URGENT: Businesses want more FT as Singaporeans fussy and undependable

[besotted]

For many years, I've been saying government should maintain its original target of 6.5 million - of course it has to build the infrastructure and housing to accommodate this.

Hong Kong is now setting a 10 million target. We must take the bull by the horns.

See Today report below. Nearly half or 44% of businesses are urging government to relax FT quota. As a SME businessman, I have been saying this all along. There are many jobs pampered young Singaporeans don't want to do or take a lousy attitude to. Our Western-oriented education system is a complete failure.

Even older Singaporeans like taxi drivers provide such bad service, we must allow PR and foreigners to drive to raise the service standard and ensure enough taxis for all without the cabbies always picking passengers and choosing destinations.

Of all the FTs, PRC are the best - I live six months a year in China and tell you first hand.



http://www.todayonline.com/Singapor...ives,-support-for-workers-on-Budget-wishlists


SINGAPORE - A week ahead of the Government's Budget statement on Feb 17, more groups have weighed in with their wishlists, with businesses calling for more tax incentives and a political association urging for greater support for workers, especially those from the lower-income group.

According to a United Overseas Bank survey of 1,610 mid-sized companies which was released yesterday, seven in 10 are hoping for tax breaks. About six in 10 also wanted government assistance loans and a reduction in foreign worker levies.

About 44 per cent wanted a relaxation in the quota for foreign manpower, while 38 per cent wanted skills upgrading incentives for employees.

The survey was conducted in December. UOB group commercial banking managing director Eric Tham said: "Preferential tax rates are at the top of the Budget wishlist because cost control is a priority for mid-sized corporates in the current economic climate."

 

[youtalkcock]

For many years, I've been saying government should maintain its original target of 6.5 million - of course it has to build the infrastructure and housing to accommodate this.

You can say all you want without having to BS that you are a plastic chairs restaurant owner. Right SamuelShitSkin? What happened to Received_by_Kings? No balls to post?

 

[kingrant]

Fucking bosses! As usual, giving excuses and act lazy. Instead of hiring consultants to raise productivity, they just want to resort to cheap labour. Taking short cuts. If cannot make money, give up lah.

 

[Char_Azn]

Fucking bosses! As usual, giving excuses and act lazy. Instead of hiring consultants to raise productivity, they just want to resort to cheap labour. Taking short cuts. If cannot make money, give up lah.

Look at it another way. Increasing productivity = having the same number of pple working for the same amt but doing more work. If your boss tomorrow come over and tell U, U hate FT right? Good, we just fired your FT colleague, U need to take over his job as well, pay no change. U willing to do it or not? U are right in the sense that in the long run increasing productivity is the way to go, but it's not going to happen in a day or 2. Employers, especially SMEs will always look at short term profit first because if you cannot even survive until next year, what is the point of talking about 10 years from now. Different pple, different perspective

 

[Leongsam]

Fucking bosses! As usual, giving excuses and act lazy. Instead of hiring consultants to raise productivity, they just want to resort to cheap labour. Taking short cuts. If cannot make money, give up lah.

There's a limit to productivity gains especially in the service industry. If a restaurant needs 10 staff in order to provide good service, there is little that can be done in the way of automation to reduce that number.

In countries where there is a minimum wage, prices are invariably higher which ends up negating the higher wages in the first place.

Singapore's formula of importing cheap foreigners may not please everyone but it is pretty much the best way of ensuring Singapore's continued growth.

 

[Debonerman]

Wasted bandwidth...

Tell us more about how to import more cheap and slutty PRC whores from Sichuan like that slut wife of yours.

 

[kingrant]

Instead of complaining about locals not hardup enough, and resorting to cheap labour, they should bite the bullet and start working on it to raise productivity, not just talking about it. The govt has given them enough time but instead of doing it they simply go back to the easiest way. Raising productivity is not simply sacking some people and making the rest work harder. They should look at technology, IT, machines, processes etc. and employ skilled tech or machine operators and pay them higher becuz they will raise productive output that justifies their employment.

Bosses have to be weaned away from cheap labour. They operate in a stable, secure environment built up by the rest of the people who have worked honestly. The least they should remember is to not forget the source of water when they are drinking.

Look at it another way. Increasing productivity = having the same number of pple working for the same amt but doing more work. If your boss tomorrow come over and tell U, U hate FT right? Good, we just fired your FT colleague, U need to take over his job as well, pay no change. U willing to do it or not? U are right in the sense that in the long run increasing productivity is the way to go, but it's not going to happen in a day or 2. Employers, especially SMEs will always look at short term profit first because if you cannot even survive until next year, what is the point of talking about 10 years from now. Different pple, different perspective

 

[kingrant]

I'd like to see them try their darned hardest before I would give them any more cheap labour, if I were the govt. This is where innovation, creativity comes in. Not just grumbling and bitching about unwilling locals.

There's a limit to productivity gains especially in the service industry. If a restaurant needs 10 staff in order to provide good service, there is little that can be done in the way of automation to reduce that number.

In countries where there is a minimum wage, prices are invariably higher which ends up negating the higher wages in the first place.

Singapore's formula of importing cheap foreigners may not please everyone but it is pretty much the best way of ensuring Singapore's continued growth.

 

[myfoot123]

Singapore's formula of importing cheap foreigners may not please everyone but it is pretty much the best way of ensuring Singapore's continued growth.

Putting more food into your stomach doesn't mean you will grow faster than anyone. A mouse thinking it can outweight an elephant by eating more is a rediculous logic. Besides, it is well known fact that Singapore SMEs are clueless fart who operate their business from hand-to-mouth. Asking them to see beyond the horizon may need another 100 years or their 4th generation. That is the reason why they exploit and owe their cheap foreign labour salaries for as long as nobody notice.

