[h=1]LABOUR DAY MESSAGE FROM SDA'S CHAIRMAN[/h]
Post date:
28 Apr 2015 - 12:08pm
[Pic Credit: Singapolitics]
Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) Labor Day Message
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of our country. Ever since 1961, the old union was dissolved by the new government, the pro-PAP government's labor movement together with her party set up a new National Trade Union Congress (or NTUC as we know it). It was registered with the Registry of Societies on 17 August and incorporated on 6th September 1961.
Since then, our labour and political parties have moved as one. During the uncertain times of old, she has proven to play an important role in bringing a stable investment environment with ample employment opportunities. Because of the common interests of both the labour and political parties, they could propel Singapore forward together and meet their long-term productivity and development goals. In those days, the labour and political parties stood together for the people and protected the public interest.
Today, things have changed. In the name of GDP growth, Singapore has opened its doors widely to allow an influx of foreign immigrant workers. The labour-political partnership, instead of working for the people’s interest, are now beginning to become a tool against the people. Instead of fighting for people’s rights; these organizations have compromised that purpose and tagged along with the political and financial sector for the pursuit of economic growth.
Clearly, this has shown that the leaders of the National Trade Union Congress, Minister, and the Members of Parliament of the ruling party represent the interest of the employers. While this is of course for the long term, the macroeconomic growth of Singapore, this represents a clear conflict of interest.
The question comes – when there is a commercial and industrial labour dispute, in which capacity should the leaders represent? If they fight on the behalf of labour welfare, they may contradict government policy or cause harm to the interest of the employers. If they fight on behalf of the employees, then they’ll violating the spirit of the union, which is to fight for the people.
One may say that the leaders can fight for both the employers AND the employees. That is an ideal situation, but we find that reality is seldom the case. Eventually, there comes a point where they have to choose a side. The union leaders either have to abide by the mission of their political parties and employers and thus unable to represent the workers fairly.
After all, in the end, what is a labour union, but one for the voice of the people? A voice doesn’t have to be rational; it doesn’t have to be huge in scope; it simply must voice the sentiment of the people. It must give voice to those who cannot be heard. That is the essence of a labour union.
So we see now in reality that the dream of shared prosperity has been shattered. The citizens of our country whom we laboured for must now bear the high costs of living in a First World country, yet earn the wages of a Third World employee. On top of that, our Singaporean brothers and sisters live with the constant fear that one day their jobs will be replaced by the influx of immigrants that are coming in droves.
To ensure that the interest and the welfare of our people, we must sever the ties between the labour, political and financial sectors. The union MUST be a union of the people! She must be independent so that she can play her original function of protecting the interest of our Singapore brothers.
Instead of placing their party members in the leadership of the union to set their policy, the government must separate these two functions, and instead attempt to maintain harmony with the independent trade union leaders. This will ensure that the interests of our employees are not compromised, and trade union leaders can fight to attain First World salaries to meet the costs of First World living standards.
As Singapore moves on to a new phase of her life, she needs constant change to keep up with the rest of the world. Whatever that has stopped working must be evolved, changed and even overhauled. Now this is the time when the voice of the people must be heard again; let us change what does not work anymore, and build a model that is ready for the future.
Happy Labour Day!
