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2009-07-18T14:51:00.000+08:00

Four Prosecuted for Kickback Offences in Relation to 22 Workers

2009-07-16T10:54:00.000+08:00

16 July 2009

Three employers and an employment agent have been prosecuted for kickback offences. In the first prosecution for kickback offences, three employers were charged for recovering employment-related costs1 from their foreign workers. The employment agent was charged for paying inducements to employers to hire foreign workers through her agency. The four cases involved 22 workers.

2. The prosecutions follow new regulations introduced by the Ministry of Manpower in July 2008. Under the regulations, Work Permit and S Pass conditions prohibit employers from receiving payment as consideration for employing foreign workers, and recovering employment-related costs from foreign workers. Similarly, the Employment Agency Licence Condition also prohibits employment agencies from offering payment (whether monetary or in kind) to employers, in exchange for hiring foreign workers through them.

3. Ong Gim Chua, manager of Meeting Point Pub & Lounge was charged today (16 July) and faces 10 charges for abetting the employer to recover levy and security deposit costs from 10 foreign workers. Ke Koon Seng, director of Seng System Engineering Pte Ltd, was charged for making salary deductions from his foreign worker as a consideration for employment.

4. The third employer and the employment agent were earlier charged on 25 June 2009. Wong Seng Kiong of Guo Tai Mei Trading, faces seven counts of recovering levy from foreign workers. Sun Bao Hua of Starseas Consulting Services Pte Ltd faces four counts of abetting representatives of four bus companies to receive benefits by paying them to hire foreign workers through her agency.

Engaging in such malpractices is an offence

5. Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director, Foreign Manpower Management Division, MOM, said, "Kickbacks undermine the integrity of the employment agency industry, and distorts the market for foreign labour. Our foreign worker policies are intended to help companies to meet their legitimate need for foreign workers. Foreign workers should not be brought into Singapore in order to collect fees from them. Such exploitative behaviour will not be tolerated."

6. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, employers who breach Work Permit conditions can be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to six months. They will also be barred from employing foreign workers in the future. Employment agencies that breach the Employment Agency licence conditions will have their licenses revoked and security deposit of $20,000 forfeited.

7. Anyone with specific information on kickback offences should contact MOM at (65) 6438 5122 or email at mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg.

124,500 Workers Sign Up for SPUR in Just Six Months

2009-07-03T10:56:00.000+08:00

03 July 2009

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) announced that in just six months since its launch, 124,500 workers have signed up for the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR). This includes 83,500 (67%) workers sent by 1,800 companies, many of which are using SPUR to manage their excess manpower. Another 40,600 (33%) individuals have signed up to upgrade their skills, with 36,200 at the Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres and 4,400 in courses at our polytechnics and Institutes for Technical Education (ITE). More than 19,000 job seekers have also found jobs through SPUR.

2. Two-thirds of SPUR trainees are rank-and-file workers, while about one-third are Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs). Many are taking up Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) or Employability Skills System (ESS1) courses. Close to 60% of the workers (or 67,000) have already commenced or completed their training. About $210 million has been committed thus far.

SAVING JOBS WITH SPUR

3. Companies have responded positively to SPUR, particularly those from sectors more affected by the downturn.

4. Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) too are tapping on the programme. Of the 1,800 companies participating in SPUR, almost two-thirds are smaller companies with less than 200 employees.

FINDNG JOBS WITH SPUR

5. During the six-month period from 1 December 2008 to 31 May 2009, more than 19,000 job seekers have found jobs through the effort of WDA, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), the Community Development Councils (CDCs) and CET Centres. This is a significant increase, compared to the 13,000 job seekers placed2 for the whole of 2008.

6. About 60% of the job seekers placed into employment were aged 40 years and above. 75% of the job seekers placed were lower-skilled workers with secondary or less education. Some of the successful job seekers had undergone SPUR training before their re-employment. In a survey conducted by WDA, six in ten of these jobseekers indicated that the training was useful in helping them secure the jobs. Nine in ten agreed that the training helped improve their skills for better job performance.

BUILDING CAPABILITIES WITH SPUR

7. SPUR courses are selected to ensure relevance to industries after the downturn. Active effort is also being made to build capabilities for the future through SPUR. For example, relevant SPUR courses are being promoted and used as part of a larger effort to improve service levels in Singapore. This includes the introduction of "on-site-bite-size" service and retail courses for tenants at shopping malls. New skills standards and courses are developed and included for emerging sectors. Conversion programmes and traineeships are also carefully selected to ensure that we build manpower capabilities in growth sectors and occupations.

RECENT REFINEMENTS

8. As more PMETs have been affected in this downturn compared to past recessions, the absentee payroll cap has been recently raised from $6.00/$6.80 per hour to $10.00 per hour to encourage more employers to send their PMET employees for SPUR training. Targeted programmes have also been introduced under SPUR to assist PMETs. These include skills conversion programmes which have been doubled to more than 40.

9. In May 2009, the Professional Skills Programme Traineeship (PSPT) was launched under SPUR. The scheme has met with significant interest from employers and potential trainees. There are some 1,200 traineeships now available from more than 100 companies across sectors such as electronics, finance and infocomm. The number of PSP Traineeship positions has since been increased from 2,500 to 3,000 over two years.

10. The SPUR-JOBS scheme, also launched in May, further encourages the recruitment and retention of trainees of SPUR and other CET programmes. To date, 50 companies have sent in their applications to recruit 1,200 local workers. Both programmes are expected to benefit many more companies and jobseekers, including PMETs, in the months ahead.

LOOKING AHEAD

11. Launched as part of the national response to the economic downturn, SPUR helps companies to save jobs, workers to find jobs and industries to build capabilities for the future. The investments made in recent years in building up the CET System and the strong partnership among the tripartite partners has been instrumental in the quick and timely implementation of SPUR.

12. By tapping on these assets and making refinements in response to feedback, SPUR has shown significant impact in its first six months. The tripartite partners will continue to focus on making SPUR more effective in helping companies and workers tackle the downturn while enhancing the long- term employability and competitiveness of our workforce.

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1 The ESS comprises 10 essential foundation skills portable across all industries and especially relevant to low-skilled workers. The skills include workplace literacy, workplace numeracy, infocomm skills, communications, workplace safety and health, etc.

2 Figure refers to those placed by the CDCs

800 seek internships

2009-07-01T18:00:00.000+08:00

01 July 2009

PRODDED by desperate times, 800 jobseekers flocked to the South West CDC Internship Fair on Friday, eager to land stints in industries which have been shunned by many Singaporeans.
The Internship Programme is the first of its kind and allows successful applicants to try out jobs in real working environments for three to five days, before deciding to commit to them.

During the internship, employers will provide on-the-go training. Employees will get a chance to wait on customers, pitch sales, or even learn a thing or two about installing air-conditioners. For their efforts, job seekers will receive an allowance of $4 an hour from the South West CDC.

By Rachel Au-Yong

Report On Wages In Singapore, 2008 and Singapore Yearbook of Manpower Statistics, 2009

2009-06-30T12:17:00.000+08:00

30 June 2009

1. In December 2008 when Singapore's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the quarter contracted over the year by 4.2%, two in five private establishments reported that they foresaw a need to cut wages in 2009, if business conditions worsened. Establishments with a Monthly Variable Component (MVC) in their wage structure were more confident of gaining their employees' acceptance of a wage cut, if it has to be implemented compared with establishments without MVC.

2. These are some of the findings of the `Report on Wages in Singapore, 2008' published by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department. The 320-page Report presents information on wages of over 400 occupations as well as wage changes and bonuses paid in various industries. It also includes information on the extent to which employers have restructured their wage systems. The key findings are summarised in the Annex.

3. Besides the `Report on Wages in Singapore, 2008', the department has also published the ‘Singapore Yearbook of Manpower Statistics, 2009' which provides a wide range of statistics on the labour market situation. These include key data on the labour force, job vacancies, wages, redundancies, labour turnover, hours worked, conditions of employment, labour relations, workplace injuries, higher education and skills training. The information provided in the two publications can help job seekers, employers and employees make better informed decisions on career and human resource matters. It also enables analysts to gain a better understanding of the Singapore labour market.

4. The two annual statistical publications can be downloaded from the Ministry of Manpower's website.

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Annex

Key Findings of Report On Wages In Singapore, 2008

Wage Restructuring

• Only a small minority (1.7%) of private establishments with MVC in their wage structure cut the component in 2008, given that the economic conditions deteriorated sharply only from the last quarter of 2008 when GDP contracted over the year by 4.2%.

• In December 2008, two in five establishments (40%) employing 44% of the private workforce reported that they foresee a need to cut wages in 2009, if business conditions worsen. Another 32% of establishments employing 29% of the workforce had not thought about this issue. The top two common measures of wage cut are cutting the annual variable component (74% of establishments) and basic wage (47%), followed by MVC (15%) as the latter was weighed down by establishments without MVC. Nevertheless, the majority of the firms with MVC intend to cut annual variable bonus (76%) and/or MVC (69%) when reducing wages. Establishments with MVC were more confident of gaining their employees' acceptance of a wage cut, if it has to be implemented in 2009 compared with establishments without MVC; only 24% of MVC establishments foresaw difficulty compared with 29% for establishments without MVC.

• As at December 2008, 84% of the workforce in the private sector was under some form of flexible wage system, same as a year ago. Large establishments (employing 200 or more employees) continued to lead in the implementation, with the vast majority (90%) of their workforce having at least one key wage recommendation in their wage system, compared with 75% in small and medium enterprises. These were comparable to the corresponding figures of 89% and 77% in 2007.

• Narrowing the maximum-minimum salary ratio (involving 58% of workforce) remained the most common recommendation adopted by the private sector. This was followed by linking variable bonus to KPI (54%) and having MVC (34%) in the wage structure. The share of workforce with variable bonus linked to KPI rose over the year from 52%, while the share working in establishments that had narrowed/were narrowing the wage ratio declined from 62%. The coverage of workforce with MVC also dipped slightly from the preceding year (35%). Both the larger and unionised establishments continued to lead in adopting each of the three recommendations.

Wage Change

• With the economic downturn and increased business costs in 2008, employers were more restrained in granting salary increases. Total wages comprising basic wages and bonuses in the private sector rose by 4.2% in 2008, down from the growth of 5.9% in 2007. The moderation in total wage increase in 2008 stemmed from the drop in bonus payout from 2.36 months in 2007 to 2.31 months in 2008 (-2.1% as opposed to an increase of 8.3% in 2007). The basic wage increase (4.4%) was broadly unchanged from 2007 (4.3%).

• Reflecting slower GDP growth and strong employment gains in the first half of 2008, labour productivity declined by 7.8%, deeper than the drop of 0.8% in 2007. While real wages also declined in 2008, the drop (total: -2.3%; basic -2.1%) was less than the contraction in productivity (-7.8%). Consequently, real wages outpaced productivity growth for the fourth straight year. To minimize cyclical effects, productivity trends are often analyzed over a longer period, preferably over the course of a business cycle. Over the seven years from 2001 to 2008, growth in productivity (1.9% p.a.) had kept pace with gains in total (1.7%) and basic (1.3%) wages.

Occupational Wages

• Occupations requiring higher skills and knowledge continued to command higher wages. In June 2008, the median monthly gross wages was the highest for managers ($6,400), followed by professionals ($4,405) and associate professionals & technicians ($3,000). Clerical ($1,960) and sales & service workers ($1,849) were paid close to $2,000. Among blue-collar occupations, the production craftsmen ($2,137) and plant & machine operators ($2,009) were paid much more than the group of cleaners, labourers & related workers ($975).

• Wages are generally observed to rise with age as workers gain experience and skills and become more productive over the years. The pace of wage increase with age is more pronounced among managers and professionals as their work is generally more knowledge intensive. This was especially true among professionals where wages rose with advancing age groups, peaking for those aged 60-64 in 2008. In lower-skilled and blue-collar occupations, wages generally rose more gradually and peaked earlier for those in the late thirties or early forties.

Tripartite Advisory on Workplace Measures to Tackle Influenza A (H1N1-2009)

2009-06-26T12:19:00.000+08:00

26 June 2009

BACKGROUND

The Tripartite Advisory on Workplace Measures to Tackle Influenza A (H1N1-2009) was issued on 30 April 09 to slow down the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1-2009), and minimise the impact on businesses and workers. Following the recent announcement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the gradual transition from containment to mitigation approach, the tripartite partners, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) / Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), in consultation with MOH, have revised and expanded the Tripartite Advisory on Workplace Measures to Tackle Influenza A (H1N1-2009).

MINIMISING WORKPLACE DISRUPTIONS

2. Employers should closely monitor Influenza A (H1N1-2009)-related developments, and follow travel and health advisories provided by the Government. These may be accessed at www.moh.gov.sg or www.flu.gov.sg. The information should be communicated regularly to employees.

3. Employers should start planning early to ensure that disruptions are minimised and that their businesses remain viable during this period, and prepare themselves to implement their business continuity plans. They could also consult the Singapore Business Federation (contact details below) when developing and implementing such plans. Employers are encouraged to brief employees on the business continuity plans.

INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES

4. Employers are strongly encouraged to implement infection control measures at the workplace, including:

a. Maintaining environmental cleanliness to minimise transmission of the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) virus, including frequent disinfection of common areas.

b. Advising employees to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, such as washing hands frequently with soap and water, and covering their noses and mouths with a piece of tissue paper when they cough or sneeze. Those who have flu-like symptoms should be asked to seek medical help, in accordance with the latest MOH advisories.

c. Checking the MOH website for the latest update on countries affected by Influenza A (H1N1-2009) so that a considered decision can be made on whether to proceed with business travel plans. They should similarly advise their employees to check the list of countries before making any non-work related travel plans. In the event that travel to countries with sustained community transmission of the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) is unavoidable, employees should take precautionary measures, such as avoiding crowded areas and contact with anyone who appears unwell, and maintaining high standards of personal hygiene at all times.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

Absence from work under Home Quarantine Order

5. If Home Quarantine Orders (HQOs) are served on persons by the MOH, the period of absence from work necessitated by HQOs should be treated as paid hospitalisation leave, as part of the employee's hospitalisation leave eligibility under their employment contracts, collective agreements or under the Employment Act.

6. For employees who have used up their hospitalisation leave, employers are urged to exercise compassion and flexibility by granting additional paid hospitalisation leave, as the employees concerned may face financial hardship during this time.

Absence from work without Home Quarantine Order

(i) Absence from work due to work-related reasons

7. For employees who are required by employers to stay at home for reasons that are attributable to work (e.g. if they need to stay at home for a period and check for symptoms of flu-like illness after returning from a business trip), the employers should continue to pay them their salaries during their period of absence. To minimise work disruptions, employers could arrange for telecommuting and remote communications access systems (e.g. teleconferencing) to allow the employees to work from home.

(ii) Absence from work due to non work-related reasons

8. If the employee has returned from non-work related travel (e.g. for leisure or other personal reasons), the employer may, as a precautionary measure, require the employee to consult a doctor. The employer may also request that the employee stay away from the workplace (e.g. to practise social distancing). In such a situation, the following arrangements could be considered:

a. The employer may implement alternative work arrangements such as tele-commuting to minimise work disruptions. Employers are encouraged to be flexible when implementing such arrangements.

b. For employees who have chosen to travel to known affected countries on their own accord (e.g. for leisure or other personal reasons) and are requested by the employer to stay away from the workplace upon return, the employer could grant them special leave of absence, with or without pay, based on the circumstances of the individual company and workers. The employer could also request the employees to take annual leave, treat the leave of absence as sick leave, grant time-off or no pay leave if annual leave has been used up. By mutual agreement, employers and employees/unions could also agree on other arrangements for employees' leave of absence relating to Influenza A (H1N1-2009) to share the costs incurred by the leave of absence. Employers are encouraged to be flexible and compassionate when implementing such arrangements.

9. For employees who need to stay away from the workplace, such as taking leave to take care of family or childcare commitments, employers are also encouraged to adopt a flexible and enlightened approach in implementing flexible work arrangements as well as allowing employees to take their leave (e.g. annual leave, childcare leave and unpaid infant care leave). For employees who have used up their leave entitlements, employers could consider granting them no-pay leave during the period of absence.

10. In situations where large numbers of workers are affected, and where companies' operations are seriously disrupted or if the companies face potential closure and need to manage costs, employers could implement measures e.g. to redeploy workers or temporarily layoff workers who are requested to stay away from the workplace. The implementation of such measures, including how leave of absence should be treated, should be carried out in consultation with employees / unions (if the company is unionised).

CONCLUSION - STAYING UNITED IN TACKLING THE FLU PANDEMIC

11. The tripartite partners would like to encourage employers and employees to work closely to prevent and slow down the spread of the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) and minimise the impact to businesses and employees. Employers should take precautionary steps by putting in place infection control measures and business continuity plans, and be considerate towards the needs of their employees. On their part, employees should also cooperate with the company so as to minimise disruption to businesses. Both employers and employees should also exercise social responsibility by practicing social distancing, maintaining high standards of hygiene and adhering to the advisories issued by Government on the Influenza A (H1N1-2009).

