Tan Chuan-Jin
Singapore
“A step-parent who wishes to leave any part of his or her estate to a stepchild is encouraged to make a will. Intestacy law would apply in cases where a person passes on without a will.”
“Last year, we reviewed and extended the Child Development Account, or CDA benefits to children of unwed parents. The Government granted CDA benefits, to children of unwed parents born, or with an estimated date of delivery, from 1 September 2016. It is generally good practice to implement our policies prospectively.”
“The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) does not track the number of persons who choose to remain homeless instead of being admitted into shelters. When MSF receives information on persons who may be homeless, we initiate contact with these persons on the ground to offer assistance.”
“Our law places the child's welfare and interests at the heart of an adoption decision. We must not forget that such an adoption is a life-changing event because when an unwed mother adopts her child, the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father are terminated.”
“The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) works closely with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to plan for preschools in upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) developments, including Bidadari new town. To better meet the needs of young parents, new preschools will have larger capacities and also be completed earlier where possible.”
“The Silver Support Scheme under the Manpower Ministry provides an income supplement to seniors who had low incomes through life and who now have little or no family support. Beyond ComCare, we are also expanding upstream intervention to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable families and their children to set a good foundation.”
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“MOM takes a serious view on the recent spate of worksite accidents. It is a stark reminder that accidents can happen and, Page: 139 therefore, employers should always take precautionary measures to protect their workers. MOM will not tolerate employers who contravene safety regulations. If employers are found to be endangering the lives of their workers, firm enforcement action will be taken against them. MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council have been working closely with the industry to improve the safety of crane operations. The industry-led National Crane Safety Taskforce, formed in 2009, has been actively working to improve crane safety at all levels, following a review on Singapore's overall workplace safety and health standards. The mandate of this effort seeks to improve standards at the systems level, working from planning of the lifting operations, to oversight mechanisms and frameworks and specifically, operator proficiency. The introduction for the need of a lifting plan in the Crane Regulations and capability building workshops for crane operators, lead the slew of efforts recommended by MOM. To further support these efforts, the National Crane Safety Taskforce has also enhanced the curriculums for lifting supervisors and crane operators, as well as developed the Safe Lifting Kit. Detailed procedures in the form of Code of Practice on Safe Lifting Operation at Workplaces, Guidebook for Lifting Supervisors and Workers' Safety Handbook for Riggers and Signalman were also introduced by the Taskforce, developed in collaboration with the WSH Council. Another key focus area for the taskforce is building industry awareness, while raising standards and professionalism in the community.”
“The Government will continue to work closely with the tripartite partners to strengthen our CET system to help our workers achieve better job and wage progression. At the same time, I would like to encourage all Singaporeans to embrace the spirit of lifelong learning and to proactively take advantage of the CET programmes to keep their skills relevant.”
“We are prepared to expand our efforts if needed, as economic restructuring picks up pace. The Government's investment in continuing education and training (CET) has led to positive outcomes. WDA regularly tracks the outcomes of our CET programmes through surveys of companies and individuals who have undergone WSQ training. The results of the 2012 survey showed that both employers and trainees found WSQ training beneficial. Eighty-five percent of surveyed companies said that WSQ training was useful for their employees. Seventy-four percent of surveyed companies said that the training led to increased productivity. Ninety-two percent of surveyed trainees also reported better performance at work and 15% received a pay rise after undergoing WSQ training. WDA has also embarked on a longitudinal study in 2012 to analyse the Page: 131 impact of WSQ training on wages. The findings showed that individuals who underwent WSQ training received higher wages compared to workers of a similar profile, such as age and qualifications attained, but without WSQ training. There are also other benefits to training which are less-tangible but equally, if not more, important. This includes better employability, greater motivation, and improved self-confidence. Based on the survey, 77% of employees indicated greater motivation at work after undergoing training. More importantly, beyond these statistics, it is about making a difference to individuals and their families through our CET programmes. For example, a retrenched worker who finds a job in a different industry may have to take some pay cut in the new job since he is starting afresh, but the ability to find a new job and stand on his own feet after the setback of retrenchment is an important achievement in itself.”
“As we restructure our economy to be more productive, some jobs will be lost, even as new and better ones are created. What is key is that workers who lose their jobs are able to transit to another job quickly. To remain employable, workers will need to upgrade their skills to take on the higher value-added jobs created, or re-skill to land jobs in new or hiring industries. WDA plays an important role in supporting the efforts of our workers. WDA regularly reviews the curriculum and courses under its Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework, in consultation with key industry partners, to help ensure the courses equip workers with skills that are relevant to employers. We have also launched dedicated programmes for specific segments of the workforce like the Skills Training for Excellence Programme (STEP) for Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs), and Workfare Training Support (WTS) for lower wage workers, to make skills upgrading more affordable, accessible and relevant to them. Since its launch in March 2011, STEP has helped PMEs update their skills, knowledge and expertise. STEP offers a wide range of training programmes, for example, modular courses, WSQ and non-WSQ courses leading to full qualifications, industry scholarships, and master-classes and seminars, to meet the needs of PMEs from different industries and at varying levels. The proportion of workers who attended PME-level courses supported by WDA has increased from one-quarter in 2011 to one-third in 2012. To help workers transit to jobs in growth or hiring industries and provide them with the necessary training and experience before taking on these jobs, WDA has in place career conversion programmes for PMEs.”
