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<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr><td class="wintiny" align="right" nowrap="nowrap">38418.1 </td></tr> <tr> <td height="8">
</td></tr> <tr> <td class="msgtxt"> Sep 5, 2010
Foreign workers not cheaper
But they are hired for jobs that S'poreans don't want or can't do
<!-- by line --> By Cassandra Chew
http://www.straitstimes.com/News/Home/Story/STIStory_575010.html
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> The shoe didn't quite fit.
Housewife Sofina Pung, 42, was at Raffles City buying her teenage daughter a pair of heels, but the ones she tried on were a little too large.
'The Chinese salesgirl asked me to give her an hour. I think she took the train to their Paragon outlet to get the shoes in the right size,' recalled Ms Pung.
'Some Singaporeans would just tell you 'No stock', or ask you to try other outlets. My daughter was very happy.'
Foreigners have indeed become a staple part of the services sector here, with shoppers giving some positive reviews.
In his National Day Rally speech last Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the good impression one bus driver from Dalian, China, had left on commuters.
As of last year, foreigners made up one in three workers in the services sector, up from one in four in 2000.
They are a diverse bunch. Some, like the bus drivers from Malaysia and China, are here on work permits because too few Singaporeans want the job.
Others, like the Filipino veterinarians working as consultants at pet stores, are here on S-passes. They have skills in short supply locally.
Some foreign waiters in the restaurant sector are also here on S-passes as they are graduates of local hotel schools and training to take up management posts.
Contrary to popular belief, foreign workers are not cheaper to hire, employers said.
In the retail sector, foreigners are paid the same wages as Singaporeans, said Ms Lau Chuen Wei, executive director of Singapore Retailers Association.
'On top of that, there is the foreign worker levy to factor in. Some companies also build in additional amounts for, or even provide, accommodation,' said Ms Lau.
Ms Angeline Ng, general manager of restaurant chain The Asian Kitchen, agreed: 'We have to make CPF contributions for Singaporeans and pay levies for foreign workers, so it evens out.'
In fact, bosses maintain they still prefer Singaporeans because they understand the local culture and languages.
But they acknowledge that foreigners make good workers because they are willing to work the irregular hours common in the services sector.
Ms Ng said: 'Their families are not here, so they are more committed to the job and more willing to work overtime.'
In the public transport sector, the introduction of younger Chinese drivers who could take on longer routes helped to relieve the workload and pressure on older local workers, said Mr Ong Ye Kung, executive secretary of the National Transport Workers' Union.
Some shoppers also feel the culture that foreign workers bring with them is a welcome addition.
Musician Aarika Lee, 27, enjoys the natural warmth of Filipino hospitality.
'They chit-chat with you, and it feels like they are more interested in you as a person than a shopper, even if it's part of the job,' she said.
[email protected]
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr> <tr> <td class="msgtxt"> Sep 5, 2010
Foreign workers not cheaper
But they are hired for jobs that S'poreans don't want or can't do
<!-- by line --> By Cassandra Chew
http://www.straitstimes.com/News/Home/Story/STIStory_575010.html
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> The shoe didn't quite fit.
Housewife Sofina Pung, 42, was at Raffles City buying her teenage daughter a pair of heels, but the ones she tried on were a little too large.
'The Chinese salesgirl asked me to give her an hour. I think she took the train to their Paragon outlet to get the shoes in the right size,' recalled Ms Pung.
'Some Singaporeans would just tell you 'No stock', or ask you to try other outlets. My daughter was very happy.'
Foreigners have indeed become a staple part of the services sector here, with shoppers giving some positive reviews.
In his National Day Rally speech last Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted the good impression one bus driver from Dalian, China, had left on commuters.
As of last year, foreigners made up one in three workers in the services sector, up from one in four in 2000.
They are a diverse bunch. Some, like the bus drivers from Malaysia and China, are here on work permits because too few Singaporeans want the job.
Others, like the Filipino veterinarians working as consultants at pet stores, are here on S-passes. They have skills in short supply locally.
Some foreign waiters in the restaurant sector are also here on S-passes as they are graduates of local hotel schools and training to take up management posts.
Contrary to popular belief, foreign workers are not cheaper to hire, employers said.
In the retail sector, foreigners are paid the same wages as Singaporeans, said Ms Lau Chuen Wei, executive director of Singapore Retailers Association.
'On top of that, there is the foreign worker levy to factor in. Some companies also build in additional amounts for, or even provide, accommodation,' said Ms Lau.
Ms Angeline Ng, general manager of restaurant chain The Asian Kitchen, agreed: 'We have to make CPF contributions for Singaporeans and pay levies for foreign workers, so it evens out.'
In fact, bosses maintain they still prefer Singaporeans because they understand the local culture and languages.
But they acknowledge that foreigners make good workers because they are willing to work the irregular hours common in the services sector.
Ms Ng said: 'Their families are not here, so they are more committed to the job and more willing to work overtime.'
In the public transport sector, the introduction of younger Chinese drivers who could take on longer routes helped to relieve the workload and pressure on older local workers, said Mr Ong Ye Kung, executive secretary of the National Transport Workers' Union.
Some shoppers also feel the culture that foreign workers bring with them is a welcome addition.
Musician Aarika Lee, 27, enjoys the natural warmth of Filipino hospitality.
'They chit-chat with you, and it feels like they are more interested in you as a person than a shopper, even if it's part of the job,' she said.
[email protected]
</td></tr></tbody></table>
