For the past years,
we have seen the wage increase of maids from one hundred over dollars to now
more than 300, 400 dollars per month. However, as pointed out by Prof. Lim Chong
Yah, low wage workers have not enjoyed increase in wages over the same
period. Comparing to domestic helpers
from other countries, our very own workers seems to have stagnation in
income. Are they less productive than the domestic
helpers? Do they contribute less than the maids in our GDP?
Neighbouring countries know that they have to protect their workers and request Singapore
government to raise the wage level of their country workers. What has happened
to our government, why do they treat our low skills low wage workers
differently?
People, who have
experience in employing maids for a longer period, will notice whether the
productivity of maids have improved over the same period. With due respect to these domestic helpers,
we know their productivity may be the same before and after wage adjustment. However, considering the cost of livings, expenses,
inflation, etc., we know we cannot pay them like before even the Singapore
dollars has appreciated a lot over the years.
As our income level
increases, we also share the growth with our maids voluntarily or involuntarily. Therefore, if we really have to link
productivity and wage increase together as suggested by Lim Swee Say, then the
foreign domestic helpers may not entitle for a wage increase. But we cannot do
that if not, no foreign domestic helpers will come to Singapore. It is also unfair to the domestic helpers who
have help to maintenance and keep our houses clean as well as the well beings
of our children. So, when our income
grows, we also share with our domestic helpers.
But why not the low wage Singapore workers? Who is going to take care
about them?
Even with wage
increase, the foreign domestic maids working in Singapore is also facing a
‘short-change’ situation. Maids who work in Hong Kong and Taiwan are getting
higher wages than in Singapore. However,
Singapore’s GNP per capita is higher than these two regions. Hence, even for maids, there is also an
under paid problem even with some wage increases. The situation for low wage workers is even
worst. They don’t even have an increase at all.
Their fate is worse than the maids.
By this analogy, Singapore low wage workers are treated less favourable
than the foreign domestic helpers. It
is really amazing!
If we are willing
to share the growth with foreigners, how come we can’t do the same for our own
Singaporeans? Is it because we can find
replacement for our low wage workers but we cannot find substitutes for domestic
helpers?
So, this goes back
to Prof Lim’s reasoning: the import of
foreign workers to replace low wage Singaporeans. Even they are Singaporeans; the government
will not care about their welfare and keep on pushing down their wages by
allowing more foreign workers to come in.
It is like the
ancient Chinese landlords. They keep
pushing down the wages and income of the small farmers and landless farmers; they
use different tactics to confiscate lands of small farmers or force them
working until they drop.
Singapore is a
first world country and we see the third world or ancient practices here. We can cry high to call for respects to low
wage workers but is this enough? They
need a minimum income to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the
world. Who is going to help them? The PAP says no unless you improve your
productivity.
So, this is a chicken
and egg problem. We may never get a
satisfactory answer unless …..
Comments
Post a Comment