 

[Leongsam]

I'd like to see them try their darned hardest before I would give them any more cheap labour, if I were the govt. This is where innovation, creativity comes in. Not just grumbling and bitching about unwilling locals.

When labour costs go up, the first thing any businessman worth his salt will do is find a source which is cheaper. If the labour isn't allowed to come to him, he'll go to where the cheap labour is.

When I was working in the electronics industry as a vendor to Apple computer, the company employed a thousand people in Singapore and provided jobs for thousands more in contract manufacturing houses such as SCI, Flextronics, Singatronics and JIT. Back in the USA, Apple employed a few thousand more in Cuppertino.

Today, not a single one of those jobs is left. High wages have forced Apple to move just about everything to China where it now provides jobs for probably 100 thousand people.

Apple is one of the most innovative companies around and even in the 80s, the degree of automation in the Singapore factory was impressive. However, automated equipment may save on direct labour but it increased the need for indirect staff such as maintenance techs and industrial engineers. Eventually, overheads became too high and electronics industry has been declining ever since.

If Singaporeans want to remain employed, they have to accept service industry jobs such as waiters and sales assistance and they have to accept the fact that unskilled labour cannot be paid top dollar. It would simply kill the economy. National borders can no longer act as barriers to ring fence wages that aren't competitive in a global world. NZ is finding that out a bit too late. Each time the minimum wage is raised, more industries move offshore.

 

[djent]

I just think Besotted is looking for soft target to makan. I'm sure in China there are also human behaviors that needs improving. But if he starts suggesting that sending Singaporeans to replace whatever is inadequate there, it may be more ugly there.

Just because you are doing good in life doesn't give you the rights to look down on your own people. There's attitude problem with the local taxi drivers, I have been at the receiving ends of episodes of standing in the rain trying to flag non-stopping taxi cabs. Just be a little patient. yes, there's problems but it is a result of overzealous social engineering at the part of the government.

In fact you are one of the worst products to come out of this, go and reflect on yourself. You also have a family to feed and an obligation to society and by aligning your behavior to the greedy government policies has made you the worst for it. This is not the intended human that is you. Look more carefully at yourself.

 

[batman1]

KNNCCB to MIW !!!
KNNCCB to the Singapore Employers !!!

 

[halsey02]

KNNCCB to MIW !!!
KNNCCB to the Singapore Employers !!!

After the erection, the 'tupid' 60% gave them persmission to bash the SINgapore workers again & again. Amazing, how we allow ourselves to be condemn & trappled. :p

 

[kingrant]

I am glad you concede that the direct labour contribution to cost is negligible for automation-intensive MNCs like Apple etc. I have also worked for MNCs for many years and I have been involved in their relocation activities and purchasing initiatives. Thus I can say that MNCs did not move to China for the cheap labour but they moved to China to take advantage of cheaper parts and components supplies and also tooling makers in China, and it follows that it makes sense to move nearer there to use molders and overcome the supply chain costs, as well as to serve a huge market eventually.

When I was working in the electronics industry as a vendor to Apple computer, the company employed a thousand people in Singapore and provided jobs for thousands more in contract manufacturing houses such as SCI, Flextronics, Singatronics and JIT. Back in the USA, Apple employed a few thousand more in Cuppertino.

Today, not a single one of those jobs is left. High wages have forced Apple to move just about everything to China where it now provides jobs for probably 100 thousand people.

Apple is one of the most innovative companies around and even in the 80s, the degree of automation in the Singapore factory was impressive. However, automated equipment may save on direct labour but it increased the need for indirect staff such as maintenance techs and industrial engineers. Eventually, overheads became too high and electronics industry has been declining ever since.

If Singaporeans want to remain employed, they have to accept service industry jobs such as waiters and sales assistance and they have to accept the fact that unskilled labour cannot be paid top dollar. It would simply kill the economy. National borders can no longer act as barriers to ring fence wages that aren't competitive in a global world. NZ is finding that out a bit too late. Each time the minimum wage is raised, more industries move offshore.

 

[jw5]

Of all the FTs, PRC are the best - I live six months a year in China and tell you first hand.

Just be careful that one day, he doesn't stand over you and shouts: "We PRCs are not to be bullied!"

 

[Scrooball (clone)]

Wait till the boss goes out of business and a local boss tell him that he is too 'fussy'

 

[chowka]

Just be careful that one day, he doesn't stand over you and shouts: "We PRCs are not to be bullied!"

You are talking to a clone account user.

 

[kingrant]

It is not nec true that service industry jobs nec have to be unskilled. It is really up to the employers to make up the job description and expectations. I think this govt has failed Singaporeans for not being able to evolve better economic sectors that can tap Singaporeans' higher education, skills etc. for higher skilled jobs. It is also the failing of our SMEs not to be able to grow out of their small-mindedness and short term goals, ever relying on low-cost business models and ever ready to cash out when they hit their first millions.

MNCs can move offshore but domestic services industries cannot, so if push comes to shove, they really have to reinvent their MO, invest in productivity tools and engage local skilled workforce by paying more.

Locals can never compete with transient migrant workers who have no mortgages to service, no extended family here, and who can live with a lower std of living for the interim. Try telling our govt leaders that they have to give up their million-dollar jobs to lower paying immigrants and see if they willingly give up their millions? It is really not fair to expect locals to make life-threatening sacrifices when our leaders wont. Or because they have their asses protected from cheaper overseas competition.

If Singaporeans want to remain employed, they have to accept service industry jobs such as waiters and sales assistance and they have to accept the fact that unskilled labour cannot be paid top dollar. It would simply kill the economy. National borders can no longer act as barriers to ring fence wages that aren't competitive in a global world. NZ is finding that out a bit too late. Each time the minimum wage is raised, more industries move offshore.