“I acknowledge the underlying point that the shortage of manpower and cost pressures could tip some companies over. That is why we tighten foreign workforce controls gradually, provide transition time for existing foreign workers, and ensure that businesses have other channels of support, such as the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC), to help companies manage the change.5”
“Since 2010, the Government has introduced policies to restructure our economy to be more manpower-lean, including tightening of foreign workforce controls. Since then, we have received about 19,000 appeals related to S Pass and Work Permit renewals from SMEs.3 About 48% of these cases were considered favourably. These were mostly temporary concessions to help companies in their transition. We recognise that SMEs face rising business costs and tighter foreign worker restrictions. SMEs are a vital part of the economy – they make up 99% of enterprises, contribute to about 45% of GDP and 70% of employment in Singapore. That is why we have been actively engaging SMEs over the last few years, to gather feedback and understand their manpower challenges. Another common appeal from SMEs is to be able to retain experienced staff for longer periods. They may have been unable to do so because they could not obtain the skilled R1 status for their experienced Work Permit Holders (WPHs), which would have allowed them to stay longer. This is why we introduced the market-based skills framework in July 2013 to allow Services WPHs to attain skilled status if they earn at least $1,600 and have four years of working experience in Singapore, even if there was no training course for that occupation. Employers can then retain these skilled WPHs for up to 18 years, up from the maximum of 10 years for unskilled WPHs. Employers will also enjoy levy savings, as the levy for skilled WPHs is lower than that of unskilled WPHs. The number of companies that have ceased operations has remained steady over the past two years, with firm creation still strong.4 It is often hard Page: 115 to tell the specific reasons for firms closing.”
“Mdm Speaker, as at July 2013, there are about 530,000 CPF members using CPF to service their monthly housing instalments. Of these, 95% are covered by HPS or an equivalent MRI. About 2% have lapsed on the HPS premiums while 3% are uninsurable or ineligible for HPS cover. We understand the concern raised by the Member as to whether we should raise the profile and information. Public education is something that we can continue to do. It is important for the public to understand the importance of HPS. It is about protecting their families and their loved ones. In terms of whether we should make this compulsory, this is something that regularly pops up as to whether it is something we should look at as part of the overall review into how better to look out for our people, some of whom may not be covered or to encourage more people to be covered. That is something we can consider.”
“Mdm Speaker, we are in the process of working out the details of the jobs bank, its look and form and how it would operate. What I would say is that the job portal would be open for visibility for the rest of the people. However, we do envisage that in terms of direct application online, it will be only made available to locals.”
“I mentioned some are spurred by personal issues, they may have lost a job, they may have lost out on promotion, they are disgruntled, and investigations show that there are not sufficient grounds. Others raise complaints without backing them up. When we want to follow up, they do not want to identify themselves, and there is not enough information to follow through with. We have a whole range of complaints and issues being raised, and we need to then prioritise to see how best to address them. We will look at the quality of the complaint and information, and see how best to follow up. It is not really triggered by whether they are repeated complaints but more on the types of complaints raised and the information that is provided, and, based on that, we will act accordingly.”
“Mdm Speaker, Ms Sylvia Lim asked a few questions. Firstly, whether a Singaporean applicant using the national jobs bank can lodge a complaint if it is found from experience that the hiring process may be unfair. Yes, they can. As I mentioned, the advertising process is one part of the framework. If individuals find from their own experience and they are also able to provide additional information about what was in particular unfair in the process, they can raise it and we will take a look at it. If there are repeated complaints by different people, that will add to a better awareness of what this company might be on to. As I said, there are many different complaints that we receive, and it is something that we will follow up on. So, yes, they can raise Page: 23 that. Secondly, in terms of the timeframe or frequency for checking up on the ratio, like I had mentioned, this is related or similar to the question about whether there are specific ratios and thresholds. We would have our internal thresholds to look at the various companies. As I had mentioned, one would be triggered by signals that will come from complaints or from information that we gathered from various sources. Secondly, we would also have visibility on the overall numbers in the various companies. As we apply the various internal thresholds to this, we will look at the companies and will then have to triage the whole process and decide which companies to go into and to look for further details. In terms of repeated complaints, as I mentioned, there are many different types of complaints. One of the challenges that we face today, and I would suggest not just in my Ministry but across the Ministries, is that there are many people providing a lot of feedback.”
“It is really a combination of these various triggers that have allowed us to go in deeper and to look at the company specifically to make sure that there is fair consideration at play.”
“Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for his questions. I would add that complaints and information conveyed by employees or from people in the industry represent an important component in the process. We should not downplay the importance of that. What goes on internally in a company is usually not very obvious to the people outside. I would also add that there are complaints and there are complaints. I read many complaints and we have spent quite a number of man-hours investigating some of them. There will be those that are spurred by very different reasons, as Page: 22 opposed to whether there was fair or unfair consideration at the workplace. There might be very personal issues as well. But it remains an important component. The other trigger that we have is in terms of monitoring the various sectors. Over time, we have a sense about each different sector, depending on the make-up of the particular sector, and how many Singaporeans are in that sector. So, one reference point would be in terms of peer sector monitoring – looking at companies within that sector to see the proportion of Singaporeans they hire, and which are the companies that deviate from the norm in a significant fashion. That is one trigger. Another is that we would have our own internal sense of where we think this ought to be. It is an assessment and a judgement based on where we see the whole economy going. That would be also another trigger as to whether there are disproportionate numbers of foreigners in a particular company. There might be good reasons for that, and that is why it is important for us to go in, look into the details, talk to the company, understand the nature of the business and determine whether there is, indeed, adequate consideration for Singaporeans or not.”