12. For queries on the above advisory or advice on employment issues related to the Influenza A (H1N1-2009), please contact the following:

a. Ministry of Manpower
MOM Contact Centre, Tel: (65) 6438 5122
Email: mom_lrd@mom.gov.sg
Website: http://www.mom.gov.sg/flu

b. Singapore National Employers Federation
Duty Consultant, Tel: (65) 6327 9297 (Weekdays, 9 am to 5.30 pm)
Email: flu@snef.org.sg

c. Singapore Business Federation
Member Relations and Services Group, Tel: (65) 6827 6844
Email: enquiry@sbf.org.sg

Capacity Building Group (For enquiries on Business Continuity Management)
Tel: (65) 6827 6867
Email: bcm@sbf.org.sg
Website: www.sbf.org.sg

d. National Trades Union Congress
Industrial Relations Department, Tel: (65) 6213 8233
Email: ntucird@ntuc.org.sg

New Employment Pass Services Centre to Start Operations From 1 July

2009-06-19T12:20:00.000+08:00

19 June 2009

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will open a new Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC) to register and issue new long term pass (LTP) cards to the following groups of long term pass holders on 1 July 2009:

a) Employment Pass holders
b) EntrePass holders
c) Personalised Employment Pass holders
d) Training Employment Pass holders
e) Work Holiday Pass holders
f) Dependant Pass and Long Term Visit Pass holders

2. Existing Pass holders (those listed in 1a to 1f) will be issued with new long term pass cards when their passes are renewed.

3. In July 2008, the Government announced plans to capture fingerprint biometrics and photo-images of all foreigners residing in Singapore on a long term basis. The new LTP cards, with secure biometric features, will be issued to Employment Pass and other LTP holders. Currently Work Permit and S Pass holders are already issued with such cards. Please see Annex A for details of the new long term pass card.

Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC)

4. The new EPSC will begin operations from 1 July 2009. Details of the EPSC are as follows:

Location: 20 Upper Circular Road, #04-01/02,
The Riverwalk, Singapore 058416.
Please see Annex B for the location map of EPSC.

Operating hours: 8 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (weekdays)
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Saturdays)
* The EPSC is closed on Sundays and public holidays

Registration Procedures

5. Successful Employment Pass and other LTP applicants will be given detailed instructions on the new registration and card issuance process via the In-Principle Approval and Notification letters issued by MOM. New e-services via Employment Pass Online System (EPOL), including an e-appointment system, will be introduced to facilitate the card issuance process.

Closure of MOM Havelock Road counters on Saturdays

6. With the enhancement to MOM's e-services, almost all Work Pass-related transactions can now be done on-line via EPOL and Work Permit Online (WPOL). The vast majority of these transactions are today performed electronically. Most customers will therefore no longer need to come physically to MOM to perform Work Pass related transactions. Issuance of Work Pass cards will be done either at the EPSC or the existing Work Pass Services Centre at Tanjong Pagar Complex. These two centres are open on Saturdays. Hence, from 1 July 2009, MOM counters at its Havelock Road premises will be closed on Saturdays. The Havelock Road counters will remain open on Mondays to Fridays, 8.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. To find out about the types of MOM Work Pass services available online, customers can access our website.

Further details

7. More information on the new LTP cards and the EPSC is also available at MOM's website.

Singapore’s strategy to help workers cope with downturn works

2009-06-17T18:03:00.000+08:00

17 June 2009

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Manpower Minister, Gan Kim Yong, has said that the US$13.7 billion budgeted to help Singaporeans deal with the economic downturn has been money well spent.

Speaking at an International Labour Conference in Geneva, Mr Gan noted that initiatives like the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) have helped to save jobs.

In the first quarter alone, Singapore’s unemployment stood at 3.3 per cent — one of the lowest in the world, despite Singapore’s economy slowing down by 10.1 per cent year—on—year.

A recent tripartite survey also showed that more than six in 10 employers had deferred or reduced retrenchments, thanks to SPUR and the Jobs Credit Scheme that encourage businesses to save jobs.

Mr Gan added that more workers have also gone for training under SPUR, boosting the quality of Singapore’s workforce.

Moving forward, he said Singapore remains focused on long—term objectives, such as to develop a globally competitive workforce, enhance income security and lifelong learning, and to continue to build globally leading workplaces.

This can be done by improving occupational safety and health, and promoting progressive human capital development and employment practices.

"Although the economic outlook is still uncertain, with strong tripartite cooperation and commitment, we are confident that we will weather the crisis and emerge stronger than before,"

— CNA/yt

Labour Market, First Quarter 2009

2009-06-15T12:20:00.000+08:00

15 June 2009

In line with the slowing economy, total employment fell by 6,200 in Q1 2009 – the first quarterly contraction in nearly six years as the number of workers hired was lower than the number of workers who left their jobs. Falling external demand has severely affected the manufacturing sector, where employment declined by 22,100. The cutback in the manufacturing industry, along with employment losses in the external-oriented services industries, more than offset gains in the domestic-oriented services and construction sectors.

2. Construction employment grew by 8,300, less than the gains of 10,700 in Q4 2008 and 14,500 in Q1 2008. Services as a whole added 7,500 workers in Q1 2009, which was substantially lower than the gains in Q4 2008 (17,300) and Q1 2008 (46,500). The gains in this sector came mainly from community, social & personal services (11,500), supported by public sector hirings. Real estate & leasing services (1,300), professional services (1,000) and information & communications (800) also added workers in Q1 2009. In contrast, losses were registered in services industries with external exposure, namely hotels & restaurants (-2,700), financial services (-1,900), transport & storage (-1,600), and wholesale & retail trade (-800). Details are in Table 1 of the Labour Market Report, First Quarter 2009.

3. Amid the sharp deterioration in economic conditions, the seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate rose to 3.3%1 in March 2009 from 2.5% in December 2008. The resident unemployment rate increased to 4.8% in March 2009 from 3.6% in December 2008. An estimated 87,900 residents were unemployed in March 2009. The seasonally adjusted figure was 95,700, a third more than the level in December 2008 (which was at 71,800) and more than double the low of 45,500 in December 2007.

4. With unemployment on the rise for five consecutive quarters, the number of unemployed residents who had been looking for work for at least 25 weeks more than doubled to 16,600 in March 2009 from 7,500 a year ago. These long-term unemployed formed 0.8% of the resident labour force in March 2009, double the 0.4% a year ago.

5. Redundancies2 rose to a new quarterly high of 12,760 workers in Q1 2009, comprising 10,900 retrenched workers and 1,860 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely. This is 36% higher than the 9,410 laid off in Q4 2008, but the rate of increase has moderated from the surge of 196% from Q3 2008 to Q4 2008. Manufacturing continued to account for the majority of workers made redundant in Q1 2009, with its proportion increasing from 55% in Q4 2008 to 72% in Q1 2009 as layoffs in the sector rose sharply from 5,170 to 9,250. In contrast, redundancies in services and construction eased from 3,810 to 3,170 and 390 to 330 respectively, quarter-on-quarter. Consequently, the share of redundancies from services (25%) and construction (2.6%) in Q1 2009 were lower than in Q4 2008 (40% and 4.1% respectively).

6. With continued economic contraction and weakness in manpower demand, CPF records show that slightly more than half (51%) of the residents retrenched in Q4 2008 were re-employed by March 2009, compared to 70% in December 2008 and 67% in March 2008. The fall in the re-employment rate over the quarter was broad-based across the demographic groups. The rates for both production & related workers (70% to 47%) and professionals, managers, executives & technicians (PMETs) (69% to 48%) fell sharply, while that for clerical, sales and service workers dipped slightly (70% to 69%).

7. Overall, job vacancies2 fell for the third consecutive quarter to 21,000 in March 2009, down 20% from December 2008 (26,100) and 45% from March 2008 (38,200). Job openings contracted across all broad sectors and occupational groups. Sustained by the demand from community, social & personal services, PMETs formed the largest share of vacancies (55% or 11,500) in March 2009. The remaining openings were for clerical, sales & service workers (28% or 5,800) and production & transport operators, cleaners & labourers (18% or 3,700).

8. Coupled with a significant increase in the number of job seekers, the seasonally adjusted ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons fell to 31 openings for every 100 job seekers in March 2009. This is still above the trough of 21 openings per 100 unemployed persons in September 2003.

9. Labour productivity declined over the year by 15% in Q1 2009, following a 12% drop in the previous quarter, reflecting the sharp fall in output. In the first three months of 2009, nominal earnings fell by 3.7% over the same period in 2008, compared with the growth of 2.4% in the preceding quarter. This is the first decline in six and a half years. Consequently, real earnings experienced a larger contraction in Q1 2009 (-5.8%) than in the preceding quarter (-2.8%), despite the easing of inflationary pressure (2.1% in Q1 2009 vs. 5.4% in Q4 2008).

10. A net weighted 15% of services firms expect employment to fall in Q2 2009, lower than 20% in the previous quarter. Hiring sentiments in manufacturing were less favourable than in services, with a net weighted 23% of manufacturers expecting to reduce headcount in Q2 2009, lower than 28% in the previous quarter.

For More Information

11. The report is available online on the Ministry of Manpower's website.

Tripartite Delegation to Attend International Labour Conference

2009-06-12T12:21:00.000+08:00

12 June 2009

Minister for Manpower Mr Gan Kim Yong is leading a tripartite delegation to attend the 98th Session of the International Labour Conference from 12 to 16 June 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland.

2 The delegation comprises Mr John De Payva, President, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC); Mr Lim Swee Say, Secretary-General, NTUC; Mdm Halimah Yacob, Deputy Secretary-General, NTUC; Mr Stephen Lee, President, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF); Mr Koh Juan Kiat, Executive Director, SNEF; and officials from the Ministry of Manpower.

3 This year's Conference will focus on the employment and social policy consequences of the global economic and financial crisis. Other topics to be discussed at the Conference include gender equality and other workplace practices.

4 During the Conference, the inaugural Summit on the Global Jobs Crisis will be held, in response to the widespread economic downturn. The summit, to be held from 15 to 17 June 2009, gathers heads of state, labour ministers, top representatives from employers' and workers' groups as well as other global opinion leaders to discuss the impact of the economic downturn on jobs and the employment market.

5 Mr Gan will address the Conference during this Summit on 16 June 2009[1]. He will touch on Singapore's efforts to address the economic downturn, especially in the area of saving jobs, enhancing workers' employability and helping the unemployed. He will also share with participants on the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) and other efforts that Singapore's tripartite partners have undertaken to address the downturn.

6 While in Geneva, Mr Gan will also be holding bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries.

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[1] Geneva time is GMT +2:00, which means the speech will be delivered late Tuesday night Singapore time.

Seven Charged for ‘Fall From Height’ Accidents

2009-06-11T12:22:00.000+08:00

11 June 2009

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has prosecuted a foreman, two company directors, two sub-contractors and two occupiers under the Workplace Safety and Health Act. They failed to ensure the safety of workers who were performing work at height, resulting in the deaths of three workers in three separate worksite accidents.

2. In the first case, a sub-contractor and its director were fined $70,000 and $20,000 respectively on 15 April 2009 for failing to ensure safe use of a gondola by a worker who fell to his death. The occupier was also fined $18,000 on 26 May 2009. In the second case, a foreman was fined $6,000 on 28 May 2009 for permitting the deceased worker to work at a place where he could fall more than 2 metres without any anchorage provided for safety belts. The third case was first mentioned in court today. In this accident, a main contractor, its director and the sole proprietor of a subcontractor were charged for failing to implement measures to allow the deceased worker to work safely on a house roof. If convicted, the contractor may be fined up to $500,000 and the directors may be fined up to $200,000 and/or jailed up to 2 years. More details of the cases are in the Annex.

Falls from height a top killer at workplaces

3. Over the last three years (2006 to 2008), falls from height is the number one cause of workplace fatalities. Such accidents make up 3 in every 10 of all workplace fatalities, with the majority of the cases from the construction and marine sectors. These two sectors accounted for more than 70% of ‘fall from height' accidents. MOM takes a serious view of employers, supervisors and other stakeholders not taking adequate measures to ensure safety of workers in the workplace and will take them to task under the law.

MOM to take firm enforcement action

4. “These cases showed that simple safety measures conscientiously applied could have saved the three workers. The responsibility of preventing such accidents must fall squarely on all stakeholders. Employers and supervisors who fail to put in place safety measures will face stern enforcement actions by MOM. Our officers will continue to conduct surprise inspections on top of our regular checks at worksites islandwide.” said Mr Ho Siong Hin, Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health, Ministry of Manpower.

Fall Protection Plan to be required at workplaces

5. To help the industry raise their safety standards for work at height,, the Workplace Safety and Health Council has worked with key industry players and MOM on a draft Code of Practice on Safe Working at Height1. The draft Code includes the requirement for workplaces to implement a Fall Protection Plan. This Plan was first announced by Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong at the launch of the National WSH Campaign on 28 April. The Fall Protection Plan systematically identifies fall hazards in the workplace and puts in place fall prevention measures like barricades and safe access to and from work areas. For more information on the draft Code and useful information on Work at Height, please refer to the WSH Council website. The WSH Council intends to issue this Code within the next three months.

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1The draft Code has undergone extensive industry consultation that concluded on 31 May 2009. Feedback from the industry will be taken into consideration for the revised Code.

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ANNEX

Case 1

Summary of Investigation Findings
On 20 July 2008, the deceased worker, Pichaimuthu Dhanikodi, fell from an inclined roof to the ground at the rear of a house that was undergoing construction. The worker was tasked to install a lightning conductor on the roof. Investigations showed that the worker climbed wooden scaffolds to access the roof as there was no way provided to gain access to the main roof from inside the house. There were no lifelines or fall preventive barricades installed on the main roof.

Prosecution action
At the first mention of this case on 11 June 2009, MOM charged three parties for their failure to ensure safety in this incident.

The first was the occupier of the construction site, Tat Ho Builder Pte Ltd. It was prosecuted for eight charges of contraventions at the worksite and for not providing a safe work environment for its workers. The charges carry a maximum fine of up to $500,000.

The second was Ng Tze Lik, a director with Tat Ho Builder Pte Ltd. He was charged for failing to exercise diligence in his capacity as a director to ensure that reasonably practicable measures are put in place. Investigations also revealed that a safety and health management system was not implemented for the said worksite. The charges carry a maximum fine of $200,000 and/or a jail term of up to 24 months.

The third was Ng Choong Seng, the sole proprietor of New Sun Electrical Contractor. Ng was charged for failing to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure safety of the deceased. This includes failure to provide proper instructions to the deceased on installing the lightning conductor, failure to conduct risk assessment and implement safe work procedures for working at height as well as failure to provide personal protective equipment. The charges carry a maximum fine of $200,000 and/or a jail term of up to 24 months. Ng was also charged for allegedly modifying the scene of the fatal accident by putting a safety belt on the body of the deceased after the accident. This charge carries a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or a jail term of up to 24 months.

Case 2

Summary of Investigation Findings
On 3 April 2007, the deceased worker, Veesam Venkateshwarlu, was painting a canopy above the 10th storey corridor of a residential block when he slipped and fell to his death. He was employed by Giftbuild Pte Ltd as a painter. Giftbuild was a subcontractor for Jotun (Singapore) Pte Ltd which was engaged to carry out repairs and redecoration of blocks of flats in Bukit Batok East. At the time of the accident, both the deceased and a co-worker had climbed out of a suspended scaffold/gondola and detached the lanyards of their body harnesses from the lifelines. They commenced painting at the opposite end of the canopy, which was approximately 12 metres away. The deceased slipped and fell off the canopy and landed on the ground floor.

Prosecution action
MOM charged three parties in this case under the Workplace Safety and Health Act. The first was the sub-contractor, Giftbuild Pte Ltd, On 15 April 2009, Giftbuild was fined $70,000 for failing to ensure that the gondola was set up in a safe manner. This included ensuring proper access for painters to climb out of the gondola onto the canopy and providing adequate training and supervision for the painters.

The second was Giftbuild director Goh Eng Ban. He was fined $20,000 on 15 April 2009 for failing to exercise diligence in his capacity as a company director to establish and implement effective control measures to prevent painters from using unsafe painting methods at the worksite.

The third was the occupier of the worksite Jotun (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Jotun was fined $8,000 on 26 May 2009 for failing to ensure that the gondola used by the worker had a valid certificate. It was also fined $10,000 for failing to ensure that a notice was displayed prominently stating the safe working load of the gondola and maximum number of persons allowed in the gondola.

Case 3

Summary of Investigation Findings
On 25 Oct 2007, the deceased worker, Yuan Guang Chuan, and a co-worker were assigned to brick laying works at the edge of an open side of a staircase. This was conducted at a site at Saiboo Street where Eng Lim Construction Co Pte Ltd was contracted to build three blocks of 10-storey residential buildings. To facilitate the brick laying work, the barricades at the edge of the open side of the staircase landing were removed. This created an open side at the staircase landing where the deceased was working. He was provided a safety belt but there was no place to safely anchor the belt. When the deceased tried to remove an embedded reinforcement bar at the edge of the staircase landing, he fell through the open side of the landing to the 3rd storey, about 23m below. The deceased died at the scene of the accident.

Prosecution action
MOM charged the foreman of Eng Lim Construction Co Pte Ltd, Sun Yi Kun, on 28 May 2009 under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for permitting a person to work at a place from which he could be liable to fall a distance of more than 2 metres without any anchorage provided for safety belts. The foreman was fined $6,000.

Singapore Public Holidays For The Year 2010

2009-06-08T12:31:00.000+08:00

08 June 2009

The dates for the 11 specified public holidays for 2010 are as follows:

New Year's Day
Friday
1 January 2010

Chinese New Year
Sunday*

Monday
14 February 2010

15 February 2010

Good Friday
Friday
2 April 2010

Labour Day
Saturday
1 May 2010

Vesak Day
Friday
28 May 2010

National Day
Monday
9 August 2010

Hari Raya Puasa
Friday
10 September 2010

Deepavali
Friday
5 November 2010

Hari Raya Haji
Wednesday
17 November 2010

Christmas Day
Saturday
25 December 2010

* As Chinese New Year falls on Sunday 14 February 2010 and Monday 15 February 2010, the next day, Tuesday 16 February 2010, will be a public holiday.

