• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.

PAPee Likes to Comprain Sporns Dun Like to Work @ Nite. Lucky Din Listen to These SOB

makapaaa

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Bleaker prospects for night workers
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>These are particularly dark times for people who work nights. Musicians are running out of gigs, night bank traders are looking for day jobs, pubs are quieter and cabbies report a drop-off in fares. Elizabeth Soh reports. </TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>




<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->It is bleak enough working at night at the best of times, moving from one part-time job to another, relying on tips for a wage, and toiling into the wee hours without the security of employment contracts, paid leave and health benefits.
But in grim economic times, the graveyard shift has never looked more like a financial dead end.
A growing number of casual and contract workers are feeling the heat. Their ranks have swelled from 172,000 in 2006 to 183,000 in 2007, according to last year's Labour Force Survey.
Just ask 23-year-old Mi Xue, a server at a karaoke pub in Duxton Road. 'I work from 8pm till 4am ,' said the part-time local student, who supports her 11-year-old brother and housewife mother.
'I used to be able to earn $60 a night in tips, now I get about $30.' She may have to put her studies at a private university on hold and get a day job to help pay the household bills of up to $1,000 a month.

=> FTrash: No free scholarship for u Pink ICers meh? *hee*hee*

She is one of 10 hostesses interviewed by The Sunday Times from pubs in the heartland and the Duxton and Geylang areas.
Karaoke (KTV) pubs in the heartland have not been hit as hard yet but most in the industry feel it is only a matter of time.
Said Mr Victor Tan, 41, who runs Jazz Pub at the Singapore Expo: 'Business is still okay because it's been one festive season after another. Our location in Changi is an advantage because we've a lot of regulars who live nearby, but business from my regulars has also dropped by about 5 per cent to 10per cent.'
Mr Dennis Foo, 56, former head of the Association of Entertainment Organisations, noted that KTV pubs and nightclubs, which depend on big spenders, are the hardest hit.
The chief executive officer of St James Holdings, which owns popular nightclub St James Powerhouse, said: 'The cover fee of $30 for most clubs like Zouk and St James is still acceptable, but business is dropping at places where customers used to spend more than $100 on alcohol and entertainment.'
Other night workers who rely on tips, like valets, have seen their incomes plunge by up to 50 per cent in the past 12 months.
'Early last year, most clubbers would be willing to use our services and tip us about $5 each time,' said a 36-year-old valet at a popular nightspot who wanted to be known only as Mr Ahmad. 'Now, they will wait up to half an hour for parking lots at the HDB carpark across the road.'
Mr Anandhan Solomon, 40, managing director of Cham Valet, which employs 40 valets, said: 'Demand for our services has dropped by at least 35 per cent.'
He added that hotels, his main customers, have also started taking a 40 per cent cut from his revenue.
National University of Singapore undergraduate Terence Koh, 24, said he is one of the newly cost-conscious: 'In the past, I would use valet parking. Now when I go clubbing, I share a cab back with friends instead.'
But that is hardly translating into much extra business for taxi drivers, who are experiencing a big drop in demand, according to cabbie Eric Su, 63.
He is one of 30 night-shift cab drivers interviewed by The Sunday Times who reported a 20 per cent drop in income since last September when the financial crisis started.
Young working professionals - once his chief source of fares - are turning to public transport and private bus companies.
The increasing number of cabbies does not help business either - Comfort taxis alone account for about 15,000 drivers on the night shift. According to a Land Transport Authority spokesman, the number of cabs increased by 338 between November 2007 and November 2008.
Mr Su has started working longer hours just to earn the same income. 'In the past, I could make $90 driving for seven hours. Now, I can't even make $70 after driving for 10 hours,' he added.
Said Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Taxi Operators Association's covering adviser: 'We understand some drivers' income had been affected by the current downturn. We shall continue working to increase demand for taxi services, with more details being revealed over the next few weeks.'

=> Message is: Cut rentals? NO WAY!

The prospects for night musician Moses Tay are looking bleak as well. The 68-year-old acoustic bass guitarist is back on the job-hunting treadmill after his stint at Changi Airport's Terminal 2 Transit Lounge ended last month.
Mr Tay, who plays on weeknights, was told a few weeks ago that he would no longer be needed, after working there for 18 months. 'They said they wanted a change in concept,' said Mr Tay, who has been a professional musician for more than 40 years. 'The truth is that demand for musicians has never been lower.'
Said Mr Foo: 'We are holding back when it comes to making decisions about what kind of music acts or performances to bring into our outlets.'
He added that business has been erratic, going from highs during the festive season to a lull in the first two weeks of last month.
Experts noted that night workers do not receive pink slips or official pay cuts. But that is simply because most are not formally employed or have never signed a contract.
Assistant professor Son Joonmo, a sociologist at the National University of Singapore, said contract and casual workers are especially vulnerable during this downturn as the extent of their hardship is not captured by official statistics.
'Their jobless condition may be stretched out for an unusually long period. Also, state and society may lack the resources to maintain and create a tailored safety net for such people with low educational levels,' he said.
For such workers on short-term contracts or in casual employment, some help is available in the form of NTUC's Unit for Contract and Casual Workers (UCCW).
'We are aware that some companies are letting go their contract workers during this downturn to cope with a drop in demand,' said Mr Zainudin Nordin, UCCW director. 'And when the workers lose their jobs, it is critical that they possess the right skills to move into other growing sectors that are still hiring.'
The UCCW actively encourages such workers to join the unit to gain access to subsidised health care and insurance and alleviate their financial burden. It launched the 'U Train U Gain' Scheme in August last year to train them for new jobs.
Even at blue-chip financial institutions and five-star hotels, the same economic pressures are hitting the night-shift staff.
To cut costs, European banks which headquartered night operations here, have started out-sourcing departments to lower-cost centres such as Chennai in India.
'With the global downturn, export volumes across the region have come off significantly,' said Mr Soh Hang Kwang, head of corporate coverage at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
'So naturally foreign exchange hedgings, and therefore transactions, have tapered off by about 20 per cent, reducing the need for night operations personnel.'
Night trader Clement Cheng, 27, for example, was re-deployed to a day job when that happened. He estimates that he earns $1,000 less in his new job.
'Working London-hours, I would get about $80 extra in allowances every day,' said Mr Cheng, who works for a British bank. 'The drop was quite drastic.'
But he is already considered one of the lucky ones.
Mr G.Y. Tay, 26, a night trader with the same bank, was axed just five months after he joined.
For many night workers, staying positive seems to be the best way of dealing with the obstacles in their way.

=> Message is: Don't look to the Papayas' for help even they continue taxing u!

'I try not to think so much about how hard life is. My goal is to eventually complete my degree, and I will work towards it,' said Ms Mi, with a brave smile. [email protected]
 
Top