“At the same time, it is important for us to remember that companies invest in Singapore for a host of reasons. Having an open, diverse workforce is a compelling reason but quality of governance, stability, financial stability, transparency, security, so on and so forth, all these things continue to be important. It is not so much about balancing the different needs but really striking a position which will continue to ensure that we grow, with good quality growth that will benefit our people but at the same time ensuring that there is fair consideration for Singaporeans. Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene (Nominated Member): Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I welcome the Acting Minister's assurance that the Fair Consideration Framework includes the entire employment process, including promotion, retirement and retrenchment. I would like to ask the Acting Minister what are the triggers that his Ministry would rely on when we talk about alleged discrimination in post-hiring employment decisions? Certainly, the Ministry cannot just rely on complaints and I think the FCF will be a toothless paper tiger if it just relies on employees to file complaints.”
“It is not a silver bullet. These measures will not completely solve every single problem because a lot of these are about attitudes and mindsets. What we are doing is to signal clearly, and especially when there are complaints and when there are sectors that fall short of what we deem are acceptable levels, we would go in and look at it in detail. The Member also asked about whether there are specific targets and proportions. As I have explained earlier, it is difficult to do that because different sectors have different requirements and they vary. Even within sectors, between companies catering to different parts within that sector, the requirements would also vary. We do have our internal thresholds that would trigger us to take a look, and that is something that we will review over time. As to whether this FCF will impact the Singapore economy, what I would like to say quite clearly is this: Singapore remains committed to being open, dynamic and competitive. That is important because, ultimately, this benefits Page: 21 our people. Why? Because when companies invest in Singapore, and I would suggest not just foreign companies but local companies as well, it actually generates jobs and opportunities for our people. So, that is something we are firmly committed to. Being open, dynamic and diverse does not mean that you cannot ensure that fair consideration takes place as well. We accept that some elements of that might have crept into some sectors of the economy, and that is why signalling has been taking place. We have been speaking to different sectors and they have been responding. The FCF is largely put in place to further emphasise this direction that we hope to go into.”
“Mdm Speaker, if I may just add on to the earlier reply. I left out some data in responding to Mr Png's questions. Let me address that first. The answer to the number of questions that Mr Png raised is that among all the firms that hire at least, for example, one Employment Pass holder, as of the first half of 2013, approximately 20,000 of them had 25 or fewer employees. So, each of these companies had about two EP holders on average. In terms of the larger firms, meaning employing above 25 employees, they had about 18 EP holders on average. Some of the other data that Mr Png asked for, about local shareholding, MOM currently does not track small firms with 25 or fewer employees by percentage of local shareholding. What we want to emphasise is that whether big firms or small firms, whether jobs are above $12,000 or less, in terms of the requirements for fair consideration, that is a requirement that we expect of all companies. So, I understand where Mr Png is coming from, it is not the data that we track. Regardless of who are the main shareholders, we expect companies to adhere to some of these requirements. If they do not adhere to that, we will go in and take a look and provide greater scrutiny. With regard to Mr Zaqy's questions, we have looked at various countries and their measures put in place. It is very much contextual. A lot depends on how it has evolved over time. What is also very clear from many of these countries is that no one particular policy is foolproof. As I have said many times, you can come up with many regulations, people are creative, they will find different ways to get around these. It is not foolproof but I think we have looked at the various measures and we have adapted them to what we believe would work for Singapore.”
“I would add also that in terms of whether it is the right mix and whether the skills sets are applicable or not, what we will find is that in any economy, there will be jobs where there may not be a lot of Singaporeans going into. So, it is whether from a structural perspective, from the education and training perspective, should we cater more for that type of jobs? Or perhaps, we may not necessarily have a lot of Singaporeans that might be going to that particular sector, but there is a space for foreigners to play that role because, in turn, they contribute and value-add to that particular sector, a particular part of the economy, which, in turn, also creates other jobs and opportunities. What we will do collectively with the other economic agencies is to analyse the patterns of job creation and local pipeline across the sectors. There may be cases where we recognise that there are certain skill-sets that, perhaps, not a lot of Singaporeans may have but are necessary for the overall economic development of Singapore which would, in turn, provide for our Singaporeans as a whole.”
“Okay, Employment Pass. Mdm Speaker, with regard to the first question whether companies would go through the motion of advertising, as mentioned, under the Fair Consideration Framework, the advertising component is one part of it. We require companies to advertise. That is important, especially in a tight labour market. We do believe that there are Singaporeans out there looking for jobs. Many companies assure us that they are looking out for Singaporeans but cannot find them. By having a jobs bank, there is a lot of utility in that because it ensures that every job that people are considering looking for EPs to come in, Singaporeans can have access to that data bank to look at whether those jobs are available. If I were to combine the first question and the second one, it is about whether there would be biased hiring, meaning that people are just going through the steps and, therefore, they would just put up the advertisements for 14 days and so on, but would not want to employ Singaporeans. In this case, it would trigger the second criterion, which is for us to go in to look at companies in a much more detailed fashion. We would look for a number of reasons: were there, perhaps, allegations of unfair recruitment patterns brought forward by Singaporeans? For example, there will be jobs that Singaporeans have applied for, and they felt that they are eminently qualified for, but, for one reason or Page: 19 another, they are not hired. It is not for us to question companies per se, but if there are certain patterns that occur, we will go in and look in detail at how these companies conduct their businesses.”
