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http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews...114-100728.html Minister slams DBS Bank Fri, Nov 14, 2008 The Straits Times By Sue-Ann Chia LABOUR chief Lim Swee Say on Friday slammed DBS Bank for failing to consult its staff union on retrenching its workers or exploring other cost-cutting measures first. 'We are disappointed by the sudden decision,' he told The Straits Times when asked for his views on the DBS layoffs. 'There was no prior consultation with the DBS Staff Union. There was no exploration with the union on other cost reduction alternatives,' he said in an email reply on Friday. This is a local bank and a "GIC" bank which should know better yet, there should be no excuse This is very telling about the "power" of workers union in Singapore --- lap sab so the cracks are begining to show so where do we do for help?

So what is the least (best price) anyone has paid for a fully loaded Aeron Herman Miller?

pimple all groose up

Hundreds of ppl que at AIA office to close their insurance policy and had been adviced by MAS not to do so. As reported in CNA : MAS urges AIA policyholders not to terminate policies hastily By Pearl Forss/Ryan Huang, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 September SINGAPORE : The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has urged AIA policyholders not to act hastily to terminate their insurance policies, as queues formed outside AIA's offices on Tuesday, with some clients seeking to end their policies. AIA is a subsidiary of New York-based American International Group (AIG) - one of the world's largest insurers - which has been hit by the financial meltdown. Some Singaporeans are concerned that AIG could be the next financial giant to fall after Lehman Brothers. With regards to AIG, MAS said: "The value of these assets is not linked to AIA's or AIG's financial condition, but like all investments, their value may be affected by general market conditions." The MAS assured the public that "AIA currently has sufficient assets in its insurance funds to meet its liabilities to policyholders". It advised policyholders not to act hastily to terminate their insurance policies as they may suffer losses from the premature termination and lose insurance protection. MAS explained that there are regulatory requirements, ensuring that all insurance companies maintain statutory insurance funds, including an investment-linked fund. This fund is segregated from its head office and other shareholders' funds. Within these funds, insurance companies must maintain sufficient assets to meet all its liabilities to policyholders, which include participating policies and investment-linked policies. MAS monitors the situation closely, and requires insurance companies in Singapore to manage their investment risks carefully. There have been queues at AIA's offices in Singapore since Tuesday morning. With MAS assurance that there is sufficient funds/money which is segregated from its head office. Can we still trust that our life policy money (Life Saving money) is intact...... What will happen with our car insurance with AIG ?

As if Monday blues not bad enough. Funny, staff who screw up never kana condemn, staff who worked hard to make things better end up swearing how f88k up the company is....time to move on.

Hi guys with the rise in petrol prices and sh1t, the govt has been trying to push us to switch to public transport ( bus & MRT) i would certainly be more willing to take the MRT if this were to be a common sight. http://youtube.com/watch?v=ueBBdh15BTs ( NOT SAFE FOR OFFICE VIEWING) heheh. something to lighten the day Cheers

Abstract from CNA, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../357567/1/.html PARIS - France's army chief of staff resigned Tuesday two days after a soldier wounded 17 people by mistakenly firing live ammunition into the crowd during a display at an army base, the presidency said. President Nicolas Sarkozy promised severe punishment following the shooting, which happened as hundreds of parents and children watched a mock hostage rescue operation Sunday near the southwestern city of Carcassonne. "The president of the republic, head of the armed forces, has accepted the offer of resignation by General Bruno Cuche, chief of staff of the army," Sarkozy's office said in a statement, calling it a "powerful gesture". Fifteen bystanders including five children were wounded in the shooting as were two soldiers. A three-year-old boy was in serious but stable condition after taking bullets in the heart and in the arm. General Cuche had ordered an army command investigation into the incident, with a four-star general due to report back within a week. But Defence Minister Herve Morin contacted Cuche to say the shooting had revealed "serious shortfalls" in army safety procedures and asking him to adopt immediate sanctions against those responsible, the defence ministry said. Morin told RTL radio the general considered himself "first and foremost responsible, as the army chief of staff in charge of preparing and training forces." He said Cuche had "acknowledged his role of leader and his responsibility as leader," paying tribute to "a truly great soldier, a man who is aware of his responsibilities, and of the image of the army." Trained at France's elite Saint-Cyr military academy, the 60-year-old Cuche, who served as a commander of NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo in 1999, stands down after two years in the top post. The 28-year-old sergeant who fired the shots from his assault rifle was being held in custody and was expected to be charged Tuesday with causing unintentional injury. The sergeant, who was officially suspended from duty on Tuesday, has been described as an experienced soldier with no history of psychological problems. Prosecutors said he had been carrying a live magazine in his pocket, wrongly left there after a recent military operation, and had used it to reload his rifle instead of using blanks. After visiting the wounded children in hospital Monday, Sarkozy said the shooting was the result of "unacceptable negligence", promising a "rapid and severe response". Sarkozy's office said he was "closely following the various investigations" and that "he intends for the armed forces to draw full consequences in terms of organisation and operations." A witness, who asked not to be named, told AFP he saw seven or eight soldiers with guns taking part in the simulation, one of whom was posing as a terrorist in the middle of the spectators. "Suddenly, people were falling, we thought it was part of the exercise, and then we saw blood." - this is leading by example....

