SMRT Strike - The National Interest Perspective

[GoldenDragon]

That's why tampines voters chose MBT over him in spite of national hatred for MBT. The voters have eyes and not stupid. They will vote for a dog over MBT, and yet some people still can lose

Your comments very, very, very hurting. Ouch! But it is THE truth.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Sorry ... Forgot my last question for NTUC chief Zorro Lim ...

4) NTUC Fairprice has a large number of PRC and staff of other nationalities. Are they on the same pay scale or does NTUC Fairprice also practice pay discrimination by nationality?

Zorro still crying. He will reply to you when left with no tears. Secret squirrel apprised me that Lim Boon Heng also in tears. Both are holding hands and crying together.

 

[chonburifc]

You are blind in your emotional ranting about nationalism without real understanding of the economics behind the numbers and the implications of your mindless rhetoric.

You will end up making more Singaporeans losing their jobs with such mindset, instead of protecting Singaporeans from being replaced by foreigners. I am sad that such show of xenophobia has come from people like you.

All bus drivers will enjoy free transport from their work place if they live in Singapore. The eg given by the Malaysian is totally flawed. Singaporean drivers also enjoy free company transport. The Malaysian chose to stay in JB thus they have ride their own bikes.

Just a simple proposal to these Malaysians, would they accept the low pay like the PRC if theu y are given the same terms and accommodation?
I dont think anyone of them will take up that offer

Goh Meng Seng

kaptan goh,

here only you not blind izzit? talk lose call people blind? how the people vote for you har?

btw, why u do tulan wp har? anything and everything you also attack wp. like that very persinal and not gentleman leh.

 

[Bigfuck]

kaptan goh,

here only you not blind izzit? talk lose call people blind? how the people vote for you har?

btw, why u do tulan wp har? anything and everything you also attack wp. like that very persinal and not gentleman leh.

Bro, you should not good at making shit is going to make shit. Why you all so support this thread? I know GMS cannot see or else never get kicked out and leave so many parties until one person. Never even win once and say like he bigger than PM of SGP and President of USA.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Scroobal,

Contrary to your conclusion, I have touched on most of the important points in my article. If you do not want to be over reliance on foreign workers, then you must make sure they get equal pay so that the overall cost of hiring them will be higher than local so that it will discourage employers to employ foreigners to replace Singaporeans indiscriminately.

I have also touched on the anti-discrimination law as well that political parties should fight for.

Goh Meng Seng

GMS

When I read the article , its obvious that you playing to the NGO gallery. Why post it hear? Why not write another article to address the political angle of this strike for Singaporeans?

1. Singaporeans coming first, jobs for Singaporeans is not even a policy issue. Its a given. A govt fails if it cannot do that.

2. Labour arbitrage is not a new science. Indians, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Indonesians, Thais, etc benefit from it and happy for the opportunity.

3. The SMRT wage negotiations were poorly handled from the 2nd quarter of this year. I am sure heads will roll. One had a huge increase while others hardly got anything.

4. Our central issue is the long dependency on cheap labour and maintaining low costs. If they had addressed productivity and up-skilled our local work force sufficiently earlier, the locals would be holding better jobs and a PRC drivers being paid $2k would not raise an eye brow.

5. Fully support minimum wage and anti discriminatory laws as these are basic. Every country in the world that have it also restricts entry of foreigners into their local workspace by a raft of measures. Its not because their civil servants got nothing better to do but to ensure that there is no local work force displacements. In developed world, low qualified new migrants drive taxi while local have engineering jobs. In Singapore ex- engineers, scientists and pmets drive taxis while low qualified migrants are found everywhere else.

In essence we got our fundamentals wrong. We focused on continuing to fuel the same economic set-up for the same result by repeatedly tweaking costs.

 

[kingrant]

This wont work. At the same pay level with Singaporeans, employers will find it even more pressured to bully foreigners with more workload and longer hrs since they cant complain.

If you do not want to be over reliance on foreign workers, then you must make sure they get equal pay so that the overall cost of hiring them will be higher than local so that it will discourage employers to employ foreigners to replace Singaporeans indiscriminately.


Goh Meng Seng

 

[kingrant]

The PRCs are hired on 2 year contracts while the Malaysians are permanent. So we are not comparing apples to apples.

With the latest Press release from SMRT, GMS's balloon is punctured. Had Opp parties commented blindly, they would have committed suicide. Of cos, GMS is waiting for that to happen.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

These China men are not stupid....they know what they are coming here for...why don't you spend your time, looking into the rights & benefits of the local workers, than dwell on this disparity between the Malaysians & the PRC..

There is a report in shin min today suggesting that these workers are already into the last few months of their contract. They feel they have nothing to lose, so just go on strike, see if they can get a good deal. At most, kenna deported, no problem, they only lose a few months' pay and they can easily find another job.