2. The date, 5 November 2010, for Deepavali needs to be checked against the Indian Almanac when it is available. Should there be a change in date, the Ministry of Manpower will issue a press release to announce the change.

3. The list of public holidays for 2010 is available on the Ministry of Manpower's website.

REMINDER ON CHANGE OF DATE FOR DEEPAVALI 2009 TO 17 OCTOBER 2009

4. The Ministry would like to remind the public that Deepavali this year will fall on Saturday 17 October 2009 instead of Sunday 15 November 2009. Since Deepavali is no longer on 15 November 2009 (Sunday), 16 November 2009 (Monday) will not be a public holiday. Instead, 17 October 2009 will be gazetted as a public holiday.

Significant Progress for Low Wage Workers since 2006

2009-06-07T12:48:00.000+08:00

07 June 2009

• Benefits of Workfare seen with increase in wages
• Reduction in income inequality, Gini coefficient, its first decline in a decade

Since 2006, low wage workers have come a long way, with both wage increases as well as more job opportunities. The wages of the 20th percentile full-time employed resident increased from $1,200 a month in 2006 to $1,310 in 2008. In addition, the number of residents earning $1,200 or less has fallen from 360,000 in 2006 to below 300,000 in 2008. More people were working, especially from households living in smaller flat types. The monthly household income of those living in 3-room HDB flats or smaller also grew by over $300 from $1,910 to $2,220. Even after factoring for inflation, this translated to a 3.5% per annum increase in real terms.

Singapore has similarly seen a reduction in income disparity, reflected by the drop in the Gini coefficient from 0.489 in 2007 to 0.481 in 2008 – the first decline in a decade. The Gini coefficient is even lower at 0.462, after adjusting for government benefits and taxes. These are just some of the areas of progress made by low wage workers since the release of the recommendations by the Ministerial Committee on Low Wage Workers three years ago.

Please refer to Annex A for the Factsheet on the Ministerial Commitee of Low Wage Workers.

Progress Report of Ministerial Committee on Low Wage Workers

2. The Committee worked on various initiatives which were grouped under six broad spokes. The key highlights of the Committee's report are summarised below:

Spoke 1 – Rewarding Work
• Nearly $840 million Workfare Bonus and Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) has been disbursed for work done in 2006 to 2008;
• More than 10,000 lower-income families received $144.3 million worth of Additional CPF Housing Grants (AHG), which served as an additional subsidy for lower-income families to offset the purchase price of a HDB flat;

Spoke 2 – Social Support to Enable Work
• From 2006 to 2008, a total of $33.4 million was given to an average of over 3,600 families annually under the Work Support Programme, which helps low wage workers or jobseekers upgrade their skills and find better-paying jobs, by providing them with temporary financial, medical and educational assistance;

Spoke 3 – Higher Skills for Better Jobs
• About 130,800 low-skilled workers received training under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework; while 58,000 workers were trained through the Employability Skills System (ESS) from 2006 to 2008;

Spoke 4 – Expand Job Opportunities
• The Job Re-Creation Programme (JRP) has helped more than 47,000 workers acquire better skills, better jobs and better pay, while gaining inroads in the security, landscape, environment and conservancy industries;

Spoke 5 – Hope for the Future
• Over the three years, MOE's Financial Assistance Scheme has helped an average of 40,730 needy students per year with $25.1 million disbursed; while the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) and Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Child Care (CFAC) have provided an average of over 11,200 children from low income families, per year, with some $41.6 million in fee subsidies;
• Between 2006 and 2008, an additional 1,200 vulnerable, low income families were approved for assistance under the Home Ownership Plus Education (HOPE) Scheme, bringing the total number of families approved on HOPE to about 1,700 at end-2008.

Spoke 6 – Sharing in the Nation's Progress
• The $2.5 billion Progress Package was disbursed to all Singaporeans in 2006, with more given out to lower-income groups; and
• In 2008, the Government shared the Growth Dividends through a one-off $2 billion package and other household benefits, on top of the $4 billion GST offset package in 2007 that will be spread out over five years.

Please refer to Annex B for the Progress Report of Ministerial Committee on Low Wage Workers.

3. The Government has spent over $1.1 billion from 2006 to 2008 helping low wage Singaporeans . The Government will continue its efforts to help this group and refine schemes to provide them more targeted assistance. This includes a review of the WIS scheme in 2010 to ensure that it remains effective in encouraging work and providing financial assistance.

MOM recovers about S$800,000 in claims for workers

2009-06-06T18:01:00.000+08:00

6 June 2009

SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry (MOM) recovered about S$800,000 in claims on behalf of 750 workers between January and April this year.

MOM’s Labour Court heard around 490 cases, some of which involved employers not paying salaries in lieu of termination notices and unauthorised salary deductions.

86 per cent of cases were heard and concluded by the Labour Court within two weeks from the first hearing.

MOM advises workers to refer to their obligations and rights in their employment contracts and the Employment Act.

Workers can make an e—appointment through the MOM website or call 6438—5122.

— CNA/ir

Employer Charged in Court with 100 Counts of Non-payment of Salary

2009-06-04T12:32:00.000+08:00

04 June 2009

An employer was charged in the Subordinate Courts today (4 June 2009) for failure to pay the salaries of his foreign workers. Julian Yip Si Wei faces charges of failing to pay salaries of 100 foreign workers hired by his two companies, M Power Engineering & Iron Works and Zippon Marine & Engineering.

2. Yip allegedly failed to cancel the workers' permits and repatriate his workers even though he did not have work for them. Instead, he retained them in Singapore without paying their salaries.

3. The cases against M Power Engineering & Iron Works and Zippon Marine & Engineering were the result of proactive probes by a MOM taskforce set up earlier this year to detect errant employers, including those who have salary arrears. The MOM taskforce consolidates and analyses information surfaced from inspections as well as intelligence received on possible salary arrears cases in order to investigate those employers that may have breached the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).

4. "More than 60 companies with salary arrears have been identified through the taskforce's efforts since it was set up. Of these, more than 70% have been successfully resolved. Two other employers1 were also charged in March this year for failure to pay salaries of their workers. The Ministry will continue to step up our enforcement operations to take employers who fail to discharge their obligations to task. Errant employers will face the full consequences of the law," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director, Foreign Manpower Management Division.

5. Employers who no longer have any work for their workers are advised to continue paying their salaries, or to cancel the work permits and send the workers home after all outstanding payments have been made. Failure to pay salaries on time is an offence under the EFMA. Employers who fail to pay their employees could be fined up to $5,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both. They will also be blacklisted from hiring foreign workers in future.

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1Loke Siew Fai (Director, Tipper Corp Pte Ltd) and Paul Lee Chiang Theng (Director, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd and S1 Engineering Pte Ltd) were charged on 19 March for failing to pay the salaries of their foreign workers on time.

Government Accepts National Wages Council’s Guidelines for 2009/2010

2009-06-03T12:50:00.000+08:00

03 June 2009

1. The Government has accepted the National Wages Council (NWC)'s Guidelines for 2009/2010.

2. Since the NWC released its revised wage guidelines in January 2009, the global outlook has remained weak. The first quarter of 2009 saw GDP contracting by 10.1%, compared to a 4.2% dip in the fourth quarter of 2008. MTI has forecast the GDP growth for 2009 to be between -9.0% and -6.0%. Preliminary estimates show that total employment declined by 1,000 in the first quarter of 2009 as the economy continued to worsen. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.2% (overall) and 4.8% (resident) as of March 2009. 12,600 workers were made redundant in the first quarter of 2009, compared to 9,410 in the previous quarter. The labour market is expected to remain weak for some time.

3. In view of continuing risk of a severe and extended downturn, the Government agrees with the NWC's recommendation that companies persist with the focus on cutting costs to save jobs. The Government strongly supports NWC's call for employers to look at ways to manage costs, stay viable and save jobs, including implementing wage freeze/cuts and other cost cutting measures recommended in the revised Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower issued on 17 May 2009. Employers should also be responsible and fair to their workers. At the same time, workers should play their part by being adaptable and flexible, willing to make adjustments, taking on different jobs and having realistic expectations.

4. On its part, the Government has implemented measures to help companies and Singaporeans cope with the downturn, such as the Jobs Credit Scheme, Skills Programme for Resilience and Upgrading (SPUR), enhanced government financing programmes for companies, lower corporate taxes and the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Special Payment. The Government has also been expanding the CET system and increasing the reach of SPUR, to help job seekers reskill and upskill, and take up jobs available in new and expanding sectors. These measures have helped to buffer companies and workers from the impact of the downturn. The Government will continue to monitor the situation to see if further measures and assistance are needed.

5. The Government also supports NWC's call to use this downturn to strengthen Singapore's competitiveness and prepare for the upturn. A taskforce led by MOM and MTI is working with industry on sectoral productivity issues. Companies and unions/workers should work together to raise productivity by innovating, streamlining operations and strengthening workforce capabilities.

6. The Government is confident that with close tripartite co-operation and partnership, the NWC wage guidelines will be successfully implemented to help companies ride out the current downturn, preserve jobs for workers and emerge stronger in the upturn.

National Wages Council Guidelines 2009/2010

2009-06-03T12:41:00.000+08:00

03 June 2009

1. The National Wages Council (NWC) has completed its deliberations on wage and wage-related guidelines for 2009/2010.

2008 Economic, Labour Market, Productivity, Wages and Inflation Trends

2. Singapore's economic growth slowed to 1.1% in 2008, significantly lower than the 7.8% growth in 2007. In particular, the fourth quarter of 2008 contracted by 4.2% on a year-on-year basis.

3. Total employment growth of 221,600 in 2008 was also lower than the growth of 234,900 in 2007. With the economy weakening towards the end of the year, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 2.5% (overall) and 3.6% (resident) in Dec 2008, up from 2.3% and 3.4% respectively in Sep 2008. Redundancies also hit a high of 9,410 workers in the fourth quarter of 2008, making up more than half of the 16,880 redundancies in the whole of 2008.

4. Meanwhile, overall labour productivity declined sharply from -0.8% in 2007 to -7.8% in 2008 due to slower GDP growth and strong employment gains in the first half of 2008. This is the second year that labour productivity has contracted.

5. The consumer price index (CPI) rose by 6.5% in 2008, compared to 2.1% in the previous year. This was mainly due to higher growth of global oil and food prices in the first half of the year, but these began to moderate in the second half of the year.

6. With the economic downturn and increased business costs, wage increases granted were more restrained last year. Nominal total wages rose by 4.2% in 2008, lower than 5.9% in 2007. This was the result of a basic wage gain of 4.4% (compared to 4.3% in 2007) and a 2.1% decline in bonus payout of 2.31 months in 2008 (compared to 2.36 months in 2007). After adjusting for the high inflation in 2008, real total and basic wage in 2008 contracted by 2.3% and 2.1% respectively (see Annex ).

7. In 2008, productivity fell sharper than the fall in real basic wages (see Chart 1 at Annex ). To be sustainable and to maintain cost competitiveness, wage increases, especially built-in wage increases, should lag productivity growth. For the first time since 2002, cumulative gains in real basic wages have outstripped cumulative productivity gains (see Chart 2 at Annex ). Nonetheless, taken over a longer period, the growth in productivity still slightly exceeded real total and basic wages (see annualised data at Table 2 in Annex ).

8. Overall Unit Labour Cost (ULC) increased for the fourth straight year, by 9.6% in 2008, higher than the 5.2% increase in 2007, reflecting largely the contraction in productivity in 2008.

Outlook for 2009

9. The GDP in the first quarter of 2009 has contracted by 10.1% on a year-on-year basis, deeper than the 4.2% contraction in the fourth quarter of 2008. Given the sharp deterioration of the economic performance in the first quarter of 2009, and the weak global outlook for the rest of the year, MTI revised downwards in April 2009 its forecast for 2009 GDP growth to -9.0% to -6.0%, which is lower than the -5.0% to -2.0% forecast in January 2009. Notwithstanding recent optimism expressed by some analysts, the economic outlook remains uncertain.

10. Reflecting the sharp deterioration in economic conditions, preliminary estimates show that redundancies rose to 12,600 in the first quarter of 2009, higher than the 9,410 in the fourth quarter of 2008. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.2% (overall) and 4.8% (resident) in March 2009. With the economy expected to remain weak for the rest of 2009, MOM expects the labour market to soften further, with retrenchments and unemployment to be significantly higher than in 2008.

11. However, CPI inflation has started to moderate. In the first quarter of 2009, CPI went up by 2.1% on a year-on-year basis, lower than the 6.6% in the same period a year ago and the high of 7.5% in the second quarter of 2008. CPI is forecast to be between -1% to 0% in 2009.

NWC Guidelines for 2009/2010

12. Given the deep global recession, the uncertainty in the economic outlook coupled with the impact of a possible Influenza A (H1N1-2009) pandemic, we need to be prepared for the eventuality of a prolonged downturn. The NWC therefore recommends in the 2009/2010 wage guidelines that employers, unions and the government press on with concerted actions recommended in NWC's January 2009 guidelines to cut costs, save jobs and enhance competitiveness. This could be done through management leading by example in the following areas:

• Wage freeze or cut;
• Implementation of other cost cutting measures and initiatives to cope with the downturn;
• Enhancement of wage flexibility; and
• Improvement in productivity

Persist with "Cut Costs to Save Jobs"

13. The NWC strongly recommends that for companies whose business, profitability and/or prospects are affected by the economic downturn, they could, in consultation with their unions/workers, implement a wage freeze or wage cut in line with their performance and prospects, in order to help companies stay competitive and save jobs.

14. Companies which perform well should reward their workers with moderate wage increases, preferably in the form of variable payment, so that their long-term cost competitiveness would not be affected.

Implement other Cost Cutting Measures

15. The NWC notes that the Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower (MEM Guidelines) have recently been updated to ensure they stay relevant to help companies and workers manage any prolonged downturn. The Council endorses the updated Tripartite Guidelines and strongly urges companies with excess manpower to implement the various recommended measures such as shorter work week, temporary layoffs, no pay leave, and other work arrangements as alternatives to retrenchments. Workers should work together with employers to implement these measures so as to cut costs and save jobs.

16. In implementing such measures including wage freeze or cut, management is to lead by example.

Press on with Downturn Initiatives to Enhance Resilience

17. Since the last NWC guidelines were released in January 2009, the government has announced a $20.5 billion Resilience Package to help reduce costs and save jobs. The package includes the Jobs Credit Scheme, Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Special Payment to help low wage workers, and various tax concessions. The MEM Guidelines have been updated, and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) has also been enhanced to help more professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).

18. The Council notes that these measures have been well received by employers and unions/workers, and are making a positive impact in helping companies and workers cope with the downturn, manage costs and minimise job losses. Based on feedback from companies collected by the tripartite partners at end March 2009, some 66% of the 1,900 companies that responded indicated that they had no plans to carry out any retrenchment exercise. Of the remaining 34% which had planned to carry out retrenchments, 4 out of 5 indicated that they had postponed their retrenchment decisions or reduced the number of workers affected as a result of the above measures, with only 1 out of 5 companies reporting that they had proceeded or would be proceeding with their retrenchment plans notwithstanding the downturn measures. The NWC urges employers and unions/workers to continue to tap on the various tripartite measures and initiatives available to manage the impact of the downturn, reduce costs and minimise job losses.

19. The NWC notes that there are still jobs available in some sectors which are doing well, growing or remain resilient to the current downturn. Hence, while unemployment has risen, the economy is also undergoing significant restructuring with new jobs created. In this regard, the NWC recommends that the government continue to expand the Continuing Education & Training (CET) infrastructure. Workers are encouraged to be flexible and be prepared to upgrade current skills and learn new skills. Employers are encouraged to tap on the CET system and the various assistance measures such as SPUR to upskill their manpower and build new capabilities.

20. Those who are seeking employment are advised to adjust their expectations and make career switches, if necessary, to take up available jobs. Employers too, should be open to taking in workers with little or no relevant experience, and set appropriate employment terms reflecting the market realities of their sectors. This would ensure that the growth sectors could recruit the necessary manpower, while enabling job seekers to take up meaningful employment in these sectors. There are many schemes under SPUR to help employers recruit and train new workers, such as SPUR-JOBS and Professional Skills Programme (PSP)-Traineeship. Employers should leverage fully on such schemes.

21. Besides implementing the above measures, the NWC also urges the government and companies to continue to look at ways to reduce non-wage costs so as to lower the overall business costs and enhance Singapore's competitiveness.

Enhance Wage Flexibility

22. Companies are encouraged to make use of components of the flexible wage system, including the Monthly Variable Component (MVC), to manage total wage cost. MOM's 2008 Survey on Annual Wage Changes indicates that companies with MVC in their wage structure are better able to gain employees' acceptance of a wage cut if it has to be implemented, compared to companies without MVC. To encourage more companies to implement MVC, the NWC endorses the recommendation in the MEM guidelines that companies could implement a cut in basic wages by introducing it as a reduction in MVC. This would enable these companies to take the opportunity to introduce MVC and make their wages more flexible. Companies doing so should work with the unions/workers to set guidelines on restoring the MVC from future wage increases or adjustments when businesses recover.

Improve Productivity

23. The NWC notes with concern that labour productivity growth has shown a downward trend over the last four years, and labour productivity has in fact contracted in the last two years. This could affect longer term competitiveness. There is a pressing need to address this issue so that future wage increases can be supported by productivity gains, and be sustainable and competitive over the longer term. In this regard, the Council strongly urges companies to ride on this downturn to enhance their productivity, through innovation, best sourcing, service excellence and developing the workforce to be highly skilled, productive and flexible. Companies can improve the skills of their workforce by tapping on SPUR.

