What’s on people’s minds
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…
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…
Is SDP really creating fake news? It has been some time since MOM’s labour reports and surveys have gotten so much attention. Year after year, quarter after quarter, the reports faithfully revealed Singapore’s employment and unemployment landscape to the public who tend to be more interested in the latest sale or gossiping about celebrities’ sex…
On 5 November 2019, the ban on electric scooters on footpaths came into effect. E-scooters are confined to 440km of cycling paths islandwide, instead of the 5,500km of footpaths riders could use before. From now until 31 December 2019, the authorities will mainly issue warnings to errant riders. From next year, a zero-tolerance approach will be…
For many workers, the workplace is almost like a second home – the place you spend the most time outside your actual home. There is no undermining the effect the workplace culture and environment can have on a worker. We read about the recent Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) saga in the news and their slide…
For the average Singaporean, the National Trades Union Congress (or NTUC) is more often associated with a supermarket and insurance, than being a congress of trade unions in Singapore. Many also may not understand that NTUC has a symbiotic relationship with the People’s Action Party (or PAP), and how the symbiotic relationship benefits Singaporeans. What…
Inequality is a hot topic in Singapore, triggering calls to rethink meritocracy and improve social mobility. The latest government buzzword is “enabling meritocracy”, explained by Second Minister for Education and Finance Indranee Rajah as uplifting the bottom (not capping the top) – to improve access to these opportunities among the less advantaged and make the…
Orchard Road, Singapore’s famous stretch of large departmental stores, luxury boutiques, restaurants and hotels, has been through better times. Singaporeans and foreigners have started to get bored with this street and would rather take their spending overseas, and go online in search of better, cheaper items – and who can blame them? Not only are…
One day, I walked into a minimart and took $30 cash from the cashier. I didn’t need to threaten, steal surreptitiously or swindle. I didn’t have to point a gun or a knife, but my mobile phone. And the cashier even asked me for help on how to take the money from him. Welcome to…