Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: During last year’s Committee of Supply, I shared data that volunteers and I had collected, showing that the difference between coffee shop food in Sengkang versus mature estates amounts to around 50 cents, which is significant for many families. I had suggested then, that the bidding for coffee shop spaces couldContinue reading “Controlling Costs of Coffee Shop Meals”
Category Archives: Budget 2024
Making VERS More or Less Voluntary
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): To date, the Government has approached the issue of urban renewal of public housing in two ways. The Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), identifies projects for urban renewal. Since August 1995, HDB has identified a total of 78 SERS projects with an additional four in the pipeline. But economicContinue reading “Making VERS More or Less Voluntary”
Healthcare Capacity in Ageing Society
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): In my speech on the Motion on supporting healthcare in May last year, I spoke about how hospital bed and medical personnel capacity in our fair nation falls short of what may be expected, not just compared to almost every other advanced economy, but also to our own internal benchmarks. ThisContinue reading “Healthcare Capacity in Ageing Society”
Foreign Domestic Workers’ (FDWs’) Welfare and Employers’ Rights
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, foreign domestic workers deserve to be protected. They live in their employers’ homes and are potentially vulnerable to ill-treatment and abuse behind closed doors. Employers who ill-treat their workers must be punished in accordance with the law. On the other hand, some complaints are unfounded. Some employers have been victims ofContinue reading “Foreign Domestic Workers’ (FDWs’) Welfare and Employers’ Rights”
Retrenchments, and “Hand” and “Heart” Work
Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Chairman, according to the preliminary estimates released by MOM, retrenchments in Singapore have more than doubled in 2023 from 2022 to 14,320 cases. Recent stories about ongoing retrenchment and redundancy exercises in companies such as Lazada and Electrolux have only intensified discussions in public about retrenchment. With the threat of retrenchment forContinue reading “Retrenchments, and “Hand” and “Heart” Work”
Discouraging Hasty Reparations
Ms He Ting Ru: Sir, on the topic of creating a sustainable workforce, can MOM ensure that if migrant workers lose their job after filing a complaint, the worker will have at least one month to look for a new job before they are repatriated? Workers sometimes face retaliation by employers when they make a complaint.Continue reading “Discouraging Hasty Reparations”
Ensuring Effectiveness of Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) System
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Sir, how is the Government ensuring that insurers are adequately compensating injured workers under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) which applies to both local and migrant workers? Insurers obtain premiums paid for by employers and have incentive to keep costs low by limiting insurance payouts. Yet, insurers, instead ofContinue reading “Ensuring Effectiveness of Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) System”
Anti-discrimination at the Workplace
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang): Sir, the upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation (WFL) will be important in ensuring that certain groups do not experience discrimination at the workplace. I would like to share views on several key areas. First, the Tripartite Committee recommended that WFL only cover direct discrimination. This means that workers may still beContinue reading “Anti-discrimination at the Workplace”
Menopause Support for Female Workers
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: Sir, the number of women aged 40 to 59 in the labour force has risen by 97,000 from 2012 to 2022. Many in this group of workers will be undergoing perimenopause, which can present various physical and emotional challenges that may impact their well-being and work performance. Awareness of theContinue reading “Menopause Support for Female Workers”
Tradesperson Jobs
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied): Sir, there are approximately 186,000 craftsmen and trades workers in Singapore. Their median salary is $2,700 and their median age is 56 years. Over 70% are foreigners. The low wages, ageing workforce and heavy reliance on foreign labour in this crucial sector is concerning. I acknowledge the efforts by MOM,Continue reading “Tradesperson Jobs”
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 