“If I may seek a quick clarification on the first question. Is the Member referring to Work Permits or Employment Pass? If you could just repeat it. [(proc text) The hon Member repeated his question. (proc text)]”
“It is also about MOM playing a much more active role to engage firms that do not seem to be doing enough to hire and develop Singaporean PMEs. However, while the FCF signals acceptable norms in HR practices, it is also important for us to understand that it is not the intent nor is it desirable for us to ensure that every single PME job will go to Singaporeans. We do need to make sure that the economy remains competitive and that is probably the best way to look after the interests of all Singaporeans. Employers are best placed to decide which candidates can do the job. What MOM will do is to signal these expectations quite strongly and clearly, and, importantly, to monitor the firms' HR practices closely to minimise instances of unfair practices.”
“The exemptions for small firms with 25 and fewer employees and jobs paying $12,000 and above apply only to one portion of the FCF, which is the advertising Page: 17 requirement. Employers will be identified for additional scrutiny based on a range of factors. We will consider how a firm's proportion of Singaporean PMEs compares with others within the same industry. Other factors, such as how fast the proportion changes over time, which could be due to promotion, retirement, retrenchment patterns and so on, are also relevant. We are not expecting each firm to work towards a target percentage of Singaporean PMEs in its workforce, given that it varies across industries. Within each particular sector, there will also be variations depending on what areas of business they are in, and, even within the firm, they have different skill sets in terms of the applicability to the local workforce. What is important is that the firm has fair and meritocratic hiring practices that consider Singaporeans fairly. At MOM, we will have our internal triggers to scrutinise these companies accordingly. Firms will also be flagged out if there are repeated complaints of unfair HR practices, whether it is for hiring, promotion, retirement or retrenchment. Such firms will be subject to additional scrutiny in their work pass applications and those which are found to have poor employment practices may have their work pass privileges curtailed. In addition, for unfair dismissal cases, we have the Employment Act to protect employees who feel that they have been treated unfairly. In conclusion, I would stress that the FCF is not just about the advertising requirement.”
“In our judgement and in discussion with the tripartite partners, we believe that 25 would be the number to start off with. More importantly, however, applying the FCF to the larger firms will yield the greatest benefit, given that they employ most of the EP holders and they generally offer jobs which are more sought after by Singaporeans. In percentage terms, as highlighted in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) appended when we released the information on the FCF, firms with 25 or fewer employees, employed about 25% of all EPs. Essentially, for larger firms with more than 25 employees, they employed about 75% of all EP holders. Secondly, jobs paying a salary of $12,000 and above a month are also exempted from the advertising requirement. This is because open advertising for jobs, such as these, is usually done in a different manner. Furthermore, such jobs cover only 5% of the local workforce, meaning that the vast majority of jobs would be covered by the advertising requirement. Thirdly, we have not applied the advertising requirement for rank-and-file jobs, because there are other tools, such as levies and Dependency Ratio Ceilings, which will spur firms to search for suitable Singaporeans before applying for S Pass or Work Permit. Nonetheless, we will monitor the implementation of the FCF closely, and make adjustments to the exemption framework as necessary. While there are some exemptions to the advertising requirement, let me again reiterate that there are no exemptions to the need for firms to consider Singaporeans fairly. MOM will impose greater scrutiny on firms with a low proportion of Singaporeans at the PME level for its industry – whether they are small firms or whether they have jobs paying $12,000 and above.”
“The features of the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) need to be viewed in Singapore's context where there are more jobs being created than there are Singaporeans available to fill. This is a good problem to have. It is a good situation because it allows us to keep unemployment low. Unlike in other countries that face high unemployment among locals, our economy continues to generate good and diverse opportunities for our people. The purpose of the FCF is to encourage a level playing field for Singaporeans and maintain our values of meritocracy and fairness in the workplace. The FCF, therefore, needs to be designed in a way that is practical and appropriate for Singapore – one that pushes employers to consider Singaporeans fairly but, at the same time, avoids making things too rigid for businesses. Why does this rigidity matter? It matters because when companies can thrive, opportunities are also created for our people. It is really about catering for an open, diverse and dynamic workforce but, at the same time, making sure that there is fair consideration at play. They need not be mutually exclusive. Page: 16 Let us also be very clear that there are no exemptions to the need for firms to consider Singaporeans fairly. All firms must do this. But some practical exemptions have been made only for the advertising requirement, for a start. The advertising requirement is just one part of the overall framework. First, firms with 25 or fewer employees are exempted from the advertising requirement, as we believe that many smaller businesses do not have the sophisticated HR management to process many of these applications. One could argue whether it should be 20 or 30 employees.”
