Minimum wage in Singapore

**voidable** · 07-08-2012, 01:08 PM

What about minimum wage in Singapore? Pros, cons, is it possible to implement this, will foreign businesses choose to move elsewhere if Singapore labour becomes more expensive. It was introduced in Malaysia early this year for poorer plantation workers to immediate repercussions and unhappy employers.

http://www.payscale.com/research/SG/...re/Hourly_Rate

In Australia for example cleaners are paid $30-40 an hour on average. The "dirtier" the job the higher the pay. Resulting in cleaners becoming respected members of the community. If this was implemented in Singapore, wouldn't it turn the system topsy turvy.

**coolguy** · 07-08-2012, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by voidable

What about minimum wage in Singapore? Pros, cons, is it possible to implement this, will foreign businesses choose to move elsewhere if Singapore labour becomes more expensive. It was introduced in Malaysia early this year for poorer plantation workers to immediate repercussions and unhappy employers.

http://www.payscale.com/research/SG/...re/Hourly_Rate

In Australia for example cleaners are paid $30-40 an hour on average. The "dirtier" the job the higher the pay. Resulting in cleaners becoming respected members of the community. If this was implemented in Singapore, wouldn't it turn the system topsy turvy.

in spore, if I had to be a cleaner to earn a living, I rather migrate to other 3rd world countries to be a PMET there.
Not other you lose respect from the community, you are degrading yourself and you will die younger
due to the insane workload caused by the densely population.

If the labour wages remain the same cheap cheap forever, the skilled labour will automatically move themselves out of the country.
companies will not want to put their important workforce here. Hence here will be reduced to supporting 3rd class job role
and is despensible.

**voidable** · 07-08-2012, 04:41 PM

ah but that's the thing. in australia cleaners are not seen as lower class etc. a singaporean girl i know even made a short film about this australian cleaner she met who was a very good looking young lady. she said its a phenomenom.

**valiant20** · 07-08-2012, 07:26 PM

Cleaners in Australia walk around with headsets/walkie talkies!

But I have hired a cleaning service before (house cleaners) and found poor Sri lankans getting exploited by their fellow countryman (their manager) for 30-40bucks a day! Totally illegal! Wished I had the balls to whistleblow to immigration then..

**Cruxx** · 07-08-2012, 11:38 PM

GDP per capita is higher in OZ than Sinkieland despite the greater welfare provision of the former.

**TracyTan866** · 08-08-2012, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by voidable

What about minimum wage in Singapore? Pros, cons, is it possible to implement this, will foreign businesses choose to move elsewhere if Singapore labour becomes more expensive. It was introduced in Malaysia early this year for poorer plantation workers to immediate repercussions and unhappy employers.

http://www.payscale.com/research/SG/...re/Hourly_Rate

In Australia for example cleaners are paid $30-40 an hour on average. The "dirtier" the job the higher the pay. Resulting in cleaners becoming respected members of the community. If this was implemented in Singapore, wouldn't it turn the system topsy turvy.

Wage restructuring has to happen in SG. The present situation of relying on low wage labour for businesses cant be sustained

**mojito** · 08-08-2012, 01:34 PM

We have a minimum wage scheme in SG. It is called the "taxi flag-down rate".

**Simbian** · 08-08-2012, 10:16 PM

People have to realize that foreign businesses move out of Singapore due to costs, and costs are not always about labour even though it is the largest component. There are other things like rents, utility costs, etc and the fact that the other governments of developing nations are ready and eager to court them by giving them breaks and other incentives which our Singapore government will never concede.

Labour is only convenient because it has been the default vector for the government to attack since independence. This is due to compliant unions and increased dependence on foreign labour. The other factors like "property" are "difficult" due to the incestutuous relationship between government and business in the form of the GLCs, not to mention our current leadership have no balls to tackle the octopus that is TH/GIC.

I am always amused to see people boasting about vibrant property sector in Singapore and they become quiet when I analyze the situation to them and what are the side effects of being so enamoured of home ownership and having high rents. Of course, this is not only Singaporean in nature - the Americans, the Chinese, etc, all suffer from this.

If applied in Singapore, a minimum wage must incorporate the entire working force, not only Singaporeans for the simple reason that if done in that way, Singaporeans will even be more disadvantaged.

And contrary to popular perception, the only companies that would be severely impacted are those who are already caught in the double whammy of high rents and low margins - i.e. probably retail and other manufacturing SMEs that remain in Singapore.

**Cruxx** · 08-08-2012, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by Simbian

People have to realize that foreign businesses move out of Singapore due to costs, and costs are not always about labour even though it is the largest component. There are other things like rents, utility costs, etc and the fact that the other governments of developing nations are ready and eager to court them by giving them breaks and other incentives which our Singapore government will never concede.

Countries by received foreign direct investment are as follows: 1. USA 2. France 3. UK 4. Germany 5. Belgium. Pray tell, how low are operating costs in these countries?

**fivestars** · 08-08-2012, 11:41 PM

If worker levy rate higher than CPF. Minimum wages is no longer an issues. To get a worker, employer had to Singaporean higher than maid. Ha ha ha.

**Cruxx** · 09-08-2012, 12:45 AM

I'd rather trust the 23 Global 500 companies that locate themselves in high-cost, socialist Paris than you armchair economists.

**Fook Seng** · 09-08-2012, 02:41 AM

Originally Posted by Simbian

People have to realize that foreign businesses move out of Singapore due to costs, and costs are not always about labour even though it is the largest component. There are other things like rents, utility costs, etc and the fact that the other governments of developing nations are ready and eager to court them by giving them breaks and other incentives

I agree with you all components of cost need to be considered and balanced. Even looking at labour cost, the low end labour is not the determining cost factor. That higher up the chain may actually matter more.