With Best Regards
Lim Bak Chuan Desmond
Chairman of Singapore Democratic Alliance
----
劳动节致词
今年是我国建国50周年, 自1961年时旧的工会被新政府解散之后,亲行动党政府的工运人士，和她的党员成立了新的全国职工总会，并在八月十七日向社团注册局注册。
从此 劳、政的关系就像连体婴儿一样分割不开。 在动乱的时代她确实可以扮演重要的角色,也的确带给了我们一个稳定的投资环境和充足就业机会。因为是连体,所以 劳、政双方顺利拥有共同的利益，一起把新加坡推向前并且达到生产力目标。当时劳、政领袖，也有处处为民众争取福利，提供保护伞，和保护民众利益。
今日,国门大开,外来移民和劳工的大量涌入, 使这个连体婴儿，产生了变化,成为劳、资、政为一体的怪兽, 劳、资、政成为一体之后;一切职工运动就必须配合政府执政方针，和资方的利益。全国职工总会的领袖，不只是由政府指定的部长,执政党的国会议员，同时他们也代表了资方的利益,他们担任工会领导也就难免有利益冲突之嫌。
现在矛盾出现了,一旦出现了有工商业劳资纠纷,这些领导到底要以什么身份去代表工人，跟政府和资方谈判呢?如果代表劳工争取福利,就抵触了政府方针,或是损害到资方利益。这样的工会领袖如何能确保员工得到他们应得的利益。
在这个条件下的工会领导最终还是得配合自己政党和资方继续做不符合自己作为劳方代表身份的事。包括想尽办法借低薪的外劳来压低自己国民的薪金。
这使我们与领导共享繁荣进步的愿望都幻灭成了南柯一梦。
因为民众却必须面对第一世界高消费而领取第三世界国家的薪水,甚至担心雇主会随时以外国人来取代我们,增加了我们的生活压力。
所以为了确保民众的利益和福利能得到真正的保维护。我们必须认真考虑请"外科医生"(送更多不同政党的党员进入国会),把这只劳、资、政的连体怪兽给宰了。让工会能够真正独立的发挥她的本来功能,真实的维护劳工的利益。
政府必须继续跟独立工会领袖保持和谐合作关系，而不是安插自己党员来操控工会和压抑工人。
独立工会能确保我们的员工的利益和福利不会被出卖,工会领导可以在无压抑的情况下,去争取资方支付给员工第一世界薪金，以应付第一世界生活水准的开销。
我国所吸引的投资家，必须是真正制造就业机会给新加坡人的投资,而引进新加坡的外国人，只能从事本地人不做的工作，或是本地人欠缺这方面的经验或是知识的工作。
祝大家劳动节快乐!
林睦荃
新加坡民主联盟主席
Post date:
28 Apr 2015 - 12:08pm
[Pic Credit: Singapolitics]
Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) Labor Day Message
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of our country. Ever since 1961, the old union was dissolved by the new government, the pro-PAP government's labor movement together with her party set up a new National Trade Union Congress (or NTUC as we know it). It was registered with the Registry of Societies on 17 August and incorporated on 6th September 1961.
Since then, our labour and political parties have moved as one. During the uncertain times of old, she has proven to play an important role in bringing a stable investment environment with ample employment opportunities. Because of the common interests of both the labour and political parties, they could propel Singapore forward together and meet their long-term productivity and development goals. In those days, the labour and political parties stood together for the people and protected the public interest.
Today, things have changed. In the name of GDP growth, Singapore has opened its doors widely to allow an influx of foreign immigrant workers. The labour-political partnership, instead of working for the people’s interest, are now beginning to become a tool against the people. Instead of fighting for people’s rights; these organizations have compromised that purpose and tagged along with the political and financial sector for the pursuit of economic growth.
Clearly, this has shown that the leaders of the National Trade Union Congress, Minister, and the Members of Parliament of the ruling party represent the interest of the employers. While this is of course for the long term, the macroeconomic growth of Singapore, this represents a clear conflict of interest.
The question comes – when there is a commercial and industrial labour dispute, in which capacity should the leaders represent? If they fight on the behalf of labour welfare, they may contradict government policy or cause harm to the interest of the employers. If they fight on behalf of the employees, then they’ll violating the spirit of the union, which is to fight for the people.
One may say that the leaders can fight for both the employers AND the employees. That is an ideal situation, but we find that reality is seldom the case. Eventually, there comes a point where they have to choose a side. The union leaders either have to abide by the mission of their political parties and employers and thus unable to represent the workers fairly.