“From 2008 to June 2013, MOM received a total of 617 maternity-related claims and appeals. A large majority of the maternity-related disputes were resolved through mediation and only a small handful of cases Page: 147 were referred to the Minister for a decision. The remaining cases were withdrawn by appellants after they have had the opportunity to assess the merits of their case. About half of the cases that go to the Minister for a decision were ruled in favour of the employee. To date, the Minister has not ordered reinstatement in any case. For such cases, compensation is a more practicable option for the employees as they would prefer not to continue employment with the same employer following their dismissal. The very large majority of disputes referred to the Ministry are not straightforward cases of unfair treatment. In these cases, dismissal was also related to alleged employees' poor performance or misconduct. Notwithstanding this, our laws ensure that female employees are protected against unfair dismissal during their pregnancy or when they are on maternity leave. From 1 May 2013, the maternity protection period has been enhanced to cover the full period of pregnancy. Employers who retrench or dismiss their pregnant employees without sufficient cause at any stage of the pregnancy will be liable to pay for their full maternity benefits. Page: 148”
“First, let me clarify the limits that are set on use of CPF savings for housing. The Valuation Limit (VL) is set at the lower of the purchase price or property value at the time of purchase. A member would need to have set aside half the Minimum Sum8 to use CPF savings beyond the VL. The Withdrawal Limit (WL) is the absolute cap on the amount of CPF savings that can be used for housing, and is set at 120% of the VL. Page: 146 Whether a member is able to fully finance his housing loan with his CPF savings depends on several factors, including the property price and corresponding loan amount required as well as the loan tenure and interest charge. Most CPF members have been prudent and have taken the CPF usage limits for housing into account before deciding which property to purchase. In this way, they have avoided overstretching themselves and hence leave sufficient CPF savings for their retirement needs. Today, the number of CPF members who have reached their VL and are unable to set aside half the Minimum Sum is small – at less than half a per cent of those who are using CPF to service their housing loans. For affected members, where the case merits, we have exercised flexibility and allowed them to use CPF savings beyond the VL. The number of members who have reached the WL is even smaller. The VL and WL also do not apply to members who purchase a new flat directly from HDB and finance the property via a HDB loan. The VL and WL continue to serve an important purpose in ensuring that CPF members purchase a property which they can afford, without having to deplete their retirement CPF savings. CPF members should buy a home within their means, and factor in the CPF usage limits in their financing plans.”
“Employers who are benefiting from the Special Employment Credit (SEC) scheme belong to various industries, from agriculture and fishing to healthcare and social services. Companies in the wholesale and retail sector form the largest group and account for about one quarter of the employers, while about 15% are in the manufacturing sector. About one quarter of eligible employees are cleaners or labourers, and about one fifth are service and sales workers. Other main occupation types include clerical support workers, and plant and machine operators. More than 90% of workers who benefited from the SEC in the first half of 2012 have remained in employment one year later, while more than 85% of them continue to hold jobs within the same industry.”
“Breakdown of gross monthly income from full-time work by the 50th to 80th percentile in 2011 and 2012 for residents and Singapore Citizens are provided in the table below. Comparable data are only available for gross monthly income and residents and Singaporeans. The median gross monthly income of residents is typically higher than that for Singapore Citizens alone as Permanent Residents, typically, have to display good employability before they are granted residency. Page: 145”
“The breakdown of Singaporean, Permanent Resident and foreign Professionals, Managers and Executives in Singapore from 2011 to 2012 by broad industries is provided in the table below. Page: 144”
“In particular, contractors who wish to house their workers on-site in a purpose-built temporary building or in the completed portion of the building under construction must comply with BCA's Building Control regulations, which stipulate requirements on structural safety, ventilation and other aspects to safeguard the well-being of workers. The structural integrity of the workers' quarters must be certified by a Professional Engineer. The requirements for foreign worker housing are actively enforced. Over the last three years, over 12,000 foreign workers have been found housed in unacceptable premises. As a result, enforcement action was taken against over 1,700 employers for failing to ensure that their foreign workers had acceptable accommodation; and over 1,900 owners and operators of illegal dormitories for breach of land use rules. More than 2,100 fines were issued and more than 1,400 owners and occupiers have been prosecuted for fire safety and environmental health violations. These were the result of inspections by agencies, such as MOM, URA, SCDF and NEA. The relevant Government agencies will continue to coordinate efforts to strengthen regulation of foreign worker housing, and to proactively detect and act against parties who breach the foreign worker housing requirements.”
“Both MOM and MND lead an interagency effort on foreign worker housing issues. It is a multifaceted issue which requires close collaboration between Government agencies. Sites for foreign worker housing are selected and approved for use as foreign worker accommodation based on various considerations, including the potential impact on adjoining residential areas, as well as technical and infrastructure constraints such as the suitability of roads and sewers in the area. Even after a site has been assessed to be suitable for use as foreign worker accommodation, various regulatory requirements imposed by multiple Government agencies must be satisfied, to safeguard the well-being of workers. These include requirements on living space standards, structural and fire safety standards. Where workers are housed in institutional settings, such as in commercial dormitories and workers' quarters in industrial premises, additional requirements pertaining to recreational and social amenities within the dormitory compound are considered. Construction workers may also be housed in temporary workers' quarters at their work sites. Such workers' quarters are transient and will cease when the construction works end. In addition, the housing of workers on-site helps to Page: 116 reduce traffic congestion from workers being ferried to and from their work sites. Workers' quarters on construction sites, like other types of foreign worker housing, must meet the relevant technical requirements, even if they are only temporary.”
“In mid 2012, the National Wages Council recommended that for workers earning a basic monthly salary of up to $1,000, companies grant a built-in wage increase of at least $50. The Ministry's Survey on Annual Wage Changes showed that as of December 2012, six in 10 private establishments with employees earning a basic monthly salary of up to $1,000, had given or decided to give wage increases to these employees. This included three in 10 which gave at least a $50 built-in wage increase to this group of workers. The same survey found that 35% of full-time resident employees earning a basic monthly salary of up to $1,000 who had been with the private establishments for at least one year, received built-in wage increases of at least $50.”