Continue with Longer Term Initiatives

24. Notwithstanding the downturn, the NWC recommends that the tripartite partners continue to push ahead with initiatives such as enhancing the employability and employment of older workers, bringing more women back to the workforce, and enhancing efforts to help low wage, contract and informal workers. We should not lose sight of these important longer term initiatives that would help to maximise the potential of our workforce, as well as improve employability and income of workers.

Prepare for Upturn

25. The Council urges companies to maximize the use of the current slack manpower conditions to improve the skills of their workforce. This is critical to raising their competitiveness when the global economy recovers. Companies and workers must not delay in participating in SPUR to upgrade skills and capabilities so that they would be in a stronger position for the recovery.

Application of NWC's Recommendations

26. The NWC recommendations cover the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010.

27. These recommendations are applicable to all employees – management, executives and rank-and-file employees, unionised and non-unionised companies in both the public and private sectors.

28. To facilitate wage negotiation, companies should share relevant information on company performance and business prospects with employees and their representatives.

Conclusion – Strong Tripartism To Overcome Adversity

29. Singapore's pragmatic and pro-active response to the recession, supported by our strong tripartite spirit, has brought about significant and positive impact on companies and workers. The various tripartite initiatives implemented over the past few months have resulted in many companies implementing alternative measures to retrenchment, therefore minimising job losses to workers.

30. The outlook remains uncertain. However, the NWC is confident that the solidarity shown by the tripartite partners in working together to address the downturn will continue to prevail and enable the smooth implementation of the NWC guidelines. This high level of co-operation, trust and understanding among the government, employers and unions will give confidence to businesses and investors, and better differentiate Singapore from other economies. More importantly, it will enable Singapore to emerge stronger, more robust and more resilient while helping to minimise job losses, and strengthen our competitiveness and capability for a better future for all.

31. The NWC looks forward to the Government's acceptance of its recommendations.

Fire Safety Manager

2009-05-29T18:20:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Formulate and implement safety policies and programs
•Carry out audits on safety operations and conduct improvement studies on Safety Management System
•Ensure proper and thorough investigations of accidents, and provide advice to Management on safety matters
•Submit reports to SCDF or related government departments
•Plan Safety training for employees

Requirements:

•Must have FSM Qualification from SCDF
•Those who are Registered Workplace Health and Safety Officer with Ministry of Manpower and familiar with ISO will have an added advantage

Please forward detailed RESUME with a PHOTO in MS Word format to: career@sgrecruiters.com

Please remember to state your

1.Current salary
2.Expected salary
3.Reasons for leaving (Past and present employment)
4.Notice period

We regret only shortlisted candidate will be notified.

For more openings, please visit http://www.sgrecruiters.com

Telemarketers

2009-05-29T18:18:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Making outbound calls to given list of prospective customers
•Telemarketing potential customers on the company’s products/services
•Understand customers’ needs and promote company’s product/services to them
•Promoting programs and campaigns

Requirements:

•Minimum 'N' Level/ Nitec/ 'O' Level
•Bilingual and fluent in English and Mandarin.
•Experience in telemarketing/call centre will be an added advantage
•Strong interpersonal skills
•Strong customer service
•Ambitious, positive and cheerful personality

Please forward detailed RESUME with a PHOTO in MS Word format to: career@sgrecruiters.com

Please remember to state your

1.Current salary
2.Expected salary
3.Reasons for leaving (Past and present employment)
4.Notice period

We regret only shortlisted candidate will be notified.

For more openings, please visit http://www.sgrecruiters.com

IT Support Technician

2009-05-29T18:15:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Provide on-site desktop support for our customers
•Setup Computers, Peripherals and Applications
•Troubleshoot Computers, Peripherals and Network Infrastructure
•Manage desktops of the assigned customer accounts

Requirements:

•ITE/Diploma and above in IT related fields
•Minimum 1 year experience in handling PC Hardware and common Desktop Applications, Internet and server knowledge
•Fresh graduates with KEEN interest in IT field in Systems/Network support, with proven good technical handling skills are welcome to apply
•Only Singaporean or PR may apply

Please forward detailed RESUME with a PHOTO in MS Word format to: career@sgrecruiters.com

Please remember to state your

1.Current salary
2.Expected salary
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IT Engineer (IT Infrastructure)

2009-05-29T18:13:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Lead projects within the company and regional offices, together with the Project Manager.
•Implement & maintain local & regional IT infrastructure

Requirements:

•'O' Level/'A' Level/Diploma/Degree in IT with minimum 1 year of working experience in IT infrastructure
•Strong in writing IT documents for instance manuals
•Strong knowledge and experience in Windows Server 2003, VMware & network
•Knowledge and/or experience in Juniper (SSL-VPN, Firewall), Checkpoint, CISCO (Switch, Router), JP1, PBX, Bluecoat, Poly com (MCU), Blackberry, ITIL, ISO20071, COBIT is advantageous
•Team player with the ability to communicate effectively with people at all level

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Assistant Engineer (PCB layout Design/Fabrication)

2009-05-28T18:11:00.000+08:00

•Performing all stages of PCB layout from schematic capture to creation of PCB manufacturing files, PCB design related quality checks, and liaison with qualified PCB contractors to get the PCB fabricated.
•Monitor the schedule delivery of our contractors to facilitate contractor management.
•Performing roots cause analysis to resolve PCB layout and fabrication issues, and to participate in capability build-up projects to facilitate the state-of-the-art technologies, and to improve the design process as well as efficiency. Requirements:
•Diploma / ITC in Electrical / Electronic Engineering with 3 years related experience.
•Good knowledge of circuit design, layout, routing and electrical / mechanical constraints
•Experience in Mentor Graphics Board station or other layout design tools.
•Knowledgeable of current and emerging industry PCB technologies and IPC design standards. (eg HDI, IPC 2221, IPC-A-600).
•Good knowledge of PCB manufacturing and assembly process.
•Possess strong analytical and communication skills.

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Safety Officer

2009-05-27T18:08:00.000+08:00

Responsibility:

•You will be responsible for the workplace / Health / fire safety aspects of facilities
•You will be required to handle all safety & related inspections to facilities be involved in training of emergency response teams
•Coordinate annual emergency & fire response exercises
•Coordinate annual health screening for staff and also manage critical facilities.

Requirements:

•Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering / Science.
•Held similar or related position with more than 2 years of experience.
•Good working knowledge of chemical and radiation safety.
•Familiar with MOM's workplace safety & health requirement
•Independent worker who is willing to learn and be part of a team.

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Electromagnetic Engineer

2009-05-26T18:06:00.000+08:00

Responsibility:

•You will be part of a team to carry out research in electromagnetic scattering.
•Your work may include computer-aided design, prediction, prototyping and measurement.
•You will also be working with RF / microwave equipment and radiating system. The work may include in-house development, consultancy as well as local and overseas collaborations.

Requirements:

•Masters / Bachelor's Degree in Electrical / Electronic Engineering.
•Specialization in microwave engineering.
•Proficient in programming language and engineering software e.g. C++, Matlab.
•Familiarity with AutoCAD and / or Solid works will be advantageous.
•Self- motivated, independent and have passion in R&D work.
•Fresh graduate with a passion in R&D with Electrical or Electronics Engineering background is encourage to apply too.

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Facilities Manager

2009-05-25T18:03:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Take charge and lead the in-house maintenance team in all daily facilities maintenance issues and meet contractual obligations
•Dealing matters with contractors (in-house and external), coordinate the project in order to keep the project in a state of good and operational condition and in compliance of all relevant legislation, standards and requirements governing the maintenance and management of buildings in Singapore
•To ensure all preventive, corrective maintenance and ad-hoc works are duly carried out.
•Recommendation on M&E and building services to enhance the reliability and feasibility to clients
•Attending all meetings such as Projects, Management, Staff matters, Energy
•Management, Operation Meeting etc
•Monitor the team performance to improve staff’s morale, unity and loyalty to meet clients’ requirements and satisfaction
•Monitor and check contractor’s performance and ensure short down time & improve contractors’ standard of work
•Other ad-hoc duties as and when assigned

Requirements:

•Diploma/ Degree in Electrical/ Mechanical/Building Services or equivalent with at least 3-5 years of relevant experience preferably in supervisory role.
•Certificate in Fire Safety Manager preferred
•Candidates with knowledge on Workplace Safety and Health Regulation and Boilers Maintenance would be an advantage.
•Working Location: East
•Working Hours: Mon-Fri (8.30am to 6.00pm) Sat (8.30am to 12.30pm)
• Nationality: Singaporean/PR/Malaysian

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Quality Engineer/ Quality Assurance Engineer

2009-05-25T17:59:00.000+08:00

Responsibility:

•You will be part of the QM team and maintain ISO 9001 certification and system.
•This will involve planning and conducting internal audits of projects and facilities
•Managing external auditors by certification bodies and making continuous improvements to the QMS.
•You will also be involved in taskforce activities for quality initiatives that are undertaken from time to time to strengthen the Quality Assurance of Design and Development conducted in DSO.

Requirements:

•Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering / Electrical / Electronics / Mechanical Engineering.
•Minimum 3 years of experience in design / engineering & QA.
•Good analytical skills, assertive and pro solution-finding.
Possess auditor certificate and experience in the implementation of ISO 9001 QMS is an advantage.
Quality Assurance Engineer
•You will perform quality assurance for projects. This will involve establishing QA requirements for projects, developing project QA plans, and conducting checks on design outputs and quality records.
•In addition, you will manage failures and non-conformances in projects and conduct contractor control for outsourced development and prototyping.
•You will be the QA signatory for system tests before they are released for acceptance or demonstration and use the experience gained to refine and improve upon the QA policies and processes for development projects.

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M&E Project Coordinator

2009-05-25T17:55:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Coordinating work at job site with site coordinators
•Liaise with main contractors
•Relaying all project information and instructions to the appropriate personnel
•Monitoring of work progress

Requirements:

•Diploma with M & E / Electrical Engineering
•Must know how to use Auto Cad
•Fresh graduate welcome
•Ability to work independently with deadline and under pressure
•Singaporean / PR or Malaysian Chinese female may apply

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Radar Signal Processing Engineer

2009-05-24T17:53:00.000+08:00

Responsibility:

•Work independently or as a team in the research and development of algorithms to solve complex radar signal processing problems.
•Your work scope will start from problem formulation, derivation of possible solutions, verification and implementation of these solutions.
•You are expected to translate your algorithm to pseudo codes for coding into other programming languages by software engineers.
•Occasionally, you will also participate in planning and execution of field trials to collect data to verify your solutions.
•You are also expected to multi-task effectively and meet project deadlines. Passion in research, knowledge enquiring and perseverance are other essential qualities needed to effectively perform the job.

Requirements:

•PhD/Master/Bachelor of Electrical/Electronics Engineering.
•Knowledge in related fields such as digital communication signal processing and microwave/RF engineering would be advantageous.
•Suitable candidate typically excels in digital signal processing, mathematics and physics.

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Assistant HR Manager/Town area

2009-05-23T17:49:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Your key role is to provide support to the Human Resource Manager in full spectrum of human Resource functions including recruitment
•Manpower planning
•Talent acquisition and retention
•Implementation of HR initiatives
•Employee relations and performance management.
•You should be able to perform consultancy service to line managers to support the business needs
•Involve in champion employee engagement in order to provide excellence support for the employees growth and development.

Requirements:

•To succeed in this role, you must possess Degree in Human Resource Management coupled with at least 5 years of HR experience in full spectrum.
•You should be meticulous and independent team player who possesses excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
•You should be able to work with all levels of staff in a fast-paced and multiple business activities environment

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Japanese Speaking Order Mangement Lead

2009-05-22T17:46:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Premier order processing for all Asia
•Manage, train and supervise the processing team, ensuring they are equipped with the appropriate level of knowledge to perform day-to-day processing tasks
•Manage daily processing operations and drive issue resolution for programs
•Review and update processes to ensure alignment with Program offerings and SOX requirements and eliminate/reduce re-occurring processing issues
•Identify opportunities for process improvements and/or automation
•Ensure processes are documented and documentation are kept up-to-date
•Accountable for Scorecard Processing metrics (e.g. meeting SLA requirements, processing cycle time, revenue left on table)
•Processing team resource management

Requirements:

•A minimum Bachelor of Finance degree plus 3-4 year of relevant experience or 4-5 years of related experience in lieu of degree is required
•Knowledge of all aspects of International Exporting, Operations environments and International Customer Service
•Candidates must exhibit high levels of analytical and organizational skills combined with interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills
•Previous experience with Order Management processes also required
•Ability to work under deadline while maintaining effective working relationships with customers, freight forwarders and colleagues is essential
•Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while being versatile and productive required
•Excellent knowledge of PC Applications (Excel, Word, SAP)
•Business Level Japanese (JLPT2) equivalent.

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Celebrating Service Excellence at MOM

2009-05-22T12:52:00.000+08:00

Inaugural Best Public Suggestion Awards given out
Tributes to Outstanding MOM Staff

22 May 2009

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) celebrated Service Excellence Day today, which is held annually. For the first time, two members of the public were awarded the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Best Public Suggestion Awards (BPSA). Mr Ranjan Vaswani's and Mr George Danelia's suggestions have resulted in time and cost savings when submitting Employment Pass and EntrePass applications respectively.

2 Thanks to Mr Ranjan's suggestion, employers no longer have to submit a physical application form to apply for an EPOL (Employment Pass Online) account. Previously, companies applying for an EPOL account had to attach their Business Profile/Instant Information from ACRA with the submission. Now, the Ministry obtains the necessary information from ACRA's databases, saving time and money for customers.

3 Mr Danelia's suggestion was for foreigners to be issued a SingPass together with MOM's In-Principle Approval for EntrePass applications. With a SingPass, EntrePass applicants can proceed to register their business/company with ACRA on their own, without having to engage a professional firm to help register the company.

4 Both winners were pleasantly surprised when they were told they had won awards for their suggestions. Mr Danelia said, “The Public Service in Singapore is already so far ahead of other countries in terms of service—just look at the number of services available online. I would have been pleased with the quality of service I've had so far, even if I didn't win this award.” Mr Ranjan, who called his experience with MOM “fabulous” even since the Employment Pass application service was moved online, quipped, “My wife can't believe you would give me an award for a suggestion I made. She thought I made up this up to make myself look good!”

5 Mr Ranjan and Mr Danelia were presented the Best Public Suggestion Awards 2009 at MOM's inaugural Service Excellence Day ceremony today.

Service Excellence Recognition for MOM officers

6 The Ministry also paid tribute to its front-line officers who have rendered excellent service. 30 year old Mr Roszaimi Abas from MOM's Customer Responsiveness Department went above and beyond the call of duty to help four Malaysian workers left stranded in Singapore after their Work Permits were cancelled. These workers were unable to leave as their passports were with their employment agent.

7 Not only did Mr Roszaimi offer the workers his personal mobile phone number, in case they needed help, he also helped to buy them food as they had no money. Mr Roszaimi later succeeded in contacting the employment agent who returned the workers their passports and provided them with travelling expenses to return home to Malaysia. For all his excellent work, Mr Roszaimi was awarded the PS 21 STAR Service Award and MOM STAR Gold Award. He said, “I am very happy to be able to offer customers help beyond just the administrative matters. It is a good feeling to know my job was done well, and that it made a difference to those I helped.”

8 Another MOM officer who has similarly gone beyond the call of duty is 27 year old Mr Vincent Teo, whose consistent excellent service to customers won him the MOM STAR Silver Award. Mr Teo assists customers with Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) issues via email and over the phone. Mr Teo said, “The satisfaction you get when a customer comes back to thank you for your help is priceless. Nothing makes me happier than doing my best to help callers resolve their queries, so that by the end of that call, they have a better understanding of our WSH issues.”

About MOM's Inaugural Service Excellence Day

9 MOM's inaugural Service Excellence Day was held today to help build a strong service culture in MOM. Service achievements of MOM departments and officers were celebrated and recognised. Awards given out included the Best Public Suggestion Award 2009 and the Star Service Award 2008.

10 The Best Public Suggestion Award 2009 is to recognise members of the public who have provided good suggestions that have led to service improvements for MOM. The annual MOM STAR Service Award is to recognise the service achievements of MOM officers who have provided excellent service to our customers.

Customer Service Engineer (IT Helpdesk)

2009-05-21T17:43:00.000+08:00

Salary: $2100

Responsibilities:

•Handle a wide scope of operational enquiries from users such as PC / laptop / blackberry phones / intranet usage etc.
•Act as a window between users and IT Department.
•Provide training to new staff and regional offices on basic IT knowledge.
•Keep proper filing and documentation.