Looks like Singapore human rights activists (and mad cows like GMS) have been fooled again.

I told this forum at the very start the China people are not fools and they know how to game the system. 2/3 of the cases handled by HOME and TWC2 are cases of foreigners gaming the rules and these social activists don't have a clue or pretend to be blind.

These FWs are smart and they are not blind sheep like Singaporeans who just swallow it and suck it up.

 

[Thick Face Black Heart]

Try working in any countries outside Singapore and complain about unfair treatment, see if any of the political parties take up your case.
It is embarassing to see this kind of Fool's logic in cyberspace... seriously... i am blushing

I've been zapping tonychat and Wmulu whenever I can but Leongsam just comes in and adds to their pts. Its no use bro. The forum host can add unlimited number of times but we can't do the same. The rules suck, man.

 

[kingrant]

A classic example of fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

There is a report in shin min today suggesting that these workers are already into the last few months of their contract. They feel they have nothing to lose, so just go on strike, see if they can get a good deal. At most, kenna deported, no problem, they only lose a few months' pay and they can easily find another job.

Looks like Singapore human rights activists (and mad cows like GMS) have been fooled again.

I told this forum at the very start the China people are not fools and they know how to game the system. 2/3 of the cases handled by HOME and TWC2 are cases of foreigners gaming the rules and these social activists don't have a clue or pretend to be blind.

These FWs are smart and they are not blind sheep like Singaporeans who just swallow it and suck it up.

 

[aurvandil]

The mental image I have is that Lim Boon Heng is long dead and partially eaten. He however hasn't quite figured out he is dead and has therefore become what can only be described as a zombie.

Zorro Lim is tied to a stake and crying uncontrollably as he feels he will be next on the menu.

Circling round both of them like a vulture is Jo Teo who is greedily smacking her lips and positioning herself to get the best piece of meat when the axe finally falls on Zorro.

Zorro still crying. He will reply to you when left with no tears. Secret squirrel apprised me that Lim Boon Heng also in tears. Both are holding hands and crying together.

 

[Kinana]

The PRC drivers were unhappy over the disparity of increment.
If they are not happy, just go home. There will be lots of other PRCs who would love to work here.

In the first place, SMRT should offer them a clean contract with nothing unexpected. They take it or leave it, its so simple.

 

[po2wq]

... If they are not happy, just go home. There will be lots of other PRCs who would love to work here ...

ya, man! ...

juz like if u dun like tis kopitiam, juz f**k orf! ... there r lots of others who like here ...

 

[Kinana]

ya, man! ...

juz like if u dun like tis kopitiam, juz f**k orf! ... there r lots of others who like here ...

Thats right bro, you don't like it, you can go.

 

[OverTheCounter]

The mental image I have is that Lim Boon Heng is long dead and partially eaten. He however hasn't quite figured out he is dead and has therefore become what can only be described as a zombie.

Zorro Lim is tied to a stake and crying uncontrollably as he feels he will be next on the menu.

Circling round both of them like a vulture is Jo Teo who is greedily smacking her lips and positioning herself to get the best piece of meat when the axe finally falls on Zorro.

Why Lim Boon Heng has not gotten a Hollywood role yet? I am one of his fans. Waiting for him to get onto the big screen.

Come on Hollywood, you gonna ignore such a talent?

 

[kopiuncle]

I've been zapping tonychat and Wmulu whenever I can but Leongsam just comes in and adds to their pts. Its no use bro. The forum host can add unlimited number of times but we can't do the same. The rules suck, man.

I am getting to admire you more and more for your candid wisdom and deep insight.You are truly remarkable.

 

[watchman8]

I've been zapping tonychat and Wmulu whenever I can but Leongsam just comes in and adds to their pts. Its no use bro. The forum host can add unlimited number of times but we can't do the same. The rules suck, man.

I think these jesters serve a function lah. Otherwise this forum will be too boring. Sometimes need their "bright" spark to trigger discussions, and sometimes to present the establishment views so that there is some context to argue on.

 

[zhihau]

I think these jesters serve a function lah

clinton666 is sorely missed :(:(:(

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

It doesn't change the fact that such employment practices that are allowed by the PAP government, are bad and discriminatory in nature.

Sometimes, Legal doesn't mean right.

Goh Meng Seng

The PRCs are hired on 2 year contracts while the Malaysians are permanent. So we are not comparing apples to apples.

With the latest Press release from SMRT, GMS's balloon is punctured. Had Opp parties commented blindly, they would have committed suicide. Of cos, GMS is waiting for that to happen.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

If the Labour Law allows that to happen, then this law is useless after all. Besides there is no guarantee that even with much lower wages, employers do not exploit them at all if we have such lousy Labour Law

Goh Meng Seng

This wont work. At the same pay level with Singaporeans, employers will find it even more pressured to bully foreigners with more workload and longer hrs since they cant complain.