PAP MPs asking MOM to allow companies retain FTs

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Those 60% Empty Dumpties who voted for these FAP Traitors, song bo?PAP MPs asking MOM to allow companies retain FTs

October 19th, 2013 | Author: Editorial

Dr Janil Puthucheary

Dr Janil Puthucheary, the MP in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, will be posing a question to Acting Manpower Minister in Parliament on Monday (21 Oct).
He is asking the Minister whether there are plans to introduce a scheme to allow foreigners who have good track records and sustained work experience in local SMEs to be retained as staff under a special category pass with a longer duration. He says this is especially in industries that face difficulties attracting Singaporean workers.
The problem, of course, is how Dr Puthucheary is going to define “good track records and sustained work experience” for these foreign workers? Given a choice, most SME employers would rather retain the cheaper foreign worker by any means than to lose him due to the current tightening of foreign worker policy.
Dr Puthucheary will also be asking the Minister how many SMEs have to close down their businesses or downsize as a result of the inability to “have a sustainable number of workers due to foreign staff not being able to have their passes renewed”.
Dr Puthucheary appears to be hinting that not renewing the work passes of foreign workers may cause SMEs to close down or downsize. Has Dr Puthucheary considered if it even makes sense for companies to operate in Singapore based on cheap labour living in deplorable conditions? Paying $300 for a bunk bed squeezing with few others in a HDB room?
Incidentally, Dr Puthucheary equates himself working as a paediatrician in a public hospital to serving “National Service”. During the 2011 GE when he was criticised for not serving NS as he became a Singapore citizen only at the age of 35, he told the media, “I’ve spent the last 10 years saving kids’ lives.”
Another MP, Ms Jessica Tan of East Coase GRC, will also be asking the Minister questions on Monday with regard to allowing companies to retain foreign workers.
She asks that for SMEs in industries which have shown productivity improvements and good hiring practices but yet difficult to attract locals to take up jobs, whether MOM will consider refining its policies to allow these SMEs to retain “skilled foreign workers”.
Ms Jessica Tan is currently the Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore.
Ms Sylvia Lim on the other hand, is asking the Minister, clarifying issues with him that can help Singaporean workers.
Specifically, she is asking the Minister that under the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF):
(a) 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;
(b) what is the time frame or frequency for checking up on the ratio of Singaporean to foreigner PMEs in firms;
(c) what is the low ratio threshold trigger for scrutinizing firms; and
(d) how are repeated complaints for triggering scrutiny determined and calculated.
Under the FCF, MOM will introduce additional scrutiny for firms which may have discriminatory HR practices. It has said that it will identify firms that may have scope to improve their hiring and career development practices. For example, these firms may:

• have a disproportionately low concentration of Singaporeans at the PME level compared to others in their industry, or
• have had repeated complaints of nationality-based or other discriminatory HR practices.

MOM said that if complaints are received of nationality-based or other discriminatory HR practices, these firms will attract the additional scrutiny and may have their work pass privileges curtailed.
Ms Lim is helping Singaporean workers to clarify when, what and how will such scrutiny be carried out.


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.