“To uplift our Singaporean lower-wage workers, there is also the Workfare Training Support (WTS) scheme to provide them with the highest level of course fee funding at 95%. The CET Qualification Award (CQA) is also awarded to only Singaporeans to encourage them to attain their first full qualification11. While we are heartened to see many Singaporeans taking up CET, we recognise that our CET system cannot stay still. Our CET system must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of industries and the changing preferences and aspirations of the workforce. My Ministry recently held Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) engagement sessions with members of the public on the topic of Lifelong Learning – CET. During those discussions, we received useful feedback from Singaporeans on how we could further improve the CET system to better meet their needs. We will give careful consideration to the feedback as we constantly review our policies and look for ways to enhance our CET system to better meet the needs of both the current and the future workforce. Page: 174”
“The provision of sufficient, relevant and quality training opportunities for our workforce is a guiding principle for the development of our CET system. Currently, there are over 8,000 certifiable Page: 173 courses funded by WDA and MOE. In 2012, WDA and MOE supported close to 300,000 individuals in their CET courses. Demand for CET programmes is dependent on many factors, such as the economic and labour market climate, employers' willingness to send workers for training and individuals' commitment to undertake training. In planning for CET capacity, MOM/WDA and MOE consider these factors and consult various stakeholders, for example, the economic agencies, industry players, employers and training providers. Information on CET take-up trends, industry skills needs, skills gaps and job opportunities also feed into the planning process. There are sufficient training places to cater to the general workforce. We will continue to work with relevant training providers to scale up or down the training capacity, where necessary. Developing and nurturing our people have always been one of the Government's core areas of focus. Our CET focus is extensive in scope and breadth. It complements our education system. In the past few years, besides ensuring that CET remains affordable and accessible to locals, we have launched dedicated CET programmes for Singaporeans to meet their training needs and career development. For example, under the Skills Training for Excellence Programme (STEP) which was introduced to better support the CET needs of Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs), several scholarships are set aside for Singaporeans.”
“PMEs who do not have the financial means to initiate a civil lawsuit against their employers for alleged unfair dismissal can approach the Legal Aid Bureau to apply for legal assistance. A Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who satisfies a Means Test which looks at his total disposable capital and annual income will be eligible for legal aid at the Legal Aid Bureau8. Additionally, PMEs who are union members working in unionised companies and are eligible for representation by unions under the Industrial Relations Act, can currently seek redress and appeal to the Minister for Manpower for reinstatement to their former employment, if they feel that they had been unfairly dismissed. In view of the changing composition of the workforce, we also intend to extend general protection under the Employment Act to PMEs earning up to $4,500. My Ministry will be tabling the Employment Amendment Bill later this year. This means that when the amendments come into effect, these PMEs will be protected against unfair dismissal. To give employers some flexibility, we will set a qualifying service period of one year for these PMEs before they are eligible to seek redress. This is a reasonable period for employers to assess the suitability of PMEs. Page: 139”
“The primary purpose of the CPF is to provide for Singaporeans' retirement. To support home ownership for Singaporeans, members can use CPF savings to finance their home purchase. To ensure that the monies return to the member's CPF account, there is a CPF charge on the property. This will ensure that when a member sells his property, the proceeds from the sale are used to refund the principal amount of CPF monies withdrawn to finance the purchase, as well as any interest that would have accrued had this amount not been withdrawn. The requirement to refund CPF savings used for home purchases also applies to any other scenario where the child wishes to lift the charge on the property that he had purchased with his parents earlier. The refund can be made by transferring the parents' CPF monies that are available for use for housing to the child's CPF account, by cash, or by taking up a loan with HDB or the banks if eligible. If the child is not able to refund the CPF monies, we are unable to lift Page: 129 the charge on the property that he had purchased with his parents. This will ensure that when that property is eventually sold, the proceeds will be refunded to CPF thus ensuring that his retirement adequacy is not compromised.”
“One important area which we are looking to address is to ensure that Singaporeans are being fairly considered for job and development opportunities, which will encourage companies to groom Singaporeans for more senior roles. I will provide an update on our plans on this issue later this year, once they are finalised.”
“Our aim is to create good jobs for Singaporeans. To achieve this, we have been proactively attracting good investments and giving Page: 117 Singaporeans a leg-up through capability and development training. In the process, we may provide some short-term flexibility on our foreign worker rules – either to cope with temporary skills and capability gaps in the initial start-up period until trained local manpower is ready, or to deal with temporary surges in manpower demand. But this flexibility is only granted on an exceptional basis, for projects that generate high productivity levels in terms of value add per worker. In terms of skills and knowledge transfer to Singaporeans, there are many schemes that have yielded positive results. One example is the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS), which aims to prepare Singaporeans to take on leadership positions across various sectors. In 2012, 90 Singaporeans have been awarded undergraduate scholarships from 28 enterprises. Specifically for the Biomedical Sciences and Process industries, the Development and Apprenticeship Programme (DNA) also seeks to encourage companies to localise their talent pool by providing industry endorsed training and career development pathways for new local hires. Since the programme was launched in 2012, it has attracted 24 companies committing to hire and train 335 locals. MOM has taken deliberate and progressive steps on reducing reliance on foreign talents, by tightening the qualifying criteria for both Employment Pass and S Pass applications. Our Employment Pass numbers fell in 2012, the first time since 2003.”