If your office blocked MCF access, will you? How many of you always load Youtube video in office, own up [laugh] 我报 250608 pg A14 We

I seldom visit the Post Office, except to collect registered items. Today, I need to fax some documents to a LOCAL address and hence had to make the trip to Post Office. I was quoted $3.21 for each page. Nowadays, it is cheap to get an All-in-One printer with fax capability and the telephone bill for faxing is not expensive. I am wondering if such pricing at Post Office is reasonable, at all. Your views please.

Dear all, my company has embarked on a taskforce to review how we can be more environmentally friendly in our offices. Would be glad if you can share some pointers on how to increase environemtal awareness in the office. Thanks!

Anyone have ROM ceremony outside? Any good suggestions? I not staying in condo so no function room. Total number of guest <20. No need to have room for buffet also because we can always go to another place for makan after ceremony

Going SOHO, thinking about getting a virtual office because I do not need a physical office. Any recommendations? Thanks.

My boss asking me to check out which area got reasonable parking rate. He wants to move office from Ubi area. any idea or recommendation?

Will lack of season parking at office deter you from driving? Due to a reduction in parking lots to my company by the landlord, my company has removed my season parking due to my underutilization. (They changed to a ballot system too.) I'm not pleased, of course, but I have to accept the reality -- that not everyone can get a parking lot. Some notes on my office carpark: 1. season parking is free 2. you can't buy season parking from the landlord even if you want to 3. daily rate is max $12 ($1 per hour until 5 pm, $2 per entry after that) Would you still drive to work? More than ERP, I believe the lack of parking space and the high cost of parking are the reasons that will persuade people not to drive.

My office is having a reno n ppl r being moved all over the place within the building. One colleague from another level moved to my level recently. He is currently seating next to my cubicle. Since a mth of his presence, he brought everyone breakfast four times liao!!! My 3 yrs in the company, my first time seeing tis. There were no occasion to celebrate at all. When I did not go to the pantry to get my share, he would go to the pantry n get it for me n another colleague at another cubicle. He is married, in his 50s n wif the company some 10-20yrs liao. U guys have such colleague???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mk_z6ERp9c

My father was telling me his office has implemented the ERP parking system. Meaning to say, the management will allow a monthly season parking based on the IU serial number. They do not allow a person to register two/more IU serial number for seaon parking, unless you pay for another season parking lot! So anyone know how/what is the bast option if my father wants to drive my mum's car to work on certain days. Don't tell me, to just pay up or to pay hourly rate for the second car. Is it possible to buy another portable IU (like those for bike) from LTA? Then just place it on the dashboard of which ever car my father chose to drive on anyday?

2005 Ford Focus Channel 4 Auto News 27 Aug 04 15:44 These are official pictures and further details of the new Ford Focus, which have not yet been released in the UK. Set for its public debut at the Paris Motor Show next month, the new Focus is more exciting inside than out. Softer and a little less controversially styled than the car which debuted in 1996, the new second-generation Focus shares its platform with the already-launched Focus C-Max, as well as Volvo's S40 and V50 and the Mazda 3. The new Focus will first arrive in three- and five-door hatchback form, with an estate becoming available early in 2005. All cars are longer overall than the current model, with a longer-wheelbase of 2640mm, up 25mm on the current car. That'll help rear legroom, while the extra length (the hatchbacks are 4340mm long, up 170mm) will also go into crumple-zones to improve passive safety. The Focus is chasing the benchmark five-star safety rating in EuroNCAP's crash tests, with the current model on four stars. Luggage space is also improved. Hatchbacks have 385-litres, rising to 1245-litres with seats folded, 35 more than the current car. The estate has a 475-litre capacity, which rises to 1,525 with the seats folded. According to Autoweek Netherlands, at launch, three petrol engines and two diesels will be available on Continental Europe, and we'd expect the same to be true for the UK. The base model is a 1.4-litre Duratec unit with 79bhp and 93lb.ft of torque, and there are 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre Duratecs too. The 1.6 has 99bhp and 111lb.ft in manual form, but will also be available with a CVT continuously variable automatic transmission. In this form, it has 113bhp and 115lb.ft. The 2.0-litre petrol unit has 143bhp and 136lb.ft. A faster, ST version is likely to follow next year, while a 118bhp 1.8-litre car should also feature. The diesel units are latest-generation common-rail units with particulate filters, which will meet Euro IV emissions regulations and therefore avoid the extra three-percent tax penalty levied on diesel cars which don't meet the new regulations. The engines are a 1.6-litre unit with 107bhp and 177lb.ft, and a 2.0-litre unit with 134bhp and a healthy 236lb.ft. The petrol engines and 1.6-litre diesel come with a five-speed manual transmission, that CVT is also available on the 1.6-diesel, while the 2.0-litre diesel has a six-speed manual gearbox. Our UK-first pictures show that interior quality has taken a marked upward step over the existing car, as it tries to match the enhanced quality of the latest Golf and Vauxhall's higher quality new Astra. The dials and controls are again large and simple, and sound ergonomics - one feature of the current Focus - appear to remain. The steering wheel will again adjust for reach and rake, while as an option, adjustable pedals can be specified, too. Although UK prices and options are a long way from being set, standard equipment is likely to include electric front windows, CD player, quite possibly air-conditioning, and six-airbags. Options will include keyless entry, AFS adaptive front-lights, Bluetooth telephone connection, and speech-control for the telephone, climate control and satellite-navigation systems. A DVD-supported games console for rear-seat passengers will also be available. There is no firm date for sales to start here, but it will be available from mid-November in major left-hand-drive markets such as Germany, and the UK shouldn't be too far behind.