The Workers’ Party
The Workers’ Party is a political party in Singapore that believes in giving power to the people. Our website can be found at http://wp.sg
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How was your Mothers' Day Morning?
Team WP had the pleasure to catch up with residents who were up early to have their favorite hawker breakfast at Hainanese Market (Aljunied GRC) and Fernvale Hawker Centre (AMK GRC).
#wpsg #makingyourvotecount
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-DENNIS TAN-
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers!
母亲节快乐！
#HougangSMC #mothersday
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Are we going to see distance-based charging for ERP 2.0 and, if so, has the government assessed the cost impact on those who drive for a living?
Follow us on TikTok:
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-JAMUS LIM-
One of the frustrations that Singaporeans face with their dealings with government agencies is that they complain about how many may “taichi” their concerns, either by bouncing the matter to other agencies, or by skirting around the main problem by appealing to pedantic details.
In response to feedback from a resident, I had raised a Parliamentary Question (PQ) about the availability of concessionary fares for post-A-level/IB students awaiting entry into universities. Admittedly, the question could have better worded, with reference to access to the concessionary “card” (https://www.transitlink.com.sg/undergraduate-concession-card/), rather than “fares.” Still, I felt that the spirit of the question was sound, and all the more since an adult monthly travel pass (at $128) is significantly more expensive than than the undergraduate pass (at $81 for the hybrid version that allows both bus and train travel). So, alas, the fundamental concern remained unresolved.
It is not clear to me why this is the case. Perhaps, as a society, we have become too accustomed to a precision in our model answers, to a point where semantic differences like these become insurmountable differences, to the detriment of actually solving the problem. I hope not, because flexibility is precisely one of the key traits that separate humans from machines, and in an age of AI, I believe that we need to be supple intellectually if we are to move forward as a country and an economy. #makingyourvotecount
Postscript: I’ll plan to re-file a reworded version of the PQ, of course, but I felt that the episode was symptomatic of a deeper pathology, so I thought it would be worthwhile putting it on the table for discussion, in case my view is mistaken.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/dG2YXCinJGBBDT96
To this end, Workers’ Party Members of Parliament delivered 14 speeches during the recent Committee of Supply debate on the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) budget — the most we devoted to any Ministry. We spoke about mandating retrenchment benefits for workmen and employees covered by Part 4 of the Employment Act; banning non-competes in employment contracts of low- and mid-level employees; and protecting workers’ interests by preventing predatory employment contracts. We further urged MOM to work more closely with MOE and other agencies, like SkillsFuture Singapore, to systematically nudge Singaporeans into the occupations and sectors with training opportunities to re-skill and secure employment. Moreover, we said that reasonable accommodations for Persons with Disabilities should be included in the upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation.
The Workers’ Party has also spoken about specific issues facing worker health and safety that affect workers’ ability to do their jobs properly. Understaffing and overwork of healthcare workers is one. Working conditions such as not being able to sit at retail shops remain to be addressed.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐏 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨
Singapore enters a new chapter ahead, there is hope things may be done differently.
One thing is clear: Come what may, the Workers’ Party will continue to reflect the concerns of workers’ and SMEs’, raise issues of sustainable growth and advocate for labour policy legislation for the benefit of all Singaporeans.
I wish all Singaporean workers a Happy Labour Day!
𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐇
Leader of the Opposition &
Secretary-General, The Workers’ Party
#wpsg #makingyourvotecount #MayDay2024
https://www.facebook.com/workersparty/posts/pfbid0SK2JgUoJDm4Rpub1URg3ViG1eQqDhyUgwe7fucmCDhWRqAiPT9cCoH5aBjtY8ZKnl
The Workers' Party
𝐖𝐏𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Labour Day this year comes at a time when change is on the horizon. Mr Lee Hsien Loong has announced he will be handing over the prime ministership to Mr Lawrence Wong on 15...
