My Little Voice
My little voice may not be heard by many. Nonetheless I will have it blogged. Hopefully to be read and commented; may it be only one or two.Saturday, July 30, 2005
Fair OR Unfair?
Yesterday papers I read about the foreign workers with valid work permits been caught for doing jobs which they are not hired for. The penalty they going to face is serving jail term. After which, I strongly believe they are not able to come back here and work. In addition, with such ‘criminal record”, I doubt they will be able to apply for any work permits in any other countries. They have to be once again stuck in their country and suffer in poverty. It is not just going to be them to suffer only but also their family.
It’s so unfair! They are here to earn themselves 1 meal per day; the other 2 meals they saved them and send home. Who are they to decide their destiny in Singapore? They have to listen to their supervisors or foremen. If they refused, they face the fate of been send back to their counties. Even if the companies do not do so, they will just leave these workers idle for a few days and these workers have no choice but to oblige to them. This is because they have loaned a lot of money back in their country just to come here and work in hope they are able to provide better for their families. Stop work will mean no income for them. Nobody is able to endure it.
From another angle, do they really know what sort of works they are been employed for to work in Singapore? I will assume that many do not know. When told to work they will just work. So why when there a breech in of working laws they are been punished?
So are these unscrupulous business man been penalised? If they are, to them, the fines are just peanuts compared to the monies they are able to “squeeze” from these poor foreigners. Even if anyone has to face the music and be thrown in the jail, there is bound to be a scapegoat.
It is time to ponder if there is really justice in Singapore. If there is, who is it protecting? I think we mustn’t forget these foreign workers are going through what our forefathers had gone through in building this so call beautiful country.
It’s so unfair! They are here to earn themselves 1 meal per day; the other 2 meals they saved them and send home. Who are they to decide their destiny in Singapore? They have to listen to their supervisors or foremen. If they refused, they face the fate of been send back to their counties. Even if the companies do not do so, they will just leave these workers idle for a few days and these workers have no choice but to oblige to them. This is because they have loaned a lot of money back in their country just to come here and work in hope they are able to provide better for their families. Stop work will mean no income for them. Nobody is able to endure it.
From another angle, do they really know what sort of works they are been employed for to work in Singapore? I will assume that many do not know. When told to work they will just work. So why when there a breech in of working laws they are been punished?
So are these unscrupulous business man been penalised? If they are, to them, the fines are just peanuts compared to the monies they are able to “squeeze” from these poor foreigners. Even if anyone has to face the music and be thrown in the jail, there is bound to be a scapegoat.
It is time to ponder if there is really justice in Singapore. If there is, who is it protecting? I think we mustn’t forget these foreign workers are going through what our forefathers had gone through in building this so call beautiful country.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Jobs Re-Designing
Referring to the article "How Singapore can stem jobless tide" which was published on Straits Times on 8 July 2005.
I have to agree that over the years we put in an effort to “repackage” many jobs. As mentioned, waste management and cleaning jobs have re-designed themselves successfully. Now work is carried out with the aid of new machinery. Despite so, re-designing may not succeed for some industries; especially construction.
For many decades, it is an accepted fact that in construction line it is still very labour intensive trade. Also, we are very dependent on foreign workers as no Singaporean would like to take up these jobs. Quoting one example is recently my company which specialising in sewer rehabilitation works was recruiting General Worker. Though most of our works are carried out using special equipment, labour is required. One interviewee after been told scope of works, he said that this kind of job is suitable for only Thais. Going through his qualification, he is neither educated nor has any other skills. Perhaps some of my present NTS (non-traditional source) workers are more academically or skills qualified than him. Yet he declined the job offer on the spot.
I think we should not just only re-design jobs but also change the mindset of Singaporeans.
I have to agree that over the years we put in an effort to “repackage” many jobs. As mentioned, waste management and cleaning jobs have re-designed themselves successfully. Now work is carried out with the aid of new machinery. Despite so, re-designing may not succeed for some industries; especially construction.
For many decades, it is an accepted fact that in construction line it is still very labour intensive trade. Also, we are very dependent on foreign workers as no Singaporean would like to take up these jobs. Quoting one example is recently my company which specialising in sewer rehabilitation works was recruiting General Worker. Though most of our works are carried out using special equipment, labour is required. One interviewee after been told scope of works, he said that this kind of job is suitable for only Thais. Going through his qualification, he is neither educated nor has any other skills. Perhaps some of my present NTS (non-traditional source) workers are more academically or skills qualified than him. Yet he declined the job offer on the spot.
I think we should not just only re-design jobs but also change the mindset of Singaporeans.
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