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SINGAPORE – Minimum wage, gender equality and party leadership succession were the main hot topics that emerged in an online dialogue on Thursday (October 22) in which representatives from three political parties participated.
The online forum, on the parties’ evaluation of GE2020 and its agenda for the next few years, was organized by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS).
In a series of post-election forums, IPS had recently presented the findings of its survey on the results of the general elections held in July and the use of the Internet and the media at GE2020.
At Thursday’s event on the IPS Facebook page, moderated by the institute’s principal investigator, Dr. Gillian Koh, panelists responded to questions posed by the audience during the session.
minimum salary
When asked if there is consensus in the Workers’ Party on how soon Singapore should implement a minimum wage, Sengkang MP Louis Chua said the party is willing to do so “right now.”
The WP does not see a minimum wage and Singapore’s Progressive Wage Model (PWM) as diametrically opposed, he said.
“It’s about people having to feed their families right now and not having to wait for (the PWM) to roll out in their particular sector,” he added.
PWM, a framework in which workers can earn higher wages as their skills improve, has been the subject of intense debate in Parliament.
The WP is pushing for full-time Singaporean workers to be paid a minimum of $ 1,300 a month.
Responding to the WP’s proposal in Parliament last week, Deputy Labor Chief Koh Poh Koon revealed that around 32,000 full-time workers in Singapore, or 1.7 percent of the local workforce, take home less. of $ 1,300 each month.
Parliamentary Health Secretary Rahayu Mahzam reiterated Dr. Koh’s point, noting at the forum that this is a small number and that the PWM is effectively one more minimum wage.
He said that while challenging ideas like the minimum wage can foster stronger solutions, the process must take into account basic realities.
“We have to get to a point where we not only keep pushing the ideology, but we see how it works in a particular context.”
Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Deputy Secretary General Francis Yuen said wages are only part of overall business costs and the key is to increase productivity and reduce over-reliance on foreign workers.
“It shouldn’t be a system where foreign workers are brought in because they are cheap.”
Gender equality
On the gender pay gap, Ms Rahayu said that solving it does not come down to simply introducing legislation. It also requires understanding the dynamics of the workplace and rethinking the role of women as primary caregivers.
“We are talking about changing the mindset and analyzing how work can be made more flexible.
“It’s about productivity and what can be achieved,” she added, acknowledging that some women pay a “maternity penalty” for taking time off to care for children.
A study by the Ministry of Labor found that women in Singapore earned 6 percent less than their male peers in 2018.
The 6 percent adjusted gender pay gap is the pay gap that remains after factoring in factors such as the worker’s industry, occupation, age and education.
Mr. Chua pointed out that some multinational companies grant mothers and fathers the same number of days of maternity and paternity leave.
Singaporean parents are entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave.
“Maybe this is something we can do more of,” he said. “It’s not just about wages, but also about ensuring that there is equality in some of these other dimensions.”
Leadership succession and candidate selection
On whether the PAP would refine its electoral candidate selection process, Ms. Rahayu noted that its GE2020 candidate roster reflects a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, age groups, and genders.
Referring to Mr. Ivan Lim, who had been walking the field in Jurong GRC but withdrew his candidacy at GE2020 after allegations were made about his conduct, he said: “We realize that for whoever we do, there is a They’re exposed, that’s something we’ll definitely have to consider.
“But I would ask that what the candidate can offer be valued much more.”
Chua said the new role of WP chief Pritam Singh as leader of the opposition is something the party will build on.
“It also gives Singapore the opportunity to institutionalize an opposition in Parliament and in our political system,” he added.
On whether the PSP is more than just its party boss, Dr. Tan Cheng Bock, Mr. Yuen emphasized that the party is grooming new talent and “can see very different people even a year from now.”
“The plan is not for a single person to succeed Dr. Tan, but a group of people,” he said, adding that the presence in Parliament of non-constituent MPs Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai, both from the PSP, will help to set the match mark.
On the future agenda of the PAP, Ms Rahayu said that the government must not only address the immediate problems that Singaporeans face due to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as employment and livelihoods, but also acknowledge the hopes and people’s aspirations.
“We need to continue to listen and accommodate this growing desire for diversity of viewpoints, while strengthening the common cause and what holds us together as Singaporeans.”
Correction note: An earlier version of this story said that the Singapore Progress Party is against the Workers’ Party’s proposal for a minimum wage. What PSP Deputy Secretary General Francis Yuen said was that wages are only part of overall business costs, and the key is to increase productivity and reduce over-reliance on foreign workers. We are sorry for the mistake.
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