WORKERS can look forward to higher wage increments this year, but labour chief Lim Swee Say cautioned yesterday against reverting to a rigid wage system when this happens.
He did not speculate on the quantum but said workers could expect to be rewarded 'fairly', given the strong rebound and tight labour market.
'But in the process, we have to make sure that we do not make our wage system rigid,' he said on the sidelines of a conference on service excellence.
'We must continue to spread our total wage increase into three baskets: the fixed increase, monthly variable as well as the annual variable. In this way, we reward workers based on their contribution and performance, yet at the same time, get ready for the next rainy day that may happen some time in the future.'
With the economy's rebound, analysts and unionists contacted previously said workers could expect increases of between 3 per cent and 5 per cent this year.
Mr Lim noted that with the rebound and strong demand, employees in some sectors were also having to work harder.
-Strait Times 23/7/2010
I like Mr Lim Swee Say, he has a lot of humour. But a lot of time, people use this humor back on him.
COMMUTERS complaining about the new distance-based fares for buses and trains have been urged by Second Minister for Transport Lim Hwee Hua to think again.
Instead of looking at the extra sum they are paying for each trip, Mrs Lim called on them to examine their overall travel pattern in a week.
She also advised them to take the longer-term view, pointing out that more MRT lines are being built and bus routes amended 'to provide maximum choice and flexibility for commuters'.
'In due course, with more choices to come, I'm sure they will benefit as well,' she said at a dialogue with Bukit Gombak residents on Sunday, after a ministerial walkabout.
Under the new fare system introduced about a week ago, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) estimates that one-third of commuters will pay 31 cents more a week on average, while two-thirds will save 48 cents.
At the dialogue, a resident pointed out most commuters on a short journey to work are paying more. It prompted Mrs Lim, who is also Second Minister for Finance, to reiterate why the Government introduced distance-based fares. It is to have a fairer system where passengers are not penalised for transferring to a bus or train.
".... so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation". Apparently, the Singapore Pledge places happiness before prosperity, and prosperity before progress. To achieve true and stable progression, we need to create prosperity. In acheiving prosperity, the people must remain as a happy lot. The Government has done a tremendously good job so far, in my opinion. Moving on to seek prosperity and progression, let us keep an eye on the "happiness index"! (ECG 2010)
