Minimum Wage - your opinions please

[Alim]

That's why i say how hypocrite can they be, knn they can have pension and min wages themselves but the rest of the citizen cannot. wtf

 

I agree with you 110%.

 

Min wage for Ministars ok. Peasants not ok.

Raid our CPF ok, raid reserves not ok.

Cheap $8 healthcare for ministars ok, peasants not ok.

 

Anyone wants to add on?

Edited April 23, 2011 by Alim

[Twnll]

MCFers may not earn $4 an hour job many people I know do. I feel very sorry for them becos they are usually older Singaporeans and have very little education or skills. Yet they are doing an important jobs like estate maintenance.

 

Now LSS says by implementiung minimum wage, it will push up costs of doing business. While I do not disagree with this statement, I must also add the cost of living has gone up even without implementing minimum wage - rentals for instance have gone up year after year. Yes minimum wage will affect the middle class more - maids will cost more, eating out will cost more, etc.

 

Now by having a minimum wage, it will ensure workers have more money to spend and more savings in their CPF to retire on. Wouldn't this be good for the economy and reduce reliance on public assistance?

 

Also wouldn't it be a good idea to peg minister's salary to the minimum wage (eg x 20) to ensure they bring real improvement to the lives of Singaporeans. Then should we see real improvement in income, we wouldn't begrudge them for taking mega salaries!

[Good-Carbuyer]

Labour minister Lim Swee Say says minimum wage is not good for Singapore despite the fact that many developed countries have some form of minimum wage to prevent workers being exploited.

 

Please share your opinions please because it affects all of us.

I thought the question should be: Maximium wage for Ministers/MPs. What is your opinion?

[Mllcg]

minimum wages will affect singaporeans in terms of productivity.

 

hiring tiong or pinoy. they are paid less. and also work less.

 

setting a min wage cap will force emplowers to think.

 

i have to pay a singaporean same as FT which is (example) 1.5k.

 

on top of that, i have to pay LEVY for FT. comparing both, i would rather hire singaporean.

[Wind30]

minimum wages will affect singaporeans in terms of productivity.

 

hiring tiong or pinoy. they are paid less. and also work less.

 

setting a min wage cap will force emplowers to think.

 

i have to pay a singaporean same as FT which is (example) 1.5k.

 

on top of that, i have to pay LEVY for FT. comparing both, i would rather hire singaporean.

 

 

... then I think a lot of companies will close shop.

[Wind30]

minimum wage.

 

I am against that.

 

Reason is simple.

 

Do you apply it to both citizen and FT?

 

Yes, then it is just going to benefit blangahs the most which is stupid.

 

No, then people will all the more want to hire FT as they are so much cheaper.

 

I still think we should think of ways to show companies that singaporeans are WORTH the extra pay. That is why I think increasing productivity is the way to go.

[Mllcg]

... then I think a lot of companies will close shop.

 

remember. policies must benefit the people.

 

not just individuals or indivudual companies.

[Mllcg]

minimum wage.

 

I am against that.

 

Reason is simple.

 

Do you apply it to both citizen and FT?

 

Yes, then it is just going to benefit blangahs the most which is stupid.

 

No, then people will all the more want to hire FT as they are so much cheaper.

 

I still think we should think of ways to show companies that singaporeans are WORTH the extra pay. That is why I think increasing productivity is the way to go.

 

it wont benefits bangalahs.

 

the min wage will set a min amount that the company must pay.

 

if they choose to hire locals, they will gain more.

 

no levy

 

paying bangalah, they still must pay levy.

 

tell me which whould u hire.

 

increased salary+levy

 

or just increased salary.

 

just one small thing to note.

 

people say singaporeans dont want to work certain jobs.

 

but problem is they dont pay high enough.

 

a garbage collector in UK can earn enough to feed a family of 4.

 

pay us like what other countries are paid, im sure people will take it up.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Mllcg

[Twnll]

... then I think a lot of companies will close shop.

 

 

If they would close shop is because they have been operating on unrealistic levels. Then they should NOT be in that business.

[Wind30]

remember. policies must benefit the people.

 

not just individuals or indivudual companies.

 

??????

 

err.... no companies = no jobs

 

no jobs = no money

 

no money err... = bad.

 

which part do you don't understand?

[Mllcg]

??????

 

err.... no companies = no jobs

 

no jobs = no money

 

no money err... = bad.

 

which part do you don't understand?

 

so u telling me, in singapore there's no such this as

 

work done=salary paid?

 

in a 1:1 ratio?

[Wind30]

If they would close shop is because they have been operating on unrealistic levels. Then they should NOT be in that business.

