Every year, worker unions, employers and government debate on workers’ wages at the National Wages Council (NWC) negotiations. The NWC was formed by the government in February 1972 as a tripartite advisory body on wage adjustments, to be a solution to stabilise the labour market. The tripartite advisory body comprised representatives from trade unions, employers and the…
The Coronavirus outbreak is now labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization. What does this mean and how can we help slow down the outbreak?
MP Louis Ng, a Singapore animal welfare activist who was elected MP in 2015, has been advocating for different groups of workers and speaking his mind on several controversial issues, earning him the title “Maverick Politician“. Recently he asked the government for more parent-care leave and annual leave, but was turned down. This is an…
Singaporeans will enjoy more SkillsFuture credits, more targeted policies for workers aged 40 to 60, and SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit for Employers that were announced in Budget 2020. But how many of us know the Labour MP who has been repeatedly nagging asking the government for these support year after year after year? Who is this Labour…
We have a strange obsession with not spending our SkillsFuture. Even with $500 SkillsFuture credits, some of us are reluctant to take up courses in case we use up all our credits. After the government announced a $500 top-up, and another $500 for Singaporeans aged 40 to 60 years old, this may also not spur…
During the 2003 Sars Crisis, there are several similarities to how Singapore is coping with the Wuhan virus, such as: Protecting frontline staff Supporting workers who are not able to work (e.g. on quarantine) Ensuring Singapore has access to necessities For some of us who were too young to remember what happened in 2003, here’s…
The spread of the Wuhan Virus (or nCoV as it is called now) to Singapore affects more than just the healthcare workers who look after the sick. As our nation gears up to begin work and school after the long Chinese New Year weekend, several new advisories and updates were issued. Here is a summary…
The Wuhan Virus now known as nCoV has infected three people in Singapore and caused the lockdown of more than 10 cities in China. The virus doesn’t only affect patients who caught it but also may spread to healthcare workers. The logistics needed to contain the outbreak also involve a heck many different groups of…
Recently the Ministry of Manpower updated its Fair Consideration Framework with stricter penalties for companies which discriminate against Singaporeans during hiring. Stricter penalties on companies not giving Singaporeans fair consideration The minimum period of work pass debarment has increased from 6 months to 12 months. For worse cases, the debarment period can be up to…
What on earth is the Fair Consideration Framework, and what does it have in common with friendzoning? The Topic The Fair Consideration Framework gives Singaporeans a fair chance for jobs before companies can hire foreigners. The Background A decade ago, Singaporeans were getting more pissed off about an influx of foreigners, particularly foreign PMETs. There…