DPM Teo: Pay rise will attract S'poreans

[jubilee1919]

DPM Teo: Pay rise will attract S'poreans
By Sujin Thomas
My Paper
Monday, Dec 10, 2012

SINGAPORE - THERE will always be a "limit" to the number of Singaporeans who will take up jobs in essential services because of their high aspirations, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

He said: "They (Singaporeans) want higher-value jobs. As we educate more Singaporeans, many of them will have very high aspirations." Mr Teo, who was speaking on the sidelines of a community event in Pasir Ris yesterday, added that as a result, encouraging Singaporeans to work in essential services, such as bus services, will have an impact on operating costs.

"Whether it's (a) bus service... conservancy and maintenance (or) the water department, that has an impact on cost. Because manpower is a major component of cost," he said.

Employers would look towards boosting productivity when it comes to managing manpower costs, he added. Mr Teo's comments came after Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew suggested last Thursday that bus fares may be raised in the future, in order to boost the wages of bus drivers. An ongoing review of the public-transport fare formula is due to be completed early next year. Mr Teo said that raising the salaries of bus drivers will help to attract Singaporeans to the job.

He said: "That's one of the reasons why bus services, for example, want to increase the pay and improve the conditions for bus drivers.

"It is so that more Singaporeans will come into the industry to drive buses."

In a statement yesterday, the Workers' Party (WP) cautioned that any decisions on fare increases should be made only after a period of review and adequate debate. This should "take into consideration the public interest and the fact that public transport is an essential public good".

The statement said: "We recognise that bus drivers need to be paid more and we need to attract more Singaporeans to take up the profession.

"However, the Government should not assume nor suggest that this cost increase must automatically be borne by commuters."

WP said that the two public transport operators - SMRT and SBS Transit - remain "very profitable".

It also pointed out that the Government recently gave the two operators a subsidy of $1.1 billion through the Bus Services Enhancement Fund, and that bus fares have been increased eight times since 2000.

"Commuters should not be expected to pay higher fares, especially when service standards remain unsatisfactory, as they have been since the last fare hike," the statement added.

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http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121210-388621/2.html

A no-brainer and it takes him and the government such a long time to know. Why the proposal by GCT to raise Ministers' pay? The reason given was also the same, to attract people to come forward to serve the nation.

 

[rusty]

DPM Teo: Pay rise will attract S'poreans
By Sujin Thomas


He said: "That's one of the reasons why bus services, for example, want to increase the pay and improve the conditions for bus drivers.

"It is so that more Singaporeans will come into the industry to drive buses."

So all this while they have been denying Singaporeans jobs by launching
employing drive in China for cheaper labour.
He spoke with his left mouth now.

 

[Confuseous]

Pitiful isn't it - that a DPM tells us such basic fundamentals from page 1 of Economics 101.

The only way they are capable of solving problems is just that - raise the costs, whether salaries or rates. No thought of how the situation happened and how to solve the issue holistically.

In response to HDB dwellers that they were unable to find parking spaces at night, near their homes, HDB raised the parking rates. Never mind the fact that the number of cars and number of parking lots remain the same.

And we are paying millions to these clowns who jerk their mouths off whenever they feel the need?

 

[TracyTan866]

Pitiful isn't it - that a DPM tells us such basic fundamentals from page 1 of Economics 101.

The only way they are capable of solving problems is just that - raise the costs, whether salaries or rates. No thought of how the situation happened and how to solve the issue holistically.

In response to HDB dwellers that they were unable to find parking spaces at night, near their homes, HDB raised the parking rates. Never mind the fact that the number of cars and number of parking lots remain the same.

And we are paying millions to these clowns who jerk their mouths off whenever they feel the need?

That's TCH's calibre...did you see his behaviour at the Post BE 2011 press conference? unbecoming!

 

[po2wq]

... "It is so that more Singaporeans will come into the industry to drive buses." ...

dat fugly burgerz remarks on raising bus drivers' pay wif fare hikes had not gone down wel wif ze ground ...

tis sly burger has now cum out wif a differen spin 2 do damage control ... he now try 2 make it rook as if iz done 4 ze goot of sinkies ... actuarry, he is putting ze brame squarely on sinkies ...