Requirements:

•Polytechnic Diploma Holder with minimum 1 to 2 years of working experience as IT Helpdesk
•Well-versed in Microsoft Office
•Pleasant personality and excellent communication skills

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Beauty Therapist

2009-05-20T17:40:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Performs all treatments and massage therapy available on spa men
•Conducts consultation to evaluates client’s individual needs and expectations and determine most effective program
•Manage appointments and keep on time
•Interacts cooperatively with other spa team members to provide a seamless customer experience
•Be sensitive to each guest’s comfort level and service needs
•Presents a warm, gracious and professional qualities for customers and co-workers
•Adheres to a high professional standard in dress, grooming, language and lifestyle
•Practices the highest standard of sanitation, neatness and visual presentation
•Actively builds repeat clientele

Requirements:

•Sales skills, meets retail sales performance requirements
•Consistently records and updates client records
•Helps in performing other expected tasks and duties: stocks, treatment rooms cleanliness, assist in bookings, etc
•Attends and participates in all general and team meetings

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Administrator

2009-05-20T17:30:00.000+08:00

Salary : $1300 - $1500

Responsibilities:

•Handle proper filing system
•Faxing of documents
•Answering of phone calls
•Other ad-hoc administrative duties as assigned

Requirements:

•Minimum GCE 'N' levels
•Experience in administrative duties will be an advantage
•Must be computer literate with working knowledge of Word/Excel application
•Fluent in written and spoken English/Mandarin
•Willingness & with determination to learn with positive attitude & mindset
•Self motivated, highly organized & resourceful
•Candidate must possess initiative & able to work independently with the right attitude & aptitude
•Able to commence work within short notice
•Singaporean / PRs / Malaysian only

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Assistant Executive (Inventory)

2009-05-19T18:20:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•You will be providing operational and administrative support for the organisation involving the inventory and document control.
•Other administrative roles include the management / tracking of purchase orders, monitoring of on–line helpdesk relating to new equipment delivery and maintaining and coordination of inventory to ensure continual usage of equipment / facility from one project to another.
•Besides the above operational involvement, you will be assigned with other activity-based tasks which include assisting the manager in maintaining and updating of any operational procedures, monitoring the usage of various equipment / facility and also streamlining the process of inventory management.

Requirements:

•Diploma in business and / or equivalent years of experience.
•At least 1 year of working experience.
•Proficient in MS office skills.
•Team player and willing to share knowledge.
•Impeccable integrity.
•Strong customer focus.
•Good interpersonal skill.
•Previous experience in inventory management will be an added advantage.

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Updated Guidelines On Managing Excess Manpower To Further Help Companies Lower Costs and Save Jobs

2009-05-17T12:52:00.000+08:00

17 May 2009

1 With Singapore's GDP projected to contract between 6% to 9% this year, coupled with the increasing unemployment rate [1], the tripartite partners - the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) – have worked to release the updated Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower (see Annex A ). Since the guidelines were first issued in November 2008, the economic situation has changed considerably and the downturn is expected to be a prolonged one. The updated guidelines contain additional recommendations and incorporate feedback from consultations with industries and unions over the last few months.

2 The guidelines strongly encourage companies to implement alternative ways to manage their excess manpower. Key refinements to the updated guidelines include:

• Updates to recently announced schemes such as Jobs Credits, SPUR and SPUR-related schemes such as Professional Skills Programme (PSP);

• Refinements to recommendations on a shorter work week, and flexible work arrangements;

• Recommendation for companies which have not implemented Monthly Variable Component (MVC), to convert part of the existing basic salary into MVC, when they effect wage cuts; and

• Guidelines on other cost cutting measures such as no pay leave.

3 Mr Stephen Lee, President, SNEF said, “Since the guidelines were first released in Nov 2008, SNEF has advised and assisted 233 companies to implement the various measures recommended. Together with other initiatives such as SPUR and Jobs Credit, retrenchments have moderated. More than 1300 companies are sending their employees for SPUR programmes. However the economic situation is still uncertain and companies may need to be prepared for a prolonged difficult period. The revised guidelines take into account feedback from some companies on their need to further cut costs to save jobs and survive the downturn. Management and workers, and their unions must work together to implement the guidelines responsibly and flexibly by adapting them to suit their company situations. At the same time senior management must lead by example, especially in implementing more severe cost cutting measures. SNEF strongly encourages companies to implement the guidelines to respond to lower demand while saving jobs, retain and retrain, and upgrade the skills of their employees, including managers, so as to work themselves into a stronger position in an economic rebound.”

4 Deputy Secretary-General, NTUC, Mr Heng Chee How said, “The Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower are important in this extraordinarily trying period. They help companies cope better with their payroll and headcounts, without resorting to retrenchment prematurely. Companies last longer as a result, and more workers can keep their jobs. As the recession wears on, these guidelines must adapt and remain clear and feasible; helping companies facing different situations to continue to act fairly and responsibly, with management leading by example.”

5 Mr Ong Yen Her, Divisional Director, Labour Relations and Workplaces (MOM) said, “The updated Guidelines are timely to ensure that the recommended measures remain relevant and continue to help employers and workers to lower costs and save jobs. The tripartite partners will continue with outreach activities to help employers understand and implement the guidelines. One such example is the Tripartite Upturn Strategy Teams (TRUST Teams) [2] made up of representatives from MOM, SNEF and NTUC. We are confident that with the updated guidelines, companies will be better equipped to manage their excess manpower such that retrenchment is a last resort. ”

6 The tripartite partners will continue to proactively monitor the employment situation to render assistance when needed to help companies and affected workers cope with the downturn.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] The overall unemployment rate rose from 2.5% in December 2008 to 3.2% in March 2009, according to the preliminary Q1 estimates released by MOM on 30 April 2009.
[2] The six TRUST Teams were launched by Minister for Manpower, Mr Gan Kim Yong on 29 April 09. The teams provide advice and assistance to companies on how various measures announced (SPUR, MEM Guidelines, etc) can be implemented. Each team is made up of members from MOM, NTUC and SNEF. Further details are available at www.mom.gov.sg

Labour Force Survey of Singapore, June 2009

2009-05-16T12:53:00.000+08:00

15 May 2009

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 25 May to 31 July 2009 on a sample of 33,000 households. The purpose of the survey is to collect data on employment, unemployment and other economic characteristics of the population to help in the planning and formulation of manpower-related policies.

2. The Ministry will notify households selected for the survey by post. Households with Internet access are encouraged to participate in the Survey via the Internet Household Survey System (iHSS). The iHSS provides a fast, safe and convenient means for households to submit their information online.

3. Households who prefer not to participate via iHSS can provide their contact details to MOM for telephone interviews. If we are unable to reach the households by telephone, our interviewers will visit the households to conduct face-to-face interviews. All interviewers will carry an Identification Card issued by MOM. Households can verify their identity by calling the MOM Contact Centre at 6438 5122.

4. The Labour Force Survey is conducted under the Statistics Act (Chapter 317) which requires selected households to furnish the necessary information. At the same time, the Act also safeguards the confidentiality of the information furnished by the household and requires that the information be used only for the purpose of compiling aggregate statistics.

For More Information

5. For more information, please visit the MOM website or call MOM Contact Centre at 6438 5122

Labour Force Survey of Singapore, June 2009

2009-05-15T13:25:00.000+08:00

Quantity Surveyor / Estimator

2009-05-14T18:18:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Cost estimation, preparation of BOQ and tender documents
•2 to 3 years working experience in switchboard environment

Requirements:

•Diploma in Electrical Engineering
•Pro-active and able to work independently
•Strong team player
•Good interpersonal communication skills
•Able to start work immediately
•Singaporeans / PRs only

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Workers Choose to Return Home After MOM Intervention

2009-05-06T12:53:00.000+08:00

6 May 2009

Employers under investigation

Some 420 workers (or 83%) of Raffles Contractors and Hokh Contract Services who had employment disputes with their employers have chosen to be repatriated home, after accepting a settlement offered by their employer's representatives.

2. The remaining 66 workers, who have also had their claims settled, chose to seek new employment in Singapore.

3. “MOM pro-actively intervened to revoke the work permits of these workers, because the employer had failed to pay the foreign worker levy. In doing so, we have prevented more workers from accumulating large salary arrears. Some other construction firms had offered to hire these workers, at prevailing market wages. However, many of those who chose to return home felt that the salaries offered were not high enough,” said Ms Jeanette Har, Deputy Director, Labour Relations and Workplaces Division.

4. The Ministry reminds workers to promptly report salary arrears to MOM, as early intervention can help in speedier resolution of claims. Workers who have filed claims are advised to be patient while their claims are investigated and attempts made to resolve them. They should not themselves break the law, in the misguided belief that this will aid their case. MOM will not hesitate to refer claimants who behave in a disorderly, threatening or intimidating manner to be dealt with by the Police.

Advisory to Employers

5. The Ministry reminds employers that they are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their foreign workers. The Ministry will take stern action against employers who fail to pay salaries on time, or fail to upkeep and maintain the foreign workers they have brought in. Errant employers could be fined up to $5,000 or imprisoned for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both.

6. MOM is currently investigating the two employers – Raffles Contractors and Hokh Contract Services – for failure to upkeep and maintain their workers. If found to have breached Work Permit Conditions, the employers will be prosecuted. Both companies have also been barred from hiring new foreign workers.

New Measures to Develop Manpower Capabilities in this Economic Downturn

2009-05-03T13:22:00.000+08:00

3 May 2009

The Ministry of Manpower is introducing new measures under SPUR (Skiils Programme for Upgrading and Resilience) to further develop Singapore's manpower capabilities and provide greater support for companies and workers, especially Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs), affected by the downturn. They are:

a) Increase in Absentee Payroll to better support training for PMETs;

b) SPUR-JOBS to encourage recruitment and retention of trainees of SPUR and other WDA CET programmes; and

c) Professional Skills Programme Traineeships (PSPT) scheme for companies to build new capabilities in growth sectors.

Increase in Absentee Payroll Cap

2. From 15 May 2009, the absentee payroll cap will be increased from $6/$6.80 to $10 per training hour for workers sent for training under SPUR. This is a significant increase. It will provide greater support for employers, especially those who send their PMETs for training.

3. A company will now be able to claim up to about $1,600 a month for its worker undergoing full-time SPUR training (about 160 hours a month), compared to the maximum of about $1,100 currently.

4. Please refer to Annex A for more details of the increase in the absentee payroll cap under SPUR.

SPUR-JOBS

5. SPUR-JOBS is a new two-year programme administered by WDA, to encourage companies to recruit and retain local workers who are trainees of SPUR and other WDA CET programmes.

6. Companies can receive a grant of up to $5,000 per worker, or up to $400,000 per company, to co-fund costs incurred in recruitment and training. This can include on-the-job training, job redesign to make the jobs more suitable for local workers, as well as productivity improvements, job scheduling or technology improvements. The grant will be computed based on the number of workers to be recruited subject to a cap of 80% of total project cost.

7. Please refer to Annex B for more details of SPUR-JOBS.

Professional Skills Programme Traineeships (PSPT)

8. A total of 2,500 traineeships will be offered over two years under the PSPT. The PSPT is intended to help companies in growth sectors to build new manpower capabilities. The traineeships will offer fresh graduates and retrenched PMETs the opportunities to be equipped with relevant work experience to enhance their employability.

9. Local job seekers can take up traineeships that will have a duration ranging from 6 to 24 months. The trainees will undergo structured training and gain meaningful work experience. Trainees will also receive training stipends.

10. PSPT is a multi-agency scheme which will be administered by MOM, EDB, IE Singapore, SPRING, MAS, MPA and WDA. The PSPT will be part of each agency's overall plan to develop capabilities in their sector, such as EDB's Prep-Up and MPA's Maritime Cluster Fund.

11. Please refer to Annex C for more details of the PSPT.

Building New Manpower Capabilities

12. These new measures build upon those the Government has put in place last December, including the Tripartite Guidelines for Managing Excess Manpower, the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) and the Jobs Credit Scheme. These measures enable companies to cut costs, save jobs and build up capabilities for the future.

Tripartite Advisory on Workplace Measures to Tackle Influenza A (H1N1-2009)

2009-04-30T13:26:00.000+08:00

30 April 2009

Background

The World Health Organisation has raised the pandemic alert phase for the outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) from Phase 4 to Phase 5, signaling that a pandemic is imminent. Even though there are no human cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) in Singapore as of 30 April 09, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has upgraded Singapore's alert level from Yellow to Orange [1]. This indicates that there is a real possibility that such cases may surface in Singapore and we must be prepared on all fronts to delay their spread to Singapore for as long as possible.

Tripartite Advisory on Workplace Measures

2 In consultation with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recommends the following to help employers make appropriate preparations for a possible Influenza A (H1N1-2009) outbreak, at the alert level of Orange:

Information Dissemination

3 Employers should closely monitor Influenza A (H1N1-2009)-related developments, and follow the travel and health advisories at the MOH website. The information should then be communicated regularly to employees.

4 Employers are advised to brief employees on business continuity plans. Plans for continuity in key positions should also be in place. In addition, the plans should also cover actions relating to higher alert levels (i.e. Red and Black).

Infection Control Measures

5 Employers are strongly encouraged to implement infection control measures at the workplace, including:

a. Maintaining environmental cleanliness to minimize transmission of the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) virus, including frequent disinfection of common areas.

b. Advising employees to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, such as washing hands frequently with soap and water, especially after contact with respiratory secretions (e.g. after sneezing and coughing). Those who have flu-like symptoms should seek medical help promptly, and inform the doctors of their travel histories.

c. Conducting temperature checks routinely. Employees with a higher-than-normal temperature should be advised to seek treatment immediately. Information of all visitors should also be recorded, including the date and time of visit, personal particulars and contact number of visitors. This will facilitate contact tracing should the need arise.

d. Avoiding or postponing non-essential travel to Mexico. In the event that travel to Mexico is unavoidable, employees should take precautionary measures, such as avoiding crowded areas and maintaining high standards of personal hygiene at all times. Employers should note that persons with travel history to Mexico over the past seven days will be quarantined for seven days on their return to Singapore and undergo phone surveillance for symptoms for Influenza A (H1N1-2009) flu. Employees who are returning from other affected areas (i.e. states of New York, California, Kansas and Texas in the United States and the state of Nova Scotia in Canada) should be advised to stay at home for seven days upon return and check themselves for symptoms for Influenza A (H1N1-2009) flu. They should practice social distancing and refrain from joining mass gatherings, e.g. going to the cinemas, shopping malls, or supermarkets etc. Employees who develop respiratory illness with fever (Temperature > 38oC) within seven days after their return should put on a surgical mask and call 993 for an ambulance. They should also disclose their travel histories to their doctors.

Other Resources

6 As the situation is fast evolving, please refer to the latest updates, announcements and advisories given by MOH. Employers may also refer to MOH's Guide on Infection Control Measures for Workplaces.

7 For further clarification or advice, please contact:

a. Ministry of Manpower

Contact Centre, Tel: (65) 6438 5122

Email: Mom_lrd@mom.gov.sg

b. Singapore National Employers Federation

Duty Consultant, Tel: (65) 6327 9297 (Weekdays, 9 am to 5.30 pm)

Email: flu@snef.org.sg

c. National Trades Union Congress

Industrial Relations Department, Tel: (65) 6213 8233

Email: ntucird@ntuc.org.sg

Structured Cabling System Engineer

2009-04-29T18:16:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Liaise with the sub contractors on already issued working drawings and guide them to translate into shop drawings - already in progress as well
•Co ordinate and give updated info on the site plans for structured cabling - to do that, he/she will need to attend co ordination meetings, tech meetings, M&E meetings, etc
•Able to interpret CAD drawings and be able to direct and lead sub contractors on review, changes
•Work with the Structured Cabling consultant to enforce installation methods and time schedules
•Experienced person who can lead, direct and co ordinate work on behalf of consultants and client; work closely with the Project Managers, Installation manager and site engineers
•Able to plan, execute and monitor installation schedules with sub contractors
•Provide progress reports on the Structured Cabling works in his/her areas

Requirements:

•Diploma or Degree in Electrical/ Electronics/ Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
•Minimum 3 years in Structured Cabling is a MUST
•Experience in project & site works in construction industry environment
•Proficient in MS Windows, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Project, AutoCAD
•Good communication skills in English, Mandarin & other dialects
•Singaporean, Singapore PR may apply

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Factsheet on Tripartite Upturn Strategy Teams (TRUST Teams)

2009-04-29T13:27:00.000+08:00

29 April 2009

Introduction

The tripartite partners have set up Tripartite Upturn Strategy Teams (TRUST Teams) to provide advice and assistance to companies, on how the various measures such as the Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower (MEM), National Wages Council (NWC) Guidelines, Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) and Jobs Credit can be implemented.

2. The TRUST Teams will work closely with individual companies to implement the downturn measures taking into account individual needs and circumstances of companies. They complement advisory services offered by MOM through its advisory counters and 24-hour hotline.

Objectives

3. The TRUST Teams' three objectives are:

(i) to raise awareness and address queries relating to the full range of downturn measures, including SPUR, Jobs Credits, Tripartite Guidelines on MEM, NWC guidelines etc;
(ii) to provide advice and guidance on the implementation of the measures in specific sectors; and
(iii) to seek feedback on whether downturn measures are sufficient and effective in managing costs and saving jobs, and whether refinements and / or new measures are needed.

Composition of Tripartite Upturn Strategy Teams

4. Six TRUST Teams have been formed, with each team comprising of at least one member from each tripartite partner. The key tripartite members include Mr Koh Juan Kiat, Executive Director of Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), Ms Cham Hui Fong, Director of Industrial Relations Department from NTUC, and Mr Ong Yen Her, Divisional Director of Labour Relations and Workplaces Division from MOM. SNEF will be taking the lead in reaching out to companies, at no cost, as part of the TRUST Teams' activities.

5. So far, nine potential companies have been identified for the TRUST Teams' visits. Companies which are interested to seek the assistance and the advice of the TRUST Teams can e-mail MOM at stella_ooi@mom.gov.sg or call the dedicated hotline at (65) 9127 2725.

Draftman

2009-04-27T18:13:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•AutoCAD drawings (Basic 2D Drafting)

Requirements:

•ITC and above in relevant fields
•Hands-on experience with AutoCAD a must (1 to 2 years )
•Experiences with drafting of metal/timber door an added advantage
•Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
•Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, changing environment

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Safe Completion of Crane Recovery at Ardmore II Worksite

2009-04-26T12:28:00.000+08:00

26 April 2009

At 6pm on 26 April 2009, the broken tower crane at the Ardmore II construction worksite was successfully removed after a 22-hour operation over two days. One of the two large mobile cranes used in the recovery process has been removed and Anderson Road, which had been cordoned off for the recovery operation, is now re-opened to traffic. A second crane parked along Ardmore Park Drive is being dismantled and the road is expected to re-open to traffic on 27 April morning.