“To conclude, let me emphasise that we are aiming for a system that will make things better for Singaporeans. This has to be done by balancing the need to help businesses improve their HR practices to consider Singaporeans more consciously, and the need to maintain our openness to investment and foreigners, which ultimately builds strong companies, and generate better jobs and higher wages for our people. We are in the midst of finalising some of the possibilities and should be able to provide more details in the coming months. Page: 105”
“While that may well be a consideration, I do know that many companies also choose to locate in Singapore because of our systems advantages as a good place to do business. It is not any single attribute, but a combination of a stable political environment, rule of law, safe streets, good education and healthcare for families of their international staff, good infrastructure, low overall tax burden and so on. It is only fair and reasonable to expect Singaporeans to have equal and fair consideration on the job front. Any framework or measures that we roll out should be aimed at putting in place a system which would leverage on our systems advantages to help build a Singaporean Core in our workforce. We want companies to improve their HR practices to ensure fair consideration for Singaporeans. However, the framework will not be a magic bullet that ensures Singaporeans are hired first for every job; it is about making sure that the playing field is level and maintaining meritocracy as a cornerstone of our society. This will send a clear signal that the Government expects firms to recruit and develop their staff on merit, and not on the basis of nationality and social ties. I should also stress that our local workers must continue their upgrading efforts so that they are in better stead to clinch the jobs they aspire to. Many of our Singaporean workers are already very capable, hardworking and have the sort of soft skills like leadership and initiative that employers are looking for. But we need even more Singaporeans to have such all-rounded skillsets, such as the ability to create, innovate and solve complex problems, communicate compellingly, while continuing to be efficient and reliable.”
“One salient theme that emerged consistently across the various countries was that an overly onerous system could lead to unnecessary bureaucracy that affects competitiveness. Second, we have been gathering views from the public over the many months. We also conducted MOM's Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) on Jobs earlier in June. The OSC discussions were well-attended by both concerned members of the public and employers. I heard many ideas and a diverse range of views, but there was a recurring tension which was particularly pertinent. Employers reflected that they had difficulty finding suitably qualified Singaporeans to work for them. Some employees, on the other hand, said that they were either overlooked for job opportunities or unfairly displaced due to non-meritocratic hiring practices. Therefore, it was clear that we needed to establish some norms where employers consider Singaporeans fairly for job and advancement opportunities. Third, we have also conducted a series of focus group discussions with stakeholders from various industries as well as HR practitioners and received email feedback from them. During these discussions, participants frequently pointed out that Singapore is the regional or global hub for many companies which create good jobs and careers for Singaporeans. However, they also need Page: 104 to deploy their people from other parts of the world here because they bring with them their relevant exposure and experience of other markets. There will also be those who need to better understand the Singapore and regional market. An inability to freely move their teams in and out of Singapore would certainly affect their decisions to remain or expand here.”
“At the Committee of Supply this year, I mentioned that developing the Singaporean Core in the workforce is at the heart of our manpower policies. One important aspect of this is to shape current hiring norms by reinforcing responsible behaviour and addressing poor practices before they become entrenched. I need to provide a framework that helps to shape the correct behaviour and assure our own Singaporeans for fair consideration. I also need to make sure that it is a framework that makes sense Page: 103 to the majority of employers who do look to the local talent pool to fill job vacancies. Getting the balance right is critical. Why? We want to shape an economic environment that will generate good jobs and opportunities for our people. Part of that effort lies with a dynamic labour market. If we make things too onerous and rigid, or as some have argued, over-protecting our citizens, we can affect our competitiveness and attractiveness, impact businesses and may end up inadvertently hurting the job prospects of Singaporeans. Having said that, I also want to ensure that we are not too laissez-faire with our framework because we do not want to see poor hiring practices that are based on nationality or social ties. That cannot be acceptable. To better understand what might be the right balance, my Ministry has done three things. First, we visited the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany and held candid discussions with government officials, businesses and labour unions to better understand the challenges of designing and implementing a fair consideration framework. Representatives from the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) also participated in these trips with us.”
“But as with all cases, there will be dogs with temperaments that are not suitable for rehoming and/or those which are less than healthy; in those cases, as a last resort, we will put them down in a humane fashion. Page: 42”
“Mdm Speaker, with regard to the second question on how do we manage the stray dog population numbers, I think, very briefly, AVA manages the stray dog population as a preventive measure. It is important to understand that because there are potential threats to public safety, it is not just about sterilisation. I think when dogs operate in packs as well, it can be threatening for public safety and security, and that is something that we are concerned about. In fact, many members of the public do raise concerns, especially where children are involved, and there is also the concern with regard to rabies. Essentially, when we receive public feedback, AVA will carry out surveillance and control operations. AVA will work with Animal Welfare Groups such as SPCA or Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) to rehome impounded dogs where we can, and dogs which are healthy and with a suitable temperament. And those that are not able to be rehomed will, as a last resort, be put down in a humane fashion. This is why it comes back to the earlier point about Project ADORE, which I think it is important. The Member also raised an important point about the criteria, which is why Project ADORE is meant to address that to see whether we are able to house mongrels – up to mid-sized mongrels − in HDB flats. As you are aware, and as I have mentioned, there will be those who are comfortable with pets and there will be those who are less than comfortable. So, we need to create a common space so that people are comfortable. I think that if this project can succeed and it moves forward, it allows a greater capacity for strays to be rehomed and this would be an important step forward in terms of making sure that we manage the stray population.”
