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SINGAPORE: The government “will always be on the side of Singaporeans,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday (September 2), addressing concerns about job security in an economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the third day of the debate on the President’s speech in Parliament, Mr. Lee acknowledged the anxiety Singaporeans feel about their jobs and the “palpable” sense of competition from foreigners.
These sentiments are “completely understandable” given the economic downturn, he said, noting that anti-foreigner sentiment is on the rise around the world as people worry about their future.
However, he also stressed that ultimately the government is on the side of Singaporeans and wants to create good jobs for them.
“What good is creating jobs for foreigners if it doesn’t benefit Singaporeans? Why would we want to do that? “He said.
See: PM Lee addresses Parliament on Singapore’s response to COVID-19, post-pandemic challenges and jobs
To ensure fairness in the labor market, Singapore has made several adjustments to its foreign workforce policy, most recently raising the qualified minimum wage for Employment Passes and S Passes for the second time this year and introducing a higher wage requirement. high for holders of Employment Pass holders in the financial services sector.
But even when the government makes such adjustments, it must be careful not to give the impression that it is no longer welcoming foreigners.
“Ultimately, our goal is to grow our economy, create good jobs for Singaporeans and raise our standard of living. Foreign workers and job pass holders help us achieve this, ”he said.
“By being open to talent from around the world, we create more opportunities for ourselves.”
READ: Singapore has done well so far in the fight against COVID-19, but must learn from mistakes – PM Lee
IT MUST “SET TO THE RIGHT RHYTHM”
The topic of competition for foreign jobs has been a hot topic during the debate so far on the president’s speech.
While the perception of foreign competition has sharpened during a recession, Mr. Lee said the reality is that the number of Employment Passes and S Passes “has dropped” since the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo in her speech to Parliament on Tuesday said that the number of Employment Pass and S Pass holders dropped by 22,000 between January and July this year.
READ: MPs Call for Companies to Be More Transparent on Foreign Hiring, Push to Prioritize Singaporeans
Mr. Lee continued: “But we still have to make adjustments to our job pass schemes because there is now more slack in the job market, but also because over time, the education levels, skills and incomes of our workforce local labor have increased. “
More Singaporeans are now ready to accept PMET jobs, and many more have, he noted, pointing to a steady increase in the proportion of PMETs in the workforce from 40% to almost 60% over the past 20 years.
Since the purpose of the Job Pass program is to “fill us in at the high end of these PMET jobs,” the qualification criteria for this set of job passes need to be adjusted now, Mr. Lee said.
Last week, the Ministry of Manpower announced that minimum wages for new applicants for the Employment Pass would be raised by S $ 600 to S $ 4,500, while the salary criteria for S Pass candidates would rise by S $ 100 to S $ 2,500.
For the first time, the Ministry of Manpower is also setting higher qualifying wage requirements for a specific sector, and the financial services industry must meet a higher floor of S $ 5,000 for Employment Passes.
“We have to pay attention to market conditions and adjust to the right pace, but this is the right direction in the long term,” said Mr. Lee.
READ: Singapore seeks ‘quality rather than quantity’: Chan Chun Sing on changes to overseas work pass policy
THE PROBLEM OF JUSTICE IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY
Singaporeans are also concerned about fair treatment in jobs, promotions or layoffs, the prime minister said.
“We are not comforted to know that the total numbers are not too many if we personally feel that we have been discriminated against in the workplace, or that the PE holder who works alongside us somehow has an inside lead due to old school ties. or other personal connections, “he continued.
There are established means, Mr. Lee said, pointing to the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices for Singaporeans to seek redress, and the Fair Consideration Framework to be further tightened.
It is also working with unions to ensure that layoffs are done fairly and that no company is firing a Singaporean just to fill the same position with a foreigner “without very good justification”.
“The government takes this issue of equity very seriously,” he said.
READ: Union leader urges tougher measures to address hiring bias, including PE quotas and end of tax breaks
When evaluating Job Pass and S Pass applications, factors such as whether the employer has maintained the support of local PMETs in their employment or discriminated against qualified Singaporeans are taken into account.