Detailed planning to ensure safe recovery of crane

2. To work out the crane recovery plan, a high degree of planning and careful risk assessment were carried out by a team of experts from all the stakeholders,1 including MOM and a Professional Engineer engaged by the main contractor.2 A thorough risk assessment was also made for each work task so that all possible hazards were mitigated before work started.

3. Concurrently, two key steps were carried out under the supervision of the Professional Engineer. First, the loose parts of the crane were secured to its main mast using chains and chain blocks. Second, two mobile cranes were deployed to Anderson Road and Ardmore Park Drive from the evening of 23 April for the recovery operation. Special care was taken to ensure that these cranes were safely and securely stabilised on the ground for the recovery. It took at least five hours to assemble each crane.

Overview of crane recovery process

4. All parties involved in the recovery were briefed by the main contractor on their roles before recovering the crane in 13 parts using the two large mobile cranes. The first was an 800-tonne crane equipped with a man cage to lift workers and gas cutting tools to the section of the crane to be removed. These workers helped to rig the sections of the crane to be removed to the second crane (700-tonne) before proceeding to cut these sections one-by-one. Subsequently, each section was secured using wire rope slings and then lifted out of the worksite. Please see Annex A for a photo of the crane and its various sections.

Safe recovery operation paramount

5. Highlighting the importance of ensuring a safe recovery operation, Mr Chan Yew Kwong, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Manpower's Occupational Safety and Health Specialists Department, said, “Throughout the crane recovery operation, safety was paramount – of those involved as well as residents in the vicinity. As the collapsed section of the crane was located 140m above ground, any drop may also result in extensive property damage. It was imperative to take all safety precautions to prevent any part from coming loose before and during the operation. Any such movement during the removal could also put the workers involved in the recovery at risk. Hence, the planning for the recovery was rigorous and thorough, which needed more time. In addition, the loads were guided using tag lines to prevent them from swinging. The Ministry is heartened to note that, thanks to the thorough planning and close collaboration among the stakeholders, the recovery operation was conducted smoothly and safely.”

Advisory note for industry

6. Meanwhile, MOM is still investigating the crane incident. A possible contributing factor is the Sumatran squall on the night of 22 April 09 which resulted in strong winds across Singapore. Though this incident involving the ‘flipback' of the boom of a tower crane not in operation is unusual and there are no such incidents in MOM's records, MOM will like to take the opportunity to remind all industry stakeholders using cranes to ensure that they adhere to all safety processes required when using cranes. This includes regular maintenance, annual checks by an Authorised Examiner, daily pre-operation checks before work and ensuring that only trained personnel are engaged in using the cranes. The Ministry will take action against anyone who is found to have violated the requirements under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and its subsidiary regulations. Those who do so face a fine of up to $500,000 and/or two years' imprisonment.

Sales Manager - Chemical

2009-04-24T18:08:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Responsible for maintaining relationships and management of existing accounts and to work closely with existing accounts for continual growth.
•Develop technical insights to the products and applications, in order to offer solutions adapted to customers’ needs.
•Provide technical advice relating to Company products, attend to sales enquiries, provide quotations, evaluate and generate proposals for assigned sales territories.
•Prepare sales reports, handle after-sales servicing as well as organize and conduct presentations to potential and existing customers.
•Stock Management

Requirements:

•Degree / Diploma in Chemistry or an Engineering discipline in Electronic, Electrical, Mechanical and Chemical
•2–3 years' experience in Sales/Marketing
•Engineers in these industries who wish to pursue a rewarding sales career are welcome to apply
•Applicants for Sales Manager position should have the requisite experience in a similar position and with a track record of effective leadership
•Valid Class 3 driving licence with own car is essential
•Self-starters with dynamic, positive, resolute will to succeed is compulsory
•The necessary training will be provided

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Sales Executive - Chemical

2009-04-24T18:06:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Responsible for maintaining relationships and management of existing accounts and to work closely with existing accounts for continual growth.
•Develop technical insights to the products and applications, in order to offer solutions adapted to customers’ needs.
•Provide technical advice relating to Company products, attend to sales enquiries, provide quotations, evaluate and generate proposals for assigned sales territories.
•Prepare sales reports, handle after-sales servicing as well as organize and conduct presentations to potential and existing customers.
•Stock Management

Requirements:

•Diploma in any discipline or equivalent
•Minimum 2-3 years of sales experience in Chemical or PCB or PCBA products
•Positive and highly sociable personality
•Good presentation, communication and interpersonal skills
•Good knowledge regarding Chemical, PCB/PCBA House
•Valid Class 3 driving license with own car is essential
•Only Singaporean/ Singapore PR may apply
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4.Notice period

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Redundancies and Re-Employment, 2008

2009-04-24T13:28:00.000+08:00

24 April 2009

Amidst a rapid deterioration in the economy, worker redundancies nearly doubled in 2008 from the year before. Overall, the share of locals and foreigners laid off broadly reflected their representation in the workforce. Re-employment of locals retrenched improved in December 2008 from a quarter ago, possibly reflecting more realistic expectations among jobseekers given the weak job market outlook. These are the key findings from the "Redundancies and Re-employment, 2008" report by MOM's Manpower's Research and Statistics Department.

Redundancies

2. Layoffs surged to a record quarterly high affecting 9,410 workers in the fourth quarter of 2008, nearly triple the 3,180 laid off in the preceding quarter1. For the whole of 2008, redundancies hit 16,880 workers, comprising 13,920 workers retrenched and 2,970 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely. This translated to 11 workers made redundant for every 1,000 employees, nearly double the 6.0 per 1,000 in 2007. Nevertheless, redundancies in 2008 remained below the highs hit in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis (32,800 or 33 per 1,000) and in the 2001 economic downturn (27,570 or 26 per 1,000)2.

3. More workers across all three broad occupational groups were made redundant in 2008. Professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) saw a rise in share of redundancies from 31% in 2007 to 37% in 2008, while the share of production & related workers displaced fell from 56% to 52% and clerical, sales & service workers from 13% to 11%. Nevertheless, production & related workers still had the highest incidence of redundancy with 14 workers made redundant per 1,000, followed by PMETs at 9.9 per 1,000 and clerical, sales & service workers at 5.5 per 1,000 in 2008

4. Redundancies in 2008 rose faster in percentage terms for foreigners (153%) than locals (72%). Although locals formed the majority or 61% of the redundancies in 2008, their share came down from 70% in 2007. Correspondingly, the foreign share of total redundancies rose to a new high3 of 39% in 2008, slightly more than the proportion of foreigners in our workforce which was 36% as at December 2008.

5. Companies cited the recession/downturn as the top reason for retrenchment in 2008, affecting four in ten (41%) workers retrenched, followed closely by business restructuring (39%). High labour cost (22%) and high operating cost other than labour cost (20%) were other reasons cited. This was unlike in 2007 when the top reasons for retrenchment were the discontinuation of the production line and business reorganization.

6. Due to the global nature of the current recession, the number of workers retrenched in exercises involving businesses relocating overseas fell from 1,520 in 2007 to a record low4 of 1,260 in 2008. They accounted for only 9.1% of workers retrenched in private establishments, compared to 20% in 2007.

Re-employment

7. Possibly reflecting more realistic expectations given the weak job market outlook, seven in ten (70%) locals retrenched in the third quarter of 2008 were re-employed by December 2008, higher than the 62% recorded by the previous cohort in September 2008, but slightly lower than the 73% in December 20075. The rise was generally felt across the board, with the major exception of degree holders whose re-employment rate fell from 68% to 62%.

8. Among locals retrenched in the first nine months and re-employed by the end of the year, 56% secured employment in the same industry from which they were retrenched. This was slightly lower than the 58% a year ago.

9. Mature residents with tertiary education were the most vulnerable groups in 2008 with above-average risk of retrenchment and below-average re-employment. This was unlike the previous downturns when the less educated were the most vulnerable.

10. The report is available online on the Ministry of Manpower's website. It goes beyond the quarterly reporting to provide additional analysis on the incidence of retrenchment, reasons for retrenchment, retrenching establishments, time taken to secure re-employment and the shift in industry among those re-employed.

Pre-School Teacher

2009-04-23T18:02:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Conducting lessons in a fun and creative manner
•Curriculum planning
•Organising and executing school events and excursions

Requirement:

•Certificate or Diploma in Pre-School Teaching is a must
•Minimum 1 experience in Childcare
•Good command of English
•Those with previous work experience will be at an advantage
•Fresh Graduates in Early Childhood Education are also welcome to apply
•Committed and passionate individuals who love caring and interacting with children
•A team player who has initiative
•Dedicated and responsible with positive working attitude
•Organised, meticulous and able to multi-task
•Preferable stay in North West
•Applicants should be Singaporean citizens or hold relevant residence status.

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Customer Service / Sales Executive

2009-04-23T18:00:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Engage & manage the assigned channels (system integrators, resellers & retailers).
•Build relationship with channels and increase the sales of IT products (hardware and software) through the channels.
•Follow up with channels on projects and day-to-day sales activities.
•Assist in events like seminars / exhibitions.

Requirements:

•Minimum A Levels / Diploma / Degree.
•Experience: Minimum 1 year.
•With IT knowledge in hardware like switches, routers, wireless equipment, printers, PCs, etc.
•Able to work under stress and pressure.
•Preferably Singaporeans / PRs / Malaysians.

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Accounts Assistant

2009-04-23T17:58:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Daily updating of invoices, PO and issuing of cheques & other accounting duties
•Prepare monthly reports and fund management
•Accounts receivables, payables and cash flow management
Requirements:

•Diploma/Degree in Accountancy or related field of studies
•Min 2 years of relevant experience
•Knowledge in ACCPAC/SAP/NAVISION will be an advantage
•Good knowledge in MS Office
•Good analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
•Independent and mature

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Project Manager

2009-04-23T17:56:00.000+08:00

Requirement:

•Degree/Diploma in Civil, Structural or Mechanical Engineering
•Minimum 5 years’ relevant experience preferably in the civil engineering and construction industry
•Good organizational and planning skills
•Skilled in communicating with internal and external parties
•Highly proactive attitude and strong problem solving skills
•Computer proficiency in MS Project, MS Excel and MS Word
•Able to manage construction projects independently
•Experience in structural steel works is an advantage

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Twenty-nine Foreign Workers Jailed for Providing False Information

2009-04-23T13:29:00.000+08:00

23 April 2009

Twenty-nine foreign workers were sentenced to two weeks imprisonment for providing false information to officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The workers from three companies, San's Marine Engineering (14 workers), Han's Marine Pte Ltd (3 workers) and K7 Engineering Pte Ltd (12 workers), had complained that they did not have enough work and were deployed to work in other areas.

Background

2. In late September 2008, the workers had given statements to Employment Inspectors that they were illegally deployed as construction workers and HDB conservancy cleaners. They also claimed they have not been paid their salaries.

3. The Ministry's investigations found their complaints to be unfounded. The companies had valid work contracts with the shipyards. There were, however, intermittent periods during which some workers were not deployed to work. These workers were either undergoing training to prepare them for skills tests or being sent for re-training because their work standards did not meet the shipyards' requirements.

4. The workers later admitted to furnishing false information to Employment Inspectors in the hope of receiving Special Passes from the Ministry to enable them to continue to remain in Singapore.

Providing False Information is an Offence

5. "The accused persons cynically abused the investigation process. They have also wasted the time and resources of MOM, which could have been deployed to help workers in genuine need. We will not hesitate to prosecute false claimants.” warned Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director, Foreign Manpower Management Division.

6. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, any person who makes any statement or furnishes any information to the Controller or an employment inspector which he knows or ought reasonably to know is false in any material particular or is misleading by reason of the omission of any material particular is punishable with a fine of up to $15,000, or 12 months imprisonment, or both.

Research Manager

2009-04-17T17:53:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Able to design and manage a research projects independently
•Liaise with clients about the nature of the research to be carried out
•Familiar with using Quantitative and Qualitative methods for data analysis
•Experienced with using variety of research techniques to gather relevant information
•Responsible for managing and serving a range of research projects
•Provide quality services to clients including all aspects of research process including client briefings, writing proposals and reports, project design and implementation, and analyzing of research findings.
•Assist team leaders to manage junior staff and facilitate their learning and development

Requirements:

•Minimum Bachelor Degree in Business/Sales/Marketing
•At least 3 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
•Preferably Managers specializing in Marketing/Business Development or equivalent. Job role in Market Research or Product Management.
•Candidate must have strong marketing experience and background.
•Good leadership, analytical skill & Communication skill
•Applicant must be Singaporean or Singapore PR.

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Accountant

2009-04-17T17:50:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Ability to handle full set of accounts
•Daily updating of invoices, PO and issuing of cheques & other accounting duties
•Prepare monthly reports and fund management
•Accounts receivables, payables and cash flow management
Requirements:

•Diploma/Degree in Accountancy or related field of studies
•Min 2 years of relevant experience, knowledge in MYOB is a must
•Knowledge in ACCPAC/SAP/NAVISION will be an advantage
•Good knowledge in MS Office
•Good analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
•Independent and mature

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National Wages Council Invites Views on Wage Guidelines

2009-04-17T13:30:00.000+08:00

17 April 2009

The National Wages Council (NWC) chaired by Prof Lim Pin, Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, will commence its deliberations on wage and wage-related guidelines for 2009/2010 in May 2009. To assist the NWC in its deliberations, members of the public and organisations are invited to offer their views on the wage guidelines.

2. In light of the deteriorating economic situation from late 2008, the NWC responded on 16 January 2009, by issuing revised Guidelines that are in effect until 30 June 2009. The recommendations included implementing a wage freeze or wage cut commensurate with the performance and prospects of companies which are adversely affected by the economic downturn, in order to help companies stay competitive and save jobs. In its upcoming deliberations on the wage guidelines for 2009/2010, the NWC will consider factors such as the state of the economy and outlook, labour market conditions, productivity, as well as the measures taken to address the current downturn.

3. Members of the public and organisations are invited to give their views on the wage guidelines for 2009/2010 and related topics.

Personal Assistant

2009-04-14T17:48:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

Supporting the division head, the role involves schedule management, records management, preparing Presentations and managing expenditure. You will also be compiling and co-ordinating Division reports, Events and general office admin.

Requirements:

•Secondary level/A level/Secretarial
•Good Knowledge of the MS office suite of software
•Experience in web authoring tools will be an added advantage

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Advertising & Promotions Executive

2009-04-14T17:45:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Plan and execute promotional campaigns, advertising collaterals & MarCom activities
•Liaise and work closely with advertising agencies, media, partners and tenants
•Generate and maintain competitive analysis
•Assist in marketing of advertising & promotional space

Requirements:

•Degree or Diploma in Mass Communications / Marketing / Business Administration
•Minimum 3 years’ relevant experience in the retail mall environment
•Meticulous & able to multi-task
•Able to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines
•Good organisation and interpersonal skills
•Excellent written and spoken communication skills
•Good team player and able to work independently

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Account Executive

2009-04-14T17:41:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Full sets of accounts
•Analyse & generate monthly financial statements
•Cash flow management
•Handle GST, taxation, payroll and other regulatory matters

Requirements:

•LCCI/Diploma in Accountancy
•At least 3 years of relevant working experience, preferably in Manufacturing
•Resourceful and innovative with a positive attitude
•Mature, detailed and organized
•Must be willing to relocate to Cambodia

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Account Manager

2009-04-14T17:27:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•To handle full sets of accounts
•Prepare monthly accounts and financial reports
•Consolidation of group accounts and analysis of group operations
•Inter-company billings and reconciliations
•Handle GST, taxation and other regulatory matters
•Required to be involved in budgeting/forecasting and annual audit activities

Requirements:

•Degree in Accountancy or ACCA with 3-5 years’ relevant experience in a similar capacity
•Able to perform reconciliations and prepare schedules
•Strong analytical skills and communication skills
•Knowledge in accounting system/Movex or ERP systems would be an advantage
•Proactive and have the ability to work hands-on
•Able to multi-task and work in fast pace environment
•Mature, detailed and organized
•Must be willing to be relocate to Cambodia

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Software QA / Process Manager

2009-04-06T17:23:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities :

•Maintain company ISO9001:2000
•Define efficient software development processes
•Refine existing processes for process improvement
•Tailoring process to match specific needs of project
•Educating and mentoring project members on process related issues
•Ensuring valuable project experience are collected and fed back into the process
•Assist the project manager in planning the project
•Monitor and conduct regular audits on projects to ensure adherence to process
•Collect and analyze statistics for process improvement
•Prepare Software Quality Assurance Plan
•Prepare Software Configuration Management Plan

Requirements:

•Degree/Diploma in any discipline
•3 – 5 years of related working experiences
•Possess an ISO9001:2000 certification as a trained internal auditor
•In depth understanding of the process definition to be able to make informed considerations when tailoring the process to suit specific software project
•Have multiple experiences working on the full lifecycle of software development projects
•Good communication and people skills
•Have a good command in spoken and written English
•Able to speak Chinese

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Officer/MNC Sales Administration Officer/MNC

2009-04-06T17:21:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities :

•Preparation of sales, purchase, invoicing, shipping and import/export documentation
•Using the in-house inventory management e-commerce system as well as SAP to generate all documentations during daily work
•Coordination of incoming and outgoing shipments with suppliers, freight forwarders, supply base and customers
•Issuing fabrication orders, monitoring processing progress, arranging delivery etc.

