joke, working 40m off the ground in full PPE and harnesses etc., or Scotland where it even goes dark as well by 3:30pm. Each in strong winds and/or heavy rain where after 20-30min your nose and ears are burning cold, and forget about feeling your fingers because, unfortunately, to get any assembly work done, gloves are not an option. Worse when offshore and then, snow brings a whole new feeling, or lack of.

HK has far higher humidity than Singapore, year round, and added with the sun in July to October time, is hard.....but not impossible. You start sweating just as soon as step outside, let alone try to get any work done but it keeps you fit. Sure enough, in winter it's not bad but, of course, nowhere has heating and when the thermometer says 10-degrees, humidity makes it feel much colder.

No change for me here, at heights or underground in full PPE and, honestly, Singapore isn't so hard. Some hot days, yes and the rain only usually last a few hours per, not a few days per week. You could easily end up smelling like a 10-buck hooker, sweaty in all the same places, but....... so what? I doesn't mind getting hands dirty, that's what they invented soap for, right?

In US, EU, Oz etc. construction and engineering (not sit in office IT stuff) are respected for their skills and paid accordingly with suitable working hours and benefits. Many countries have improved their apprenticeship schemes in recent years as a way of getting out of the "cheap imported labour" trap, and it is a trap that needs effort to escape. All that said, Singapore is in a difficult position as its too small to have a full workforce but the excuse that "its too hot" doesn't paper over the fact the job is perceived here as low class and low skilled because a generation has grown up watching FW do it all.

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Hypersonic

Imagine we train thousands of workers to work in construction

and they all lose their jobs because drones do the job.

I am sure he meant to say we should all train to be in construction

using the machines of the 21 century to make buildings.

Using AI, automation and drones instead of strong humans.

:D

 

 

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50 minutes ago, bsswan said:

See now, that.....that's another misconception.

I've spent more than 20yrs working all over the place, in all weathers..... Winter in Seoul or Dalian is no joke, working 40m off the ground in full PPE and harnesses etc., or Scotland where it even goes dark as well by 3:30pm. Each in strong winds and/or heavy rain where after 20-30min your nose and ears are burning cold, and forget about feeling your fingers because, unfortunately, to get any assembly work done, gloves are not an option. Worse when offshore and then, snow brings a whole new feeling, or lack of.

HK has far higher humidity than Singapore, year round, and added with the sun in July to October time, is hard.....but not impossible. You start sweating just as soon as step outside, let alone try to get any work done but it keeps you fit. Sure enough, in winter it's not bad but, of course, nowhere has heating and when the thermometer says 10-degrees, humidity makes it feel much colder.

No change for me here, at heights or underground in full PPE and, honestly, Singapore isn't so hard. Some hot days, yes and the rain only usually last a few hours per, not a few days per week. You could easily end up smelling like a 10-buck hooker, sweaty in all the same places, but....... so what? I doesn't mind getting hands dirty, that's what they invented soap for, right?

In US, EU, Oz etc. construction and engineering (not sit in office IT stuff) are respected for their skills and paid accordingly with suitable working hours and benefits. Many countries have improved their apprenticeship schemes in recent years as a way of getting out of the "cheap imported labour" trap, and it is a trap that needs effort to escape. All that said, Singapore is in a difficult position as its too small to have a full workforce but the excuse that "its too hot" doesn't paper over the fact the job is perceived here as low class and low skilled because a generation has grown up watching FW do it all.

I worked in Shanghai for a week during summer of 2013. 40 deg C with 80% humidity.

During the 2 summer in Beijing, it is at least 35 deg C with 80% humidity.

HK winter humidity is like 100%. Laundry always wet.

 

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2 hours ago, Victor68 said:

In simple terms, if being a grab food delivery can earn $2K a month. Working in a construction site also $2K, which would you choose? Then why immigrant workers can accept less than $2K? that question is simple right?

Prospect. Not only the bricklayers 

Some careers in construction, some need no degree to start.

Some examples 

2. Plumbers

3. Electricians

4. Solar Photovoltaic Installers

5. Sheet Metal Workers

6. Glaziers

7. Elevator Installers and Repairers

8. Construction Equipment Operators

Just look at Singapore property price Index...  can anyone ask where did the money mostly go? To the worker?

 

 

 

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Turbocharged
8 minutes ago, Odyssey2011 said:

Prospect. Not only the bricklayers 

Some careers in construction, some need no degree to start.

Some examples 

2. Plumbers

3. Electricians

4. Solar Photovoltaic Installers

5. Sheet Metal Workers

6. Glaziers

7. Elevator Installers and Repairers

8. Construction Equipment Operators

Just look at Singapore property price Index...  can anyone ask where did the money mostly go? To the worker?

 

 

 

That is the point. Many of the lorry drivers, crane operators are local or malaysian. Many of the plumbers and electricians are non skilled while the consultant firms overseeing the projects are mainly Singaporean and Malaysian. Clearly is it about cheap labour.

Your question on where the money go? Who will be interested to bid and build if it is not about profit? While we need to generate revenue, citizens need a roof. So public housing is not about profit but actual or subsidize costs BUT not investment. 

 

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16 minutes ago, Victor68 said:

That is the point. Many of the lorry drivers, crane operators are local or malaysian. Many of the plumbers and electricians are non skilled while the consultant firms overseeing the projects are mainly Singaporean and Malaysian. Clearly is it about cheap labour.

Your question on where the money go? Who will be interested to bid and build if it is not about profit? While we need to generate revenue, citizens need a roof. So public housing is not about profit but actual or subsidize costs BUT not investment. 

 

Actually, plumbers/electricians/joiners/brickies/plasterers/glaziers etc. all are regarded as skilled, at least outside of Singapore - trained and certified.

Only gophers are not certified but they are quite scarce on a job site these days.

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2 hours ago, Meanmachine said:

。。。money may be secondary 。。。, bottom line to create space, time and tide creates opportunity for the many construction business to flourish..

Always try to provide a better working opportunity for your people. 

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