http://therealsingapore.com/content/complaint-mom-action-must-be-taken-against-citibank-singapore
Dear TRS Editors,
Please publish this letter. I have already mailed a hardcopy to MOM.
Please keep my email address confidential.
Thanks,
DDP
Complaint to MOM: Action must be taken against Citibank Singapore
According to an article in the Straits Times dated Tuesday 4th June 2013, Citibank Singapore employs nearly 40% Foreigners. But this is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. My close sources tell me that if Contract Staff are included, the level of Foreigners is in the region of 70%-80%, especially so in backend support operations for IT, Admin and finance depts. etc. Most of these functions are located at Changi Business Park.
So why is there such a disproportionately large number of Foreigners at Citibank Singapore? Are the jobs at Citibank so specialized that only few qualified Singaporeans can do them? Are there not enough Singaporean graduates to fill these jobs? Bear in mind that Singapore has a number of good class Universities and also that every year additionally thousands of Singaporean go overseas to study at good or even better Universities overseas.
I also find it somewhat ridiculous, that although Citibank has been in Singapore for many decades as mentioned in the Straits Times article, Citibank couldn’t even hire and train enough Singaporeans to fill most if not nearly all of the roles at the bank all this while. Was there even any initiative at all by the Management to hire or train more Singaporeans to take over most of the roles in Singapore?
So what real agenda does Citibank have in Singapore? Does the company discriminate against hiring Singaporeans for some positions? Does Citibank allow their Foreign Managers to hire only candidates from their own countries at the expense of equally qualified Singaporeans? How many of Citibank’s Managers of VP/SVP level and Directors based in Singapore are Foreigners?
Another concern I have is regarding Singaporean NSmen with annual Reservist duties. I have heard that Foreign Managers in banks like Citibank regularly discriminate against Singaporeans who have to attend compulsory SAF In-Camp Training for 2-3 weeks every year. They instead hire a Foreigner and give an excuse that they can’t hire a Singaporean with annual Reservist duties as the job is to support ‘24/7 bank operations’ and also give other reasons that it is an ‘Individual Contributor’ role and that there is nobody else in their department to act as a backup.
As a concerned Singaporean, I call upon MOM to demand Organisational Charts from Citibank Singapore for deeper investigation and to make any findings public.
If appropriate, punitive action must be taken by MOM against Citibank Singapore.
Yours Sincerely,
A Singaporean and NSman.
Dear TRS Editors,
Please publish this letter. I have already mailed a hardcopy to MOM.
Please keep my email address confidential.
Thanks,
DDP
Complaint to MOM: Action must be taken against Citibank Singapore
According to an article in the Straits Times dated Tuesday 4th June 2013, Citibank Singapore employs nearly 40% Foreigners. But this is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. My close sources tell me that if Contract Staff are included, the level of Foreigners is in the region of 70%-80%, especially so in backend support operations for IT, Admin and finance depts. etc. Most of these functions are located at Changi Business Park.
So why is there such a disproportionately large number of Foreigners at Citibank Singapore? Are the jobs at Citibank so specialized that only few qualified Singaporeans can do them? Are there not enough Singaporean graduates to fill these jobs? Bear in mind that Singapore has a number of good class Universities and also that every year additionally thousands of Singaporean go overseas to study at good or even better Universities overseas.
I also find it somewhat ridiculous, that although Citibank has been in Singapore for many decades as mentioned in the Straits Times article, Citibank couldn’t even hire and train enough Singaporeans to fill most if not nearly all of the roles at the bank all this while. Was there even any initiative at all by the Management to hire or train more Singaporeans to take over most of the roles in Singapore?
So what real agenda does Citibank have in Singapore? Does the company discriminate against hiring Singaporeans for some positions? Does Citibank allow their Foreign Managers to hire only candidates from their own countries at the expense of equally qualified Singaporeans? How many of Citibank’s Managers of VP/SVP level and Directors based in Singapore are Foreigners?
Another concern I have is regarding Singaporean NSmen with annual Reservist duties. I have heard that Foreign Managers in banks like Citibank regularly discriminate against Singaporeans who have to attend compulsory SAF In-Camp Training for 2-3 weeks every year. They instead hire a Foreigner and give an excuse that they can’t hire a Singaporean with annual Reservist duties as the job is to support ‘24/7 bank operations’ and also give other reasons that it is an ‘Individual Contributor’ role and that there is nobody else in their department to act as a backup.
As a concerned Singaporean, I call upon MOM to demand Organisational Charts from Citibank Singapore for deeper investigation and to make any findings public.
If appropriate, punitive action must be taken by MOM against Citibank Singapore.
Yours Sincerely,
A Singaporean and NSman.