Requirements

•Age preferably between 20 – 30 years old
•Singaporean Chinese female only
•Polytechnic Diploma Holder; fresh graduates are welcome
•SAP knowledge and experience in sales, purchase, invoicing, import/export documentation and shipping arrangement preferred
•Experience in handling LC preferred
•Ability to work under a stressful but rewarding environment
•Strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills
•Fast learner, cheerful and pleasant personality

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Corporate Sales Executives

2009-04-06T17:14:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

Our well - established client is looking for driven Corporate Sales Executives with a strong interest in selling website design and online marketing services.
You will be responsible for acquiring new client accounts. This position allows you to meet business owners from different industries, and put together online marketing solutions to achieve client's objectives.
If you are a sales focused person with interests in the web industry and looking to get involved with a small, independently owned organisation that has a big organisation mentality, then we have the ideal opportunity for you.

Requirements:

•Minimum Diploma in Business / Marketing or equivalent
•At least 1 year of corporate sales experience is required
•Sales driven, willingness to make lots of phone calls to prospect for clients
•Internet savvy
•Familiarity with search engine marketing, social media marketing is preferred
•Possess excellent interpersonal skills

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Contracts Manager

2009-04-06T16:54:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

APO are fully equipped to protect key installations and other high-value commercial premises and properties. As APO, you are responsible for borders security, facility security services, installation protection, traffic enforcement and armed escort services.

Requirements:

•Minimum 3 GCE ‘N’ Level credits / NITEC / NTC 2 or at least 1 GCE ‘O’ level credits and above
•For Malaysians, minimum 3 SPM Credits
•Physically fit and willing to work shift duties including extended shift, weekends and public holidays
•Able to converse and write in English
•No criminal conviction
•No color blindness and hearing defects
•Minimum Height 1.62m (Male) or 1.57m (Female)
•BMI 27 and below
•Minimum Weight 54kg (Male) or 45kg (Female)

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Auxiliary Police Officer

2009-04-06T16:49:00.000+08:00

Scientific Sales Engineer

2009-04-06T16:47:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Prospect, develop and drive sales plan
•Manage key accounts and develop new customers in Life Science & Pharmaceutical market segment
•Provide regular sales report to management

Requirements:

•Appropriate tertiary qualification or experience in Bio Medical Industry
•Team player with ability to work independently
•Fluent in English & Mandarin highly desired
•Relevant working experience preferred

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Sales Executive

2009-04-06T16:44:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Tele calling to prospect for new clients
•Conduct sales presentation to clients

Requirements:

•Min 3 years of relevant experience
•Willing to do telesales or have telemarketing experience
•Computer literate
•Must be articulate with good communication skills and phone manner
•Converse fluently in Mandarin and English

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Project Engineer

2009-04-06T16:39:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Co-ordinate drawings, production and delivery schedule between Customers and Internal Teams.
•Responsible for overseeing and coordinating projects onsite
•Attend site meetings and inspections, report regularly on progress and monitor schedule
•Ensure project is handed over on time with required certifications

Requirements:

•Degree / Diploma in Civil/Structural Engineering or equivalent
•AutoCAD drafting and knowledge
•Minimum 1-2 years construction-related working experience preferred
•Able to communicate with all levels of staff
•Understand customer concerns and be able to respond to their needs quickly
•PC literacy and being bilingual will be advantageous

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Production Operator (Soldering)

2009-04-06T16:32:00.000+08:00

Requirements:

•Must possess experience in soldering
•Minimum PSLE education
•Female
•Chinese
•Below 40 years old
Details:

•6 months contract
•5-day work week (Monday-Friday)
•8.00am-5.30pm (Normal shift)
•Basic monthly salary: $780 (Singaporeans and Singapore PRs) and $710 (Malaysians)
•$200 contract gratuity upon completion of 6 months contract
•Attendance allowance: $40 per month
•Housing allowance: $70 per month (applicable to Malaysians only)
•Transport reimbursement based on public transports (Bus and/or MRT)
•Lunch is provided
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Mechanical Design Engineer (Mechanical & Design Control)

2009-04-06T16:19:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

You will be part of the Mechanical & Design Control team to design new products.

Your role and responsibilities include:

•Product design, from its cosmetic appearance to its structure and components, which forms the final product.
•Products / parts testing / evaluation to ensure compliance.
•Assist project leader in making design-related documentations.
•Work with Quality Assurance Department on product validation, testing and quality issues.
•Provide technical support to ensure a smooth run of production.
•Liaise with purchasers and vendors for parts fabrication.
•Travel overseas for product testing, analysis and evaluation, support production bases and visit vendors.

Requirements:

•Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent from a reputable University
•Possess in-depth knowledge in CAD application software, preferably in I-DEAS NX environment (3D and 2D drafting)
•Minimum one year of relevant working experience in product design environment.
•Able to travel overseas from time to time for overseas assignments at short notice.

Additional Information:

•Permanent, full-time position
•5-day work week (Monday to Friday)
•Working hours from 8.00am to 5.30pm

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Construction Sales Engineer

2009-04-06T16:13:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•In charge for key products like Sound Level Meter and Vibration Meter etc.
•Manage key accounts and develop new customers in construction industry
•Provide regular sales report to management

Requirements:

•Appropriate tertiary education in Electronics or relevant experience in Construction industry
•Good initiative and analytical skills
•Self motivated, independent and focused
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Civil Engineer

2009-04-06T16:10:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•You are to plan, design and oversee construction projects;
•You need to analyse survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, photography and other topographical or geologic data to plan projects;
•You are to provide technical advice regarding design, construction; conduct studies of traffic patterns or environmental conditions to identify engineering problems and assess the potential impact of projects;
•You have to ensure that all civil and structural requirements for submission to relevant authorities are met;
•You will liaise with clients and consultants pertaining to civil and structural requirements;
•You will prepare and modify reports, specifications, plans and construction schedules for projects;
•You will inspect construction sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design, plans, specifications, construction and safety standard;
•You are also responsible for safety and risk management, site work planning and scheduling;
•You must have the ability to estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment or labour to determine project feasibility;
•You test soils and materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.

Requirements:

•Diploma or Degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline from recognized institutions;
•2 to 3 years working experiences in construction industry is preferred;
•Knowledge of design techniques and tools in production of technical plans, blueprints, drawings and models;
•Knowledge of materials, methods and tools involved in construction of pipes and roads;
•Well versed in Microsoft Office software and AutoCAD;
•Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and with tight schedule;
•Independent, hands-on and meticulous;
•Singaporeans and S'pore PR only

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Corporate Sales Executives

2009-04-01T17:18:00.000+08:00

Factsheet Programme Based Engagement 2009

2009-03-30T13:30:00.000+08:00

30 March 2009

Introduction

1. Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) is a key Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) initiative by the Workplace Safety and Health Council WSHC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Launched in 2006, it aims to raise the standards of WSH in priority areas that contribute to the bulk of workplace fatalities and injuries.

2. Under ProBE, the WSHC actively engages the industry to raise the WSH competencies and awareness so that stakeholders can better manage the WSH risks in their own workplaces. Thereafter, the MOM will enforce to ensure that appropriate measures have been put in place to improve safety standards in these work areas.

3. Since the introduction of ProBE in 2006, a total of nine priority programmes were targeted for intervention. These included Work on Scaffolds, Work in Confined Spaces, Work in the Metalworking Industries, Work at Height, Forklift operations, Use of Lifting Equipment, Work in Noisy Environment, Work involving Machines Dangerous to Hands and Work involving Flammable and Hazardous Substances. During this period, more than 6,200 companies were engaged through the various ProBE activities. The programme has succeeded in reducing fatalities, building capabilities and heightening awareness in many of the targeted areas.

Outcomes for ProBE 2008

4. ProBE 2008 focused on three priority areas: (1) Work involving Machines Dangerous to Hands; (2) Work involving Flammable and Hazardous Substances; (3) Work at Height.

5. ProBE-Machines Dangerous to Hands promoted the safe use of machinery that is potentially dangerous to workers' hands. These include power presses, cutting, bending, stamping and woodworking machines. Three technical forums were organised by WSH Council with SPRING and industry partners, the Singapore Manufacturers Federation (SMa) and the Bedok Safety Group (BSG). In terms of enforcement, more than 100 metalworking and manufacturing companies were inspected to check on adequacy of standards of machinery safety. Arising from the inspections, a total of 260 contraventions were uncovered. The top three violations, which accounted for more than 50% of all contraventions, were related to:

• Failure to conduct assessment of the safety and health risks posed by the use of such machinery;
• Failure to establish and implement a proper procedure to shut down or disable the machinery when it is not in use or when it is put under maintenance or repair to prevent inadvertent use by unauthorised persons; and
• Absence of proper and secured machine guarding to protect workers against dangerous parts while operating the machinery.

6. With the ProBE initiative, the number of permanent disablements, which comprised mainly amputations of the upper limbs, had reduced by 19%, from 163 injuries in 2007 to 132 in 2008.

7. ProBE-Flammable and Hazardous Substances raised awareness on safe work procedures and risk assessment when using these substances. It also shared learning points from incidents involving fires, explosion and exposure to harmful substances. The WSH Council organised forums with the Association of Singapore Marine Industry (ASMI), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and National Fire and Civil Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC). MOM conducted more than 200 inspections targeting mainly the shipyards and manufacturing sectors. From the inspections, a total of 495 contraventions were uncovered. The top two contraventions were:

• Failure to conduct assessment of the safety and health risks posed by the work; and
• Failure to provide and maintain means of extinguishing fire in a factory.

8. ProBE-Work at Height adopted a more concerted effort to educate stakeholders, particularly the supervisors and workers on the ground. The WSH Council launched a Work at Height programme in November last year. A comprehensive self-help Work at Height kit was distributed to companies, with a technical advisory for safety personnel, a guidebook for supervisors as well as a handy guide, illustrative posters and videos for workers. So far, 50 large and medium-size construction companies have used the kits to organise in-house Work at Height campaigns to educate their employees and subcontractors on working safely at height. The WSH Council has also distributed an illustrated Work at Height Handy Guide to over 160,000 workers to educate them on staying safe while working at height.

9. 215 inspections were carried out, targeting primarily construction worksites. A total of 524 contraventions were found in the following areas:

• Absence of an effective barrier to prevent falls through an open side or opening, or the absence of toe-boards and guard-rails;
• Failure to conduct assessment of the safety and health risks posed by the work; and
• Absence of proper access from one level of a scaffold to another.

10. The number of fatalities involving work at height and flammable and hazardous substances fell 20% - from 30 deaths (2007) to 24 (2008).

Prudent hiring saves jobs now

2009-03-28T18:00:00.000+08:00

FOR the banking sector, 2007 was an innocent, prosperous time when now fearful terms such as 'sub-prime', 'toxic assets' and 'banking bailout' were still obscure. Jobs were plentiful amid booming demand for financial services.
Fast forward to today, and anyone in the sector is now on the front line of the financial crisis - which has also become a global economic crisis.

Many bank employees now lie awake at night wondering if they will be next on the chopping block as many financial institutions have retrenched staff.

Employees at Singapore's longest-established bank, OCBC Bank, however, may be the exception, as the bank starts to reap the benefits of prudent safeguards put in place during the good times - coupled with new measures to cut costs.

The Republic's largest lender, DBS Bank, stunned the nation last November, when it axed about 900 employees or 6 per cent of its workforce. The bank's biggest retrenchment sent a chill down the spines of many in the industry.

The dismal results recently reported by all three local banks reaffirmed that the good times have indeed come to an end. For the three months to Dec 31, 2008, UOB's profits fell 34 per cent to $332 million, DBS reported a 40 per cent drop to $295 million and OCBC saw a 30 per cent drop to $301 million.

In the midst of the crisis, OCBC was quick to assure staff their jobs were safe despite worsening economic conditions.

In an e-mail to staff last November, OCBC chief executive David Conner said: 'I assure you that currently we have no plan for any retrenchment exercise.'

The former Citibanker would repeat that message over the following weeks, even as markets continued to deteriorate.

OCBC employs about 10,000 staff in Asia and other parts of the world, with more than 5,000 based in Singapore.

Staff are pleased at the assurance.

Mr Ang Chee Peng, 50, who just celebrated his 20th year at OCBC last year, is also relieved that the training budget will not be cut this year.

'The bank values staff training a lot and something reiterated from the top management very often is that they value its people and the skill sets they bring to the bank,' said the assistant vice-president of information technology.

Others like Ms Candy Tan, 37, a service ambassador at OCBC Centre branch, said: 'It feels good when our supervisors acknowledge your work but what makes it easy for me during this crisis is the encouragement I get from my fellow colleagues.' She has been working at the bank for two years.

Mr Conner's confidence on the jobs front was based on the bank's culture and practices, said OCBC chief financial officer Ching Wei Hong. 'Our CEO went to the board of directors to assure them that there will be no retrenchment...and the board was supportive of the move, but they have also told us that we must find alternative ways of saving costs,' he said.

Immediate steps OCBC took to cut costs rather than jobs included a wage freeze. The bank also cut down on bonuses, mainly among senior staff.

'Travel has been scaled back quite significantly,' said Mr Ching. The minimum flight duration for a staff member to qualify for business class is now eight hours, up from five hours. 'And we used to have a lot of off-site (training and meetings), conducted in Malaysia, Indonesia - it's now all cancelled for the year.'

These measures, however, were not merely in reaction to the crisis, as the bank has a longstanding practice of ensuring efficiency in its operations, he said.

'Our CEO was the main driver, pushing very hard not so much on a cost angle but more on an efficiency angle.'

Some pre-crisis measures to cut costs and increase efficiency included the bank's investment since 2007 in video-conferencing facilities and moving selected operations away from the city.

'We also moved and concentrated a lot of all our non-front line activities especially for operations and technology...to our Tampines location and that again was not done overnight, but with a lot of forward planning as far back as 2007.'

Mr Ching declined to disclose savings from overall cost-cutting, but said it was enough to save a 'substantial' number of jobs at the bank.

'Taking out the pay and bonus components, and looking at what we call 'little things' from hotels to air travel to new guidelines on entertainment, which we've scaled back...the target savings from all these will be about $15 million to $16 million, if we get it right,' he said.

'And in terms of junior staff, that is quite a substantial number of jobs that we can save.'

By focusing on operational efficiency and ensuring prudent hiring practices during the good years, OCBC is now better positioned to weather the downturn.

Instead of just embarking on a massive recruitment drive during boom times, OCBC boosted productivity instead.

'We invested in technology systems that will allow us to automate more processes, so while our business picked up significantly in 2006, 2007 and even during the early part of 2008, we didn't need to ramp up staff levels that much, and we were able to process more with the same amount of people,' said Mr Ching.

OCBC turned to contract and temporary staff when they were needed to handle the 'blips in business' and that provided the bank with the flexibility of scaling up or down on manpower costs.

'But to do that, you got to have your training systems in place, because you'll be bringing in someone fresh...so you'll need to be able to bring that person up to speed within days.'

Recognising the importance of training, OCBC has maintained the staff training budget levels, and has cut costs elsewhere. Although the recession is biting hard, the bank - whose largest shareholder is the Lee family - tries to keep the welfare of its staff uppermost in its mind.

'There is a long-established culture of OCBC, largely attributed to the Lee family, who incorporated this very strong guiding principle within the institution of taking care of staff,' Mr Ching said.

By Francis Chan

Recruitment Consultants

2009-03-28T16:07:00.000+08:00

Responsibilities:

•Accountable for new business development, existing account development and clientele management.
•Telemarketing and cold calling for New Businesses.
•Developing and cultivating professional relationships with our clients.
•Providing consulting and direction to candidates pertaining to their possible career development.

Requirements:

•Bilingual in English and Mandarin with excellent interpersonal and communication skill is a MUST.
•Dynamic personality and a passion for people.
•Able to work effectively in a fast paced and very result oriented environment.
•Those who has the passion for people but do not have the relevant experience or qualifications may apply and will be considered for Entry Level role
•Fresh Grads with flair for sales may apply too.
•Excellent basic with very competitive commission scheme.

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Application Outsourcing Transition Manager

2009-03-28T15:59:00.000+08:00

Job Responsibilities:

•Overall Transition Project Planning, setting up timelines, project governance, project monitoring and tracking, status reporting, etc.
•Establish the Front Office and the Back office governance structure and roles and responsibilities
Initiate the process for the Transition & service delivery. Responsible for the Transition
•Risk & issue management – creation and maintenance of risk and issue register
•Set-up and ensure the smooth routine reporting mechanisms
•Set-up the smooth communication mechanisms between transition team and client
•Monitor knowledge transfer activities for completeness and perform KT operational acceptance to ensure that the KT is sufficient.
•Ensure that the scope of the services to be transitioned, and the SLAs expected from the service delivery are clearly understood and agreed upon by all stake holders
•Establish the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the transition, and subsequent service delivery
•Drive the activities around setting up the infrastructure. Ensure that the required hardware/software is in place; the connectivity is established and is adequate for sustained service delivery
•Drive activities related to project staffing and mobility, including recruitment, on-boarding, skill-gap analysis, organizing training programs, planning for travel, etc.
•Involved in readiness assessment before cutover
•Work with the Services Delivery Manager to define the process and procedures for service delivery
•Hand over the service delivery to the Service Delivery Manager. Perform post-implementation review and document lessons learnt

Job Requirements:

•Minimum 12 years of related IT experience, of which 8 years of successful program/transition management
•Start-up experience in Transition management or Program Management Office Director
•Experience in integration, development, and deployment of large scale, multi-platform, multi-vendor information systems. Large-scale program management of multi-service line teams, including strong management and communications skills, service delivery, client relations, planning, scheduling, budgeting, financial management and earned value, resource management, QA, negotiations, contract negotiation and management
•Demonstrated understanding of the commercial outsourcing business – Tier 1 or MNC firm experience preferred
•Business development and proposal presentation experience – shaping value propositions with clients, crafting solutions, driving proposals
•Applications outsourcing experience required

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Event Executive

2009-03-28T15:55:00.000+08:00

Job Responsibilities :

•Responsible to plan, organize and execute events
•Work together with the team to plan the logistics coordination
•Motivated & enthusiastic team player
•Comfortable working in event or road show environment

Job Requirements :

•Diploma in business management, sales and marketing or equivalent
•At least 1-2 years of sales experience with a proven track record
•Possess drive, initiative and high level of responsibilities
•Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
•Familiar with events & road show management

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Jobless? Be an SME adviser

2009-03-27T17:58:00.000+08:00

SMALL and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which need expert advice in these trying times - but cannot afford it - can now turn to the inaugural Business Advisers Programme (BAP).
The scheme has a second benefit: offering short-term positions to unemployed professional executives in various fields.