𝐖𝐏𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Labour Day this year comes at a time when change is on the horizon. Mr Lee Hsien Loong has announced he will be handing over the prime ministership to Mr Lawrence Wong on 15 May 2024.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐬
It comes at a time when the world is tilting in a worrying direction. The situation in the Middle East is extremely tense and fluid. Any action — intentional or accidental — could lead to a devastating regional conflict. Navigating the on-going China-US rivalry amidst an increasingly contentious and increasingly closed global order remains challenging for a small and multi-racial country like ours.
Domestically, the economy is experiencing slow growth with elevated inflation — presenting Singaporeans with a double whammy of concerns for both employment, and costs of living and doing business. Most economists polled in a Bloomberg survey have said that the new Prime Minister will need to make fighting inflation his top priority after taking office.
𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬: 𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐂 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲
Although the unemployment rate remains low, many Singaporeans still feel the bitter edge of change in the economy and the job market. NTUC's annual Survey on Economic Sentiments found that almost 40% of Singaporean workers are worried that they would lose their jobs in the next three months, compared to just 25% in last year’s survey.
But is it only about worker’s concerns over jobs, or something else?
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞
Singaporean workers may have become pessimistic even with full employment because the news cycle in 2024 so far has been about cost cutting by companies leading to retrenchments and even complete closure and relocation to regional countries by some businesses.
If large companies and multinational corporations (MNCs) with deep pockets are finding it unsustainable to operate in Singapore due to the cost of doing business here, SMEs will be feeling more pressure. A survey of 605 SMEs by insurance provider QBE Insurance found that 50% of Singapore’s SMEs surveyed cited increased costs and reduced profitability as a top business challenge in 2024. This is on top of their concerns in the 2023 survey regarding rising inflation, rising energy prices and the increase in GST.
We have also been reading about micro-businesses in F&B such as hawkers that have closed down, adding to other recent high-profile closures in what restaurateurs widely declare is shaping up to be a “tough 2024”.
The Workers’ Party shares their concern that the cost of doing business in Singapore has become a significant pressure point, made worse by the increase in the GST rate to 9% and persistently high interest rates in 2024. We have urged the government to give SMEs more support in non-wage areas ranging from subsidies for talent and acquisition schemes, international expansion, rental assistance or rental support, streamlining grant application process to providing grants on a cash-basis rather than on reimbursement. By helping SMEs with the non-wage costs of doing business, we hope they may continue to drive entrepreneurship and innovation, operate and employ over 70% of the total labour force, and pay competitive wages for our workers.
𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬
Faced with high business operating costs, should job losses occur, the Workers’ Party has advanced calls for better protection and stronger safeguard of workers’ interests, chiefly by introducing a Redundancy Insurance Scheme. We also want the government to better effect re-skilling and skills transfer from foreign professionals to Singaporeans, to prepare them for a more competitive and demanding work environment ahead.
Team WP had our Hammer Outreach this morning at various locations across Sengkang and Punggol. Cost of Living concerns remain one of the main feedback we hear during our ground engagements. Many also shared their worries over how their children would be able to afford their own homes in the future if our housing market remains one of ever escalating prices. The Workers' Party will continue to speak on these issues in Parliament and urge for the consideration of various alternative proposals WP tabled.
#makingyourvotecount #wpsg
https://www.facebook.com/workersparty/posts/pfbid0MQxbJdwUjngvkVsThUJ8rTqFRPskctwJkmK25r2PfZxSs1jjHKaLUkBVheXwWAX5l
Kami ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada semua!
Wishing a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all!
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
In his parliamentary question filed for Minister of Manpower, Gerald Giam (MP for Aljunied GRC) asked, in view of the fact that non-residents made up 83,500 of the 88,400 total employment growth in 2023, how the Ministry will ensure that the bulk of new jobs created in 2024 will go to Singapore citizens and residents, including those aged 40 and above.
Given the substantial Government expenditure used for job creation in Singapore, including the Economic Development Board's efforts to attract foreign direct investment and the extensive tax incentives given to multinational companies (MNCs), and if most of these jobs continue to be filled year after year, mostly by foreigners, Gerald asked if the Minister was concerned that these Government expenditures appeared to be disproportionately benefitting MNCs and foreign professionals over Singaporean workers.
Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng provided clarifications.