“This has always been the policy of the government. But we want to particularly emphasize these considerations now in these uncertain times to remind all employers to play their part in building their Singaporean workforce, the core of Singapore. “
A specific “red flag”, according to Mr. Lee, is when a company has an “excessive concentration of a single foreign nationality in its ranks, especially compared to other companies in the same industry.”
This concentration, if left unchecked, can cause social resentment and problems in the workplace, he said.
Mr. Lee noted that most companies are “responsive” and have worked with the government “in good faith” as they understood that having a diverse workforce is to their advantage.
That said, the rally issue is “easy to play and (you know) there are some people who are causing this,” the prime minister said.
He cited the example of how a Facebook page with DBS CEO Piyush Gupta “with a room full of Indian employees”, taken in September last year, was posted on a Facebook page with the caption “Proof of the sight: find a Singaporean or Chinese in this DBS photo ”.
“The image recently resurfaced and went viral, showing that during tough times, this topic is more neurological … A lot of people were offended, angry, and berated DBS … but it was fake news,” Lee said, noting that the photo was taken in India, where DBS opened a new office.
“The person who posted the message surely knew, however, he misused the wefie in an irresponsible way to imply that DBS in Singapore was not being fair to Singaporeans. And she hurt herself. ”
BE CAREFUL NOT TO GIVE AN INCORRECT PRINT
Mr. Lee promised that “the Government will always be on the side of Singaporeans.” But even when adjustments are made to overseas work pass policies, Singapore “must be careful not to give the wrong impression that we are now closing and no longer welcoming foreigners.”
“Such a reputation would do us great harm,” he added.
READ: An Open Mind Is Needed To Improve Social Safety Nets, As Singapore Faces Greater Challenges In Post-COVD-19 World – PM Lee
He added that even in the current depressed economic climate where companies are consolidating and laying off workers, there are many investment projects that want to reach Singapore.
Throughout Asia and in the world where societies are under stress and politics change, companies seek “a safe harbor where politics is stable, there is a rule of law, people are hard-working and united, and where the country gets ahead. pandemic safely, and have a bright future. “
Said Mr. Lee: “We are not happy about problems around the world, but it is a fact that in a troubled world, Singapore is one of the few trusted countries to stand out and we must protect that reputation with zeal.”
Some of these companies include Hyundai Motor, which has just announced plans to establish a major facility in Singapore to conduct research and development, and develop future mobility technologies.
Others that remain under wraps or are still being discussed include a pharmaceutical company planning to build a facility in Singapore to make vaccines and a company specializing in pandemic risk insurance.
These are opportunities arising from the pandemic, Mr. Lee said.
Several Fortune 500 companies are also considering moving their regional headquarters to Singapore due to political uncertainties elsewhere, while major financial institutions want to grow their operations here as well.
These projects can create “good new jobs” for Singaporeans, but for these companies to come here, “they have to feel welcome and be able to bring in the talent they need,” said Mr. Lee.
This is because Singapore “does not yet have the full complement of specialist engineers and other skills for all these types of work.”
Regional and global venues, by design, must also attract talent from around the world and be run by international teams, he added. “They will also employ Singaporeans, but they cannot be served by Singaporeans alone.”
Once these companies are established here, more Singaporeans will be able to seize the opportunities they create, acquire the skills and knowledge and move up the ranks, he said, noting that this was done previously when Singapore attracted investments in other sectors such as pharmaceutical and financial services. .
Meanwhile, local companies also need access to global talent to grow and develop, he noted.
“We have always been a people open to the world, welcoming others who can add value to our society and bring out the best in us. This is our history and spirit, from our beginnings as an open port and a nation of immigrants.
“We may be under stress right now, but we can’t afford to turn inward,” Lee said.
“We will adjust our policies to safeguard Singapore’s jobs, but let’s show confidence that Singaporeans can defend ourselves in the world,” he added.
Check out his full speech:
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