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Statements made in Parliament by Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim on the minimum wage last week have generated a strong response from various trade unionists.
In Facebook posts and a series of forum letters to The Straits Times and the Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, union leaders have accused Associate Professor Lim, a Sengkang GRC MP, of disparaging the work they have done in tripartite negotiations to over the years.
In particular, they disagreed with his choice of words, characterizing his views on the issue of income for low-wage workers as “popular wisdom and beliefs.”
Professor Lim employed the phrase during an exchange with NTUC Undersecretary General Koh Poh Koon about the progressive wage model (PWM) and the minimum wage during the debate on the government’s strategies to address Covid-19 on Thursday.
Dr. Koh had said that the PWM, a pay scale that sets the minimum wage and training requirements for workers at different skill levels, has been a significant achievement.
He added that it is important to take a negotiated approach with stakeholders, including veteran union leaders.
“Research, lots and lots of data and research is good, but in practice, it is always more difficult to do because there are practical considerations,” said Dr. Koh.
In response, Professor Lim said: “With all due respect, as beautiful as it is to always rely on the wisdom and popular beliefs of union leaders, at the same time, it is important to realize that when we talk about studies showing that the minimum wage does not generate an appreciable increase in unemployment, this is based on careful consideration and not just belief. “
In a letter to the Straits Times Forum page on Saturday, Mr. Nasordin B. Mohd Hashim, former president of the Building Construction and Wood Industry Employees Union, said Professor Lim’s comments were ” regrettable “.
He said: “(The comments) not only belittled our hard work over all these years, but they also seemed to belittle the intricate issues related to outsourced industries such as cleaning, landscaping and elevator maintenance.”
‘DISRESPECTFUL’
Lim Teck Chuan, general secretary of the Metal Industries Workers Union, in a letter to Lianhe Zaobao on Saturday, said that he found “Professor Lim’s tone and choice of words disrespectful to thousands of union leaders.”
On Saturday, Professor Lim, in a Facebook post, said that his argument about how “popular wisdom” should not form the basis of politics was made in reference to the beliefs of some union leaders about the minimum wage, such as what quoted Dr. Koh.
Said Professor Lim: “There are many areas where I respect the views of union leaders, such as their empathic representation of the workers in their charge, their ability to negotiate with business owners, and their hard work in support of workers’ rights. Workers”.
Professor Lim, in a forum letter to ST published today, reiterated his opinion about the unionists.
He said his disagreement with Dr. Koh on what should be considered when making political decisions “in no way diminishes my regard for trade unionists in these other ways, nor does it detract from my appreciation for their work in the past.”
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