After all, in the end, what is a labour union, but one for the voice of the people? A voice doesn’t have to be rational; it doesn’t have to be huge in scope; it simply must voice the sentiment of the people. It must give voice to those who cannot be heard. That is the essence of a labour union.
So we see now in reality that the dream of shared prosperity has been shattered. The citizens of our country whom we laboured for must now bear the high costs of living in a First World country, yet earn the wages of a Third World employee. On top of that, our Singaporean brothers and sisters live with the constant fear that one day their jobs will be replaced by the influx of immigrants that are coming in droves.
To ensure that the interest and the welfare of our people, we must sever the ties between the labour, political and financial sectors. The union MUST be a union of the people! She must be independent so that she can play her original function of protecting the interest of our Singapore brothers.
Instead of placing their party members in the leadership of the union to set their policy, the government must separate these two functions, and instead attempt to maintain harmony with the independent trade union leaders. This will ensure that the interests of our employees are not compromised, and trade union leaders can fight to attain First World salaries to meet the costs of First World living standards.
As Singapore moves on to a new phase of her life, she needs constant change to keep up with the rest of the world. Whatever that has stopped working must be evolved, changed and even overhauled. Now this is the time when the voice of the people must be heard again; let us change what does not work anymore, and build a model that is ready for the future.
Happy Labour Day!
With Best Regards
Lim Bak Chuan Desmond
Chairman of Singapore Democratic Alliance
----
劳动节致词
今年是我国建国50周年, 自1961年时旧的工会被新政府解散之后,亲行动党政府的工运人士，和她的党员成立了新的全国职工总会，并在八月十七日向社团注册局注册。
从此 劳、政的关系就像连体婴儿一样分割不开。 在动乱的时代她确实可以扮演重要的角色,也的确带给了我们一个稳定的投资环境和充足就业机会。因为是连体,所以 劳、政双方顺利拥有共同的利益，一起把新加坡推向前并且达到生产力目标。当时劳、政领袖，也有处处为民众争取福利，提供保护伞，和保护民众利益。
今日,国门大开,外来移民和劳工的大量涌入, 使这个连体婴儿，产生了变化,成为劳、资、政为一体的怪兽, 劳、资、政成为一体之后;一切职工运动就必须配合政府执政方针，和资方的利益。全国职工总会的领袖，不只是由政府指定的部长,执政党的国会议员，同时他们也代表了资方的利益,他们担任工会领导也就难免有利益冲突之嫌。
现在矛盾出现了,一旦出现了有工商业劳资纠纷,这些领导到底要以什么身份去代表工人，跟政府和资方谈判呢?如果代表劳工争取福利,就抵触了政府方针,或是损害到资方利益。这样的工会领袖如何能确保员工得到他们应得的利益。
在这个条件下的工会领导最终还是得配合自己政党和资方继续做不符合自己作为劳方代表身份的事。包括想尽办法借低薪的外劳来压低自己国民的薪金。
这使我们与领导共享繁荣进步的愿望都幻灭成了南柯一梦。
因为民众却必须面对第一世界高消费而领取第三世界国家的薪水,甚至担心雇主会随时以外国人来取代我们,增加了我们的生活压力。
所以为了确保民众的利益和福利能得到真正的保维护。我们必须认真考虑请"外科医生"(送更多不同政党的党员进入国会),把这只劳、资、政的连体怪兽给宰了。让工会能够真正独立的发挥她的本来功能,真实的维护劳工的利益。
政府必须继续跟独立工会领袖保持和谐合作关系，而不是安插自己党员来操控工会和压抑工人。
独立工会能确保我们的员工的利益和福利不会被出卖,工会领导可以在无压抑的情况下,去争取资方支付给员工第一世界薪金，以应付第一世界生活水准的开销。
我国所吸引的投资家，必须是真正制造就业机会给新加坡人的投资,而引进新加坡的外国人，只能从事本地人不做的工作，或是本地人欠缺这方面的经验或是知识的工作。
祝大家劳动节快乐!
林睦荃
新加坡民主联盟主席
