Are you ready for 7 million people on tiny Singapore?

[Dreamgear]

3Boys:

WeiHan:

You should go to the ground and really learn what happens. I am sure theory in their plan don't take into considerations such as human nature to employ their own kind, how about office politics and culture? If it becomes predominantly foreign, then locals (even good in skills or knowledge) may not fit into the culture anymore...and there are many more possible factors that may not be considered in the beautiful master plan theory that gov has in mind...then reality drift further and further away from theory.....

What a fairy tale. :roll:

Sad thing is that some people actually believe it.

Singaporeans have gone overseas and excelled in foreign companies in foreign lands. For the longest time, MNCs that have set up here have always had mostly staffed with HQ people to begin with.

The much vaunted world beating Singapore worker being run over in a company because of a foreign culture? :siao:

Fairy tale? Just because you never experienced it does not mean the above situation does not exists. This is very real in the IT industry.

Of course, The singaporean work culture and ethics is still very much in demand... In indonesia and vietnam.....

[raysusan]

WP’s Chen Show Mao takes fire in Parliament over 5.9 million projection


Hougang-Aljuined MP Chen Show Mao faced a volley of questions in Parliament on Tuesday over the Worker’s Party’s ‘5.9 million instead of 6.9 million’ projection for Singapore’s population.

Entering into the current hot topic debate over the White Paper, Chen said that the Worker’s Party did not agree with the recommendations of the Paper.

“We believe that we should emphasise on growing the Singapore core. To use this policy which by its nature is a uni-directional policy tool - reversing this policy will require great effort and may erode human rights,” said Chen.

“When we have 6.9 million people we will have even less space for making mistakes. I would urge the government to think three times before we move.”

Instead, he urged the government to encourage more Singaporeans to join the workforce. Citing labour statistics that 1.06 million Singaporeans were not working in 2012, Chen said that the emphasis should be on getting this group of people to re-enter the workforce – and not bringing in more foreign labour.

In particular, Chen said that the ageing population should not be considered dependents or hindrances to a dynamic Singapore, but rather a ‘triumph of development’, many of whom still have much to offer our country.

He ended his speech by empathically opposing the motion, drawing questions and criticism from other MPs.

MOS for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin reminded Chen that the Paper’s 6.9 million number was a ‘projection, not a target’ and that boundaries had been clearly spelled out, which, unlike WP’s proposal, had concrete ideas and initiatives to provide support for Singaporeans.

“Our objective is about the people – the quality of life that can be provided at that stage. But the stepping stones – the state of the economy, level of population growth that is needed – we are more interested in the methods to get there – we do have many initiatives, we have the advantage scheme, the SEC which has worked very well,” said Tan.

PAP MP Vikram Nair asked Chen for a breakdown of the immigration numbers under the WP’s proposed plan for a 5.9 million plan by 2030.

He also asked if the WP hires foreign workers to work in their Town Councils through their managing agents.

Chen responded that he would look into providing the breakdowns.

“Like many TCs, the Aljunied-Hougang TC is managed by a managing agent who in turn helps the TC subcontract a lot of it’s functions to service provides, including cleaners. Yes, they have foreign workers on their staff although I understand from them they are making every effort to reduce that number,” said Chen in answer to Nair’s second question.

MP Janil Puthucheary questioned WP’s plan to increase labour participation for the elderly, requesting for specific information like their proposed average retirement age, what proportion of the ageing population WP would target, and how many workers it would add to the workforce.

Chen replied that WP was not counting only on increases in the labour participation rate to hit boost Singapore’s workforce and that WP expects the resident labour force to grow at one per cent over the next few years, contributing to numbers.

Reported with Jeanette Tan at Parliament

[pirate]

Dreamgear:

Fairy tale? Just because you never experienced it does not mean the above situation does not exists. This is very real in the IT industry.


Of course, The singaporean work culture and ethics is still very much in demand... In indonesia and vietnam.....

And... surprise, surprise, we are back in the IT departments (We have an IT industry to speak of?!). Is it any surprise that the grumblings from this particular segment is the loudest online? Apparently we are supposed to craft national economic and labour policies based on the rumblings of those in the IT line. :siao:

Now, I am interested to know which IT MNCs in Singapore have this problem with their HR departments. Apple? Microsoft? Yahoo? Google? eBay? Lucasfilm? Trek? Creative?

[Dreamgear]

pirate:

Dreamgear:

Fairy tale? Just because you never experienced it does not mean the above situation does not exists. This is very real in the IT industry.


Of course, The singaporean work culture and ethics is still very much in demand... In indonesia and vietnam.....

And... surprise, surprise, we are back in the IT departments (We have an IT industry to speak of?!). Is it any surprise that the grumblings from this particular segment is the loudest online? Apparently we are supposed to craft national economic and labour policies based on the rumblings of those in the IT line. :siao:

Now, I am interested to know which IT MNCs in Singapore have this problem with their HR departments. Apple? Microsoft? Yahoo? Google? eBay? Lucasfilm? Trek? Creative?