“In June 2011, around 160,000 full-time resident employees in Singapore, or 11% of full-time resident employees, earned $1,000 and below in basic monthly income from work. In June 2012, the corresponding number was about 151,000, or 10% of full-time resident employees. The average basic monthly salaries of these workers were around $77011. In mid-2012, the NWC recommended a $50 built-in wage increase for low-wage workers earning a basic monthly salary of up to $1,000. As of December 2012, almost six in 10 private establishments12 had given or decided to give wage increases to their employees earning a monthly basic salary of up to $1,000. This includes 40% of private establishments that had given built-in wage increases, 8% who had decided to give a built-in wage increase but had not done so at the time of the survey, and 11% who had provided other forms of wage increases13. Three in 10 private establishments had given a built-in wage increase of at least $50 in 2012. The Ministry does not have an exact breakdown by occupation of workers who received the recommended pay raise, in full or in part. However, based on responses to the Ministry's Survey on Annual Wage Changes, 201214, establishments in real estate services (70%), professional services (70%) and manufacturing (60%) were the most likely to indicate that they had given or had decided to give a built-in wage increase to their employees earning a basic monthly salary of $1,000 and below. Fewer construction (40%), and transportation and storage establishments (39%) indicated that they had given Page: 159 or decided to give a built-in wage increase. Page: 160”
“MOM takes a holistic approach to ensure that the safety and health of our workers is looked after in the haze. Our immediate priority, since the onset of the haze, was to ensure that clear guidance was given to educate employers and employees on how to mitigate its ill-effects. We have issued a set of guidelines on this and continue to work with the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council to engage the industry so that all stakeholders are aware of what to do if haze levels worsen. Our next priority was to extend assistance. Arising from feedback from the WSH Council's engagement efforts with the industry, we have established a framework to help mitigate the shortage of N95 masks in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). We are also working with the tripartite partners to help businesses make short-term adjustments to their work arrangements so that their employees' exposure to the haze can be minimised. The final step of our approach is enforcement, to ensure that safety standards are being conformed to. Given the short timeframe since the onset of the haze, the bulk of our efforts were focused on guidance and assistance to help employers put in place the necessary measures to mitigate the haze. In the area of enforcement, we have relied on our feedback channels to address concerns on the ground. To date, we have received and addressed 98 complaints and we have managed to resolve all issues with the employers concerned. Nevertheless, should the Ministry come across errant employers who blatantly disregard the safety and Page: 158 health of their workers, we will not hesitate to take action against them.”
“Comparable data on gross monthly income from work are only available from 1996 onwards and only for residents, that is, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, as shown in table below. The median gross monthly income of residents is typically higher than that for Singapore Citizens alone as Permanent Residents typically have to display good employability before they are granted residency. Page: 157”
“The Government will also play its part as a service buyer. MOF has asked Government agencies to include, in relevant Government tenders for services, a clear statement that tenderers should adhere to the NWC's recommendations Page: 110 on wage increment for their workers and to factor such costs into their bid price. In addition, MOF is looking into incorporating, as a tender evaluation criterion, the tenderers' track record as employers with good employment practices. Particular attention will be paid to the procurement of services that employ low-wage workers. This is to clearly signal to contractors that the Government will lean in favour of contractors with good employment practices, including paying decent wages for workers.”
“The Ministry has been working closely with tripartite partners, as well as the rest of Government, to extend the adoption of the NWC Guidelines. From January to December last year, we saw three in 10 employers give at least $50 built-in wage increases to workers earning a monthly basic salary of $1,000 and below. There were also 12.5% employers who gave built-in wage increases to low-wage workers, although the amount was less than $50. As last year was the first time the NWC had made a specific quantitative recommendation for low-wage workers, this was a good start. Certainly, the NWC has helped to generate greater awareness on the part of employers to do more for their low-wage workers. This year, we hope to see more employers follow the NWC's recommendation for this group of workers. With concerted tripartite efforts, I am confident we can sustain the momentum generated. The employer and union groups represented on the NWC will continue to reach out to their members to encourage their members to adopt the NWC wage guidelines, especially for low-wage workers. The NWC Guidelines which have been gazetted under the Employment Act will also form the basis for wage negotiations in the unionised sector, as well as set the benchmark for wage adjustments in the non-unionised sector. The Government, as the largest employer, has announced that all Division IV and III civil servants, who typically perform operational support functions and clerical duties, will receive an additional wage increase on top of their annual increment in 2013. Division IV civil servants will receive an additional wage increase of $70 per month while Division III civil servants, who typically earn more than $1,200 per month, will receive an additional wage increase of $40 per month.”
“We must, therefore, continue to strongly encourage construction companies to reduce their overall reliance on manpower, but in a manner that does not delay critical public infrastructure projects that are already underway.”
“As part of our national drive towards more productivity-led manpower efficient growth, the Government has progressively reduced the Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) for the construction sector since 2010. The MYE reflects the quota of foreign workers allocated to a main contractor for a specific construction project. The table below shows the MYE reductions since 2010: The MYE reductions were not implemented on an immediate basis. The MYE reductions took effect for MYE applications lodged after the date of each reduction. The reason for pegging implementation to the date of MYE applications, that is, after the commencement of the projects, rather than date of contract award, was to encourage the industry to respond more quickly to the MYE reductions. Otherwise, the push for greater productivity in construction may be delayed for a longer period. In addition, the MYE reductions were phased out over four years, to allow the industry time to adjust. We also did not reduce the overall Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) for the construction sector, taking into account the importance of ensuring the smooth completion of key infrastructure projects. Together with the many Government assistance schemes to help companies build new capabilities, adopt technology, improve business processes and upgrade their workers, these MYE reductions are important to spur the transformation of the construction sector towards higher productivity and lower reliance on foreign manpower. The productivity level of our construction sector is about one-fifth below that of Hong Kong and South Korea, and even further below Japan and other international leaders.”
“This will help older workers to continue to work effectively in their respective occupations. Job-redesign not only helps to make jobs less physically demanding, it can also increase productivity through process improvements. We are committed to helping employers adapt to this new environment. Employers should tap on the funding provided under the recently launched WorkPro programme to redesign their jobs. WorkPro also provides support for flexible work arrangements which aim to help employees achieve better work-life harmony. Together with our tripartite partners, we will continue to help employers develop progressive workplace practices, so as to maximise the potential of our workforce.”