 

??? if you raise the cost so much, two things will happen.

 

Either the company close down and relocates because they cannot compete internationally,

 

Or if they cater to the local market, they just pass the cost down to the consumer.

 

Or they improve their productivity so they can absorb the increase in labour cost. Ultimately everything still boils down to productivity. REALLY you cannot expect to increase wages without increase in productivity. Some people just want something for nothing.

 

Edited April 23, 2011 by Wind30

[Twnll]

it wont benefits bangalahs.

 

the min wage will set a min amount that the company must pay.

 

if they choose to hire locals, they will gain more.

 

no levy

 

paying bangalah, they still must pay levy.

 

tell me which whould u hire.

 

increased salary+levy

 

or just increased salary.

 

 

Having level playing field - eg FT + Levy = S'porean minimum wage, then is fair. If Bangla works hard then he should get the job. Locals or FT can be slackers, thats human nature.

 

Now that levy is increased gradually, that's good. It deters employers from taking the easy way out and start paying realistic wages that commensurate with the cost of living.

 

Monies earned by Singaporean will be spent to improve the economy. Ask yourself this, why is business slow? Simple, foreign workers earn money but spent pittance here and remit as much as possible back home. That's money that would be spent by Singaporeans in Singapore.

[Twnll]

??? if you raise the cost so much, two things will happen.

 

Either the company close down and relocates because they cannot compete internationally,

 

Or if they cater to the local market, they just pass the cost down to the consumer.

 

Or they improve their productivity so they can absorb the increase in labour cost. Ultimately everything still boils down to productivity. REALLY you cannot expect to increase wages without increase in productivity. Some people just want something for nothing.

 

 

keehian

 

 

Companies close down and relocates? Done that without minimum wage. Its not about cost alone, its about market. You make 100 TVs in Singapore and ship 97 to China or make 100 TVs in China and ship 3 to Singapore. Go figure.

 

Productivity - how do you measure? Is there is benchmark? Some business cannot benchmark productivity so how? In my opinion, productivity is a dead horse being flogged by the establishment to suppress wages.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Twnll

[Twnll]

Also minimum wage will dictate how businesses price their products and services. Yes in the short term, there will be increase in cost as these cost will be passed down to consumers. But in the long run, the greater spending power of the the people with more income will provides greater economies of scale - lowering costs and increasing revenues.

 

Just like retail business, internet selling is already driving down prices forcing brick and mortar to compete aggressively. So minimum wage or not, market forces also play their part.

[Poper]

Also minimum wage will dictate how businesses price their products and services. Yes in the short term, there will be increase in cost as these cost will be passed down to consumers. But in the long run, the greater spending power of the the people with more income will provides greater economies of scale - lowering costs and increasing revenues.

 

Just like retail business, internet selling is already driving down prices forcing brick and mortar to compete aggressively. So minimum wage or not, market forces also play their part.

 

As SG progresses, globalization, huge MNC bring in $$$$-salaried FT and SMEs bring in cheap labors to compete in cost. Stock markets booms, inflation, internet & information explosion etc suffocates the low-income class while the rich and affluent gets richer (or survived). This is the price of capitalism and is seen everywhere in modern countries. However, some governments will protect their low income people by enforcing labour laws, minimum wages, control FT in-flow or even social securities... LHL says the government Grow & Share package is more than sufficient to help low-income cope with inflation but does not commit on what's the long-term help for them.. Our low-income group will continue with the cost-of-living suffocation as our GDP grows and ministers get their handsome payout.

 

Our govt runs SG like a Corporation... We, the workers have no say (except once in 5 years ie GE). If we ask "why", they reply "you don't need to know" or "it's a strategic long-term reason".. They say minimum wages will kill our competitiveness, yet ministers have minimum pay of millions. While companies should control pay increase despite economy recovery, we're looking at 20-30% increase of salary budget this year... Maid run away - we pay $5000; terrorist run away - it's an honest mistake.

 

Time to wake them up decisively...

[Darthrevan]

it wont benefits bangalahs.

 

the min wage will set a min amount that the company must pay.

 

if they choose to hire locals, they will gain more.

 

no levy

 

paying bangalah, they still must pay levy.

 

tell me which whould u hire.

 

how would it benefit locals when most of them do not want to work in such jobs?

 

 

[Twnll]

how would it benefit locals when most of them do not want to work in such jobs?

 

 

Well we didn't say 'stop all migrant workers at once!' We say - level the playing field. If need to hire foreign workers, then do so and pay levy - so no difference whether hiring locals or bangla - wage bill for the company is the same. Then this is the true spirit of minimum wage and jobs for all.