IT is not part of the economy? You seems to harbour some disdain for this particular segment.....

[Dora1]

pirate:

Dreamgear:

Fairy tale? Just because you never experienced it does not mean the above situation does not exists. This is very real in the IT industry.


Of course, The singaporean work culture and ethics is still very much in demand... In indonesia and vietnam.....

And... surprise, surprise, we are back in the IT departments (We have an IT industry to speak of?!). Is it any surprise that the grumblings from this particular segment is the loudest online? Apparently we are supposed to craft national economic and labour policies based on the rumblings of those in the IT line. :siao:

Now, I am interested to know which IT MNCs in Singapore have this problem with their HR departments. Apple? Microsoft? Yahoo? Google? eBay? Lucasfilm? Trek? Creative?

I am not in the IT industry. Nothing even close. And we face the same problem.
And I, as a Singaporean, am very offended with what 3boys said abt the SC workforce. Are we seriously so bad? I am proud to be a Singaporean and of my fellow Singaporean colleagues and our work ethics. Can you please enlighten me if the SG workforce is so bad, why do MNCs come? For the infrastructure?

[pirate]

Dreamgear:

IT is not part of the economy? You seems to harbour some disdain for this particular segment.....

I am just amused that some of our IT boys seem to think that the IT department of an MNC is the same as the 'IT industry'. If you are in the IT department of a company, you are not in the IT industry. You are performing a supporting function to whatever industry your company is in.

[Dora1]

pirate:

pirate:

Maybe you should ask those 10 fresh uni grads why they never take the initiative to offer to take a lower pay to undergo on-the-job training doing the front-line operations work of their desired prospective employers? Why they rather go do data-entry and low level admin work in a stat board? How they expect to get relevant experience if they not willing to get their hands dirty or their shirts sweaty or scolded by unreasonable customers?

Sometimes is not that they are not willing to accept lower pay, but it is that hiring is 垄断 by the agencies (the HR people like to outsourse their job to agencies) , and the agencies probably have connection with overseas agencies , and may be they can make more by recommending foreigner.

Did the 10 uni grads who are content doing data entry and low level admin work make the effort to take that initiative? Stop making excuses for them.[/quote]
There are softies and spoilt brats and at the same time there are also plenty good and hardworking young people around who are eager to learn. Be fair to the youngsters please. There are some ppl who cannot just get a intern pay as the have families to support and study loans to repay. Your initiative is not the answer for eveyone

[Dreamgear]

pirate:

Dreamgear:

IT is not part of the economy? You seems to harbour some disdain for this particular segment.....

I am just amused that some of our IT boys seem to think that the IT department of an MNC is the same as the 'IT industry'. If you are in the IT department of a company, you are not in the IT industry. You are performing a supporting function to whatever industry your company is in.

Oic.... My apology if understood u, yes some do have that perception....

The IT i am referring to is the huawei, hcl and hp services of the world....

[sinoboy]

Dora1:

I am not in the IT industry. Nothing even close. And we face the same problem.
And I, as a Singaporean, am very offended with what 3boys said abt the SC workforce. Are we seriously so bad? I am proud to be a Singaporean and of my fellow Singaporean colleagues and our work ethics. Can you please enlighten me if the SG workforce is so bad, why do MNCs come? For the infrastructure?

Sorry no offense. MNC come here because of tax incentives. There is no free lunch. Want good workforce go China. They can make and fake iPhones. :scared:

[Dreamaurora]

pirate:

Dreamgear:

Fairy tale? Just because you never experienced it does not mean the above situation does not exists. This is very real in the IT industry.


Of course, The singaporean work culture and ethics is still very much in demand... In indonesia and vietnam.....

And... surprise, surprise, we are back in the IT departments (We have an IT industry to speak of?!). Is it any surprise that the grumblings from this particular segment is the loudest online? Apparently we are supposed to craft national economic and labour policies based on the rumblings of those in the IT line. :siao:

Now, I am interested to know which IT MNCs in Singapore have this problem with their HR departments. Apple? Microsoft? Yahoo? Google? eBay? Lucasfilm? Trek? Creative?

I think you have to understand that back in the 1990s and early 2000s there was this boom in the IT demand in Singapore and government instructed the tertiary to produce more graduates in this field. I was a Multimedia student in SP during early 2000 and the demand was so hot that companies were snapping up the students even before graduation.

Fast forward to today and obviously the demand has slowed down by quite a lot. The problem is now there is a large pool of tertiary IT graduates produced during those times vying for that ever diminishing pie. By the way, IT departments ever since my time has always been rather FT heavy and it is still true till today. I still got in touch with my poly mates and seriously a large number of them are no longer in IT line. And yes, that includes me.

So now there are a lot of disgruntled IT graduates making a lot of noise online because they find it hard to compete in the job market. The reality of the job market now is very different from last time. I sincerely hope you are not suggesting that when the when drafting national policies government should ignore these group of people. After all they are still your fellow citizens trying to make a honest living in this city.