Launched by the Singapore Management University (SMU) on Friday, the BAP will match jobless professionals, managers, executives and technicians with SMEs. They will serve as full-time business advisers on short-term stints.

By Elizabeth Wilmot

Switching to social work

2009-03-26T17:57:00.000+08:00

MID-CAREER PMETs will be trained as social workers under a new professional conversion programme.
They will undergo a two-year bachelor's degree or a 14-month graduate diploma programme run by UniSIM, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) said yesterday.

The target group are those with first degrees in other disciplines but who are keen to take up new careers in the social service sector, MCYS said in a statement.

Its minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, had told Parliament earlier that there is an annual shortage of about 100 social workers in Singapore.

The conversion scheme is expected to start later this year, and up to 90 per cent of the course fees will be subsidised under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur).

To coax voluntary welfare organisations to let the trainees start work while on training, Spur will give the welfare groups a $1,000 training allowance every month to defray their salary cost. The conversion programme will cost the Government about $1.2 million a year.

Other new Spur courses in community services include a 10-month accelerated Workforce Skills Qualifications professional diploma in early childhood care and education.

GOH CHIN LIAN

45,000 job openings, many for executives

2009-03-26T17:56:00.000+08:00

AT LEAST 45,000 new jobs will be up for grabs in the next two years, with many of them suitable for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs).
In giving the update yesterday, Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong also listed where they are to be found.

But he had a word of advice for jobless PMETs: Be flexible and go for training to get the right skills for jobs in new industries.

Mr Gan was replying to MPs Irene Ng (Tampines GRC), Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC), Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC) and Penny Low (Pasir Ris-

Punggol GRC), who had highlighted their plight.

He told the House the two integrated resorts will create more than 20,000 jobs and the public sector, 18,000.

Also, new investments will create 6,000 jobs, including about 1,200 in clean technology and about 900 in biomedical sciences.

The opening of new malls and hotels will produce jobs in the retail sector, and food and beverage, as well as hospitality, while others are to be found in construction, security, interactive digital media and childcare.

Separately, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan listed about 2,000 jobs in the childcare sector and 2,500 in social services over the next five years.

However, many of the jobs seem to elude PMETs, said MPs like Mr Lim.

'We've been hearing there are jobs available again and again, but I think the real situation out there is that for those who are unemployed, they just find it very hard to find a job.'

But a longer search is inevitable during an economic slowdown, said Mr Gan.

They also need to be trained for new jobs because many have held the same job for many years, he said, adding: 'If (they) are more flexible...I think we will be able to help them find jobs faster.'

PMETs form 37per cent (or 6,200) of workers who were laid off or had their contracts terminated prematurely last year, up from 31per cent a year earlier.

However, by the end of last month, about 5,200 of them had, on their own, signed up for courses under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or Spur, which pays 90per cent of the fees.

Beyond training, Mr Gan urged PMETs to seek help from career counsellors at the five Community Development Councils islandwide and the Employment and Employability Institute in Redhill Road.

The issue of foreign workers was raised by labour MPs Josephine Teo (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) and Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC), and Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong. They want the foreign manpower policy reviewed, with an eye on tightening it.

Mr Gan said his ministry had reviewed the criteria for semi- skilled S-Pass holders and skilled work permit holders. He foresees their numbers falling as the recession reduces demand for workers.

Madam Halimah suggested reviewing the education criteria of such workers for non-export-led sectors like restaurants.

But Mr Gan was against such micro-managing of businesses. It could lead to 'a lot of abuse, a lot of leakage between the different businesses, as companies are not so well-defined', he said.

By Goh Chin Lian

Hard data needed to assure local workers

2009-03-26T17:55:00.000+08:00

IN TIMES of mounting job losses, like the present, one question inevitably arises: What about the foreigners in our midst?
It surfaces in coffee-shop talk and cyberspace chatter, in hushed conversations on factory floors as rumours of layoffs make the rounds, and even in debates in Parliament.

In fact, more than 90 readers responded to a recent Straits Times Insight feature on foreign workers here, with almost eight in 10 saying that jobs should be reserved for locals.

A hot issue? Without a doubt. It is also an emotive one.

However, this does not mean that it should be swept under the carpet. We need more open and informed discussion, so that there is better understanding among all parties concerned. We also need more information, if only to put other information in perspective.

Last week, some figures released by the Manpower Ministry (MOM) caused some raised eyebrows.

The figures showed that foreigners took most of the new jobs created last year - seven in 10, up from six in 10 the previous year.

The foreign population surged past the one million mark for the first time, with foreigners making up 36 per cent of Singapore's workforce, up from 30 per cent in 2007. The foreign workforce grew by 157,000 last year, up from 144,500 in 2007. In contrast, the local workforce grew by just 64,700 last year, down from 90,400 in 2007.

On their own, these figures do not tell you that they have to be taken in the context of the boom times. Both 2007 and 2008 were boom years, with more jobs being created than there were locals to fill them. They also do not tell you that many of the jobs filled by foreigners last year were in the construction and service industries - jobs which Singaporeans usually shun.

Statistics shock, but sometimes the shock can be unnecessary.

This year, as the economy slips headlong into a long, hard recession and the jobless brigade swells, the Government ought to take pre-emptive action to prevent resentment towards foreigners from building up.

One way of defusing such potential tension is to give Singaporeans more reassurances that they are not getting the short end of the stick.

Yes, foreigners are valuable to Singapore's economy; they help to enlarge the economic pie; they benefit locals who will have more jobs to choose from.

This, however, is an economic argument that speaks to the head more than the heart, and is not enough to fully convince locals.

What Singaporeans want, and need, is to know how their interests are being protected.

Government-funded schemes aimed at reducing retrenchments help. The Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur), for example, subsidises employers when they send local workers for training. The Jobs Credit scheme helps employers defray their costs of keeping local workers.

Problems arise, however, when, in spite of these schemes, layoffs still occur. At these times, workers want to be assured that locals do have some privileges over foreigners, and will not be laid off ahead of the latter.

How can they be assured? Hard data, hard information.

During the Budget debate last month and again in yesterday's Parliament session, some MPs asked if the Government intended to tighten the inflow of foreigners seeking work in certain sectors here in view of the recession.

While there wasn't a clear 'Yes' or 'No' answer, it is understood that there are moves to impose more stringent requirements on semi-skilled foreigners on the S-Pass scheme - such as nurses, retail executives and aerospace technicians.

These S-Pass holders, whose numbers grew, albeit at a slower pace now, are seen as those who compete most directly for jobs that Singaporeans can take up too.

The only problem is, there have been no details yet on the changes.

There has also been no word on how many foreigners here have lost their jobs through retrenchments or early termination of contracts since the economy was battered by the global financial crisis.

Official figures released are only for total retrenchment and redundancy; they do not distinguish between locals and foreigners.

Nor are there updates on the number of foreign work permits that are cancelled or not renewed.

If foreigners are supposed to be a buffer for locals during a downturn, there should be figures to show that a greater proportion of them are, indeed, taking the hit this time around.

In Parliament yesterday, Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong did note that the number of foreigners working here will dip, in line with falling demand for manpower in this recession.

He also indicated that retrenchments have so far hit mostly the financial sector, which hires more locals than foreigners. Only when retrenchments hit the manufacturing sector, which hires more foreigners, on a big enough scale will the presence of foreigners among the retrenched be more obvious.

Even as he made it clear that it is important for Singapore not to send the wrong signal to foreign investors that the country was shutting its doors to foreigners seeking work here, however, Mr Gan also said some figures on foreigners' employment could be made public next month. However, he did not give details.

I agree that it is important to maintain the correct balance between investors' interests and ensuring the employment of locals.

But my argument is not about keeping foreigners out or fanning protectionist sentiments.

Rather, it is about numbers that will give the reassurance that locals need in this recession.

They need to know that as Singapore rolls out the welcome mat to foreigners, it will not be at their expense.

By Sue-Ann Chia, Senior Political Correspondent

Screening for 750 jobseekers

2009-03-25T17:54:00.000+08:00

ABOUT 750 jobseekers who have applied for Marina Bay Sands' 4,500 casino jobs turned up on Wednesday for the first screening session.
Held in conjunction with NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), the recruitment exercise saw applicants attending a career briefing and one-to-one interviews.

They also went through tests which checked for colour blindness, and how well they could do mental arithmetic. This was to ensure they are suitable for jobs that may need them to calculate and count winnings on the spot, or identify different coloured chips.

By Tessa Wong

CDAC to launch internship scheme

2009-03-25T17:53:00.000+08:00

SCHOOL-LEAVERS from low-income Chinese Singaporean families will be given a hand in finding their first jobs.
An internship programme will be introduced by the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), in which the company taking them in will not be required to pay them.

Instead, the CDAC will give the interns a monthly grant of $500 for the duration of their internships.

This programme for former students who have benefited from CDAC programmes was announced by Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, who chairs the CDAC's youth committee.

He said about 100 internships are in the pipeline and the CDAC has begun discussing the arrangement with companies.

As the recession bites, 'the challenge for young school-leavers is not about being retrenched but finding work', said Mr Baey.

'Hopefully, when the economy recovers, such internships can become full-time jobs,' he added.

The internship programme is among several help measures the CDAC is working on.

Others include helping elderly Chinese Singaporeans to find jobs, as their children may be struggling to support them now.

The council is looking at placing them in jobs close to their homes, and three areas have been targeted: Radin Mas, Whampoa and Bukit Panjang.

Jobs suitable for such seniors include those in park management and town council maintenance, as well as cleaning jobs in neighbourhood schools, said Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education Grace Fu, who chairs the CDAC's Silver Talent Programme.

However, a 'holistic, family-centric approach' is also needed, beyond just targeting individuals, said CDAC executive director Sam Tan.

To that end, the council will stretch the period of its Workfare help schemes for single-parent or dysfunctional families, from 12 to 18 months.

Families with a monthly household income of $1,500 or less can apply for these schemes, which come with subsidies for childcare fees and utility bills, food vouchers and counselling assistance.

The CDAC will also be extending its working hours at its Tanjong Katong Road headquarters during this downturn.

It will operate until 9pm on Wednesdays and until 5pm on Saturdays. Its hotline number is 1800-6843-5599.

147 Companies Warned to Relocate Nearly 2,600 Foreign Workers

2009-03-25T13:32:00.000+08:00

25 March 2009

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), together with the National Environment Agency (NEA), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), conducted two nationwide operations on 16 foreign workers' dormitories on 10 March and 24 March 2009. The aim is to ensure that these premises comply with regulatory requirements, and that employers abide by Work Permit conditions to provide their workers acceptable accommodation.

2 A total of 147 companies were issued with warning letters to relocate nearly 2,600 foreign workers to acceptable accommodation over the next few weeks. (See Annex A for more details).

Workers to be Relocated
3 In the first operation, on 10 March, inspectors found more than 1,900 foreign workers housed in eight unapproved dormitories (factory premises in the Woodlands and Tuas, and residential premises in the Serangoon Road area).

4 83 companies were warned to relocate these foreign workers to approved accommodation. To expedite the relocation of the foreign workers, employers were required to attend a Change of Accommodation (COA) exercise, facilitated by MOM, where information on purpose built dormitories (PBD) was provided. By 20 March, more than half of the workers have been relocated to new accommodation that is in compliance with all regulatory requirements. The remainder are expected to do so within the next week, failing which the work permits will be cancelled.

5 In the second operation on 24 March, four factories in Sungei Kadut, Tuas, Tech Park and Tagore area, and four residential units in the Serangoon Road area were inspected, all of which were not approved for foreign worker housing. 660 workers from 64 companies will be required to relocate to acceptable accommodation over the next two weeks.

Employers Responsible For Providing Acceptable Accommodation
6 Mr Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division, MOM said: “Despite the economic downturn, it is unacceptable that employers house their foreign workers in illegal or unapproved housing to save costs. Housing foreign workers in extremely overcrowded and unhygienic conditions pose a danger to the safety and health of the workers, as well as to public health in general. They will not be tolerated. Acceptable accommodation is now readily available in purpose-built dormitories and there is no excuse for employers to house their workers in unapproved housing. All the agencies involved in these two operations will continue to coordinate closely and more operations will be conducted in the future.”

7 Employers are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their foreign workers, including the provision of acceptable accommodation. Those who fail to provide acceptable accommodation breach the Work Permit conditions and could face prosecution. They may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to 6 months, or both for each infringement. In addition, the breach will be taken into consideration when the Ministry considers the employer's subsequent applications for Work Permits.

100,000 employers to receive first payment of Jobs Credit

2009-03-24T17:52:00.000+08:00

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) will be releasing the first payment of the Jobs Credit scheme to eligible employers on March 31, 2009.
Around 100,000 employers employing some 1.3 million workers will receive $920 million. Under the one-year scheme, which was part of the Resilience Package announced during the 2009 budget, employers will be given cash grants to help them preserve jobs. A 12% cash grant will be given on the first $2,500 of each month's wages for each employee on their CPF payroll.

Employers will receive a notification letter on March 27 informing them of the amount of Jobs Credit they will receive for the first payment. This is based on the wages that they paid in October to December 2008.

The scheme is automatically extended to eligible employers, who will be paid via direct credit into employers' bank accounts or by cheque.

The deadline to qualify for the first payment has been further extended because the scheme was only announced in January 2009. Employers who will make late CPF contributions by April 15 for wages that were paid in October to December 2008 will receive Jobs Credits on these wages on June 30, 2009.

There will be no further extensions for the remaining payments, which will be made on June 30, September 30, and December 31, 2009.

Will work for free

2009-03-24T17:51:00.000+08:00

FACED with an increasingly tight job market, undergraduates here are lowering their expectations and saying 'yes' to unpaid internships in a bid to land a good job.
Usually they are paid a stipend or allowance when they intern.

Graduates are the hardest-hit as the unemployment rate soars.

The number of jobless degree-holders peaked at 14,800 in December last year, more than a 100 per cent increase
from 6,200 a year earlier.

Undergraduates my paper spoke to said they were willing to go for unpaid internships at "prestigious companies with enriching job scopes".

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) undergraduate Esther Lim, 23, who studies accountancy, said: "The job could be an entry point for me to get a permanent place in a good company. Besides, it would look good on my resume."

When contacted, NTU said there are still enough placements for students.

"There is no need to consider rolling out programmes to attach our students for no-allowance or free internships," said its director of career and attachment office, Mr Loh Pui Wah.

Singapore Management University students can tap free internships, but these do not form a "significant" portion of the university's total pool of internship opportunities.

National University of Singapore student Jalea Poon, 20, said she would work for free for a month.

"My parents would be unhappy that I'm not drawing a salary and would say that I'm being stupid to work for free," she said.

Agreeing, NTU's Ms Lim said: "I need to get a paid job to feed myself!"

By Chen Jingting

Counselling and support for newly retrenched

2009-03-23T17:49:00.000+08:00

MR GILBERT Goh, laid off for 20 months in 2003, found out then how little support there was for people who lose their jobs.

A friend of his, jobless for six months, confirmed it when he confessed that he felt 'very alone', and that there did not seem to be any place to which he could go for help and support.

Today, Mr Goh, 47 and a teacher in a private school, runs a two-month-old counselling and support service on the side to help the newly retrenched. He has help from 10 volunteers and seven professional counsellors to run the service, which has a website offering online counselling and information on support groups and networking sessions.

The group also sends out motivational text messages to those who register with it, and tip-offs on job fairs.

Mr Goh has tied up with job agencies like JobStreet to provide career counselling, and invites the jobless to send in their resumes, which he forwards to his network of contacts. But he stressed: 'We are not a job agency; we're here to provide support.'

Support groups for the retrenched, though rare, do exist: The Central Singapore Community Development Council started one at the end of 2007; this month, the Catholic Prayer Society set one up.

The first thing that Mr Goh, a former counsellor, did was to set up the website, www.transitioning.org

Explaining its name, he said: 'Being jobless is not permanent. It can be a good thing. One can learn new things, explore new opportunities and reflect on what you really want for your life.'

The website, which gets about 7,000 hits daily, has drawn responses from as far away as the United States.

To run the text-messaging service, Mr Goh and two volunteers send out text messages to 100 recipients a few times a week.

Fortnightly support-group meetings are being run, each limited to 10 participants so all will have a chance to speak.

And at the monthly networking sessions, guest speakers from different industries - his friends - give tips, for example, on how to set up a food business.

Some of those he has helped end up wanting to help him run his support service too. A 42-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, said he went to the website to join a support group and to seek advice on his resume.

He is now job-hunting and taking courses to pick up skills, but also helps Mr Goh to organise the support groups and networking activities.

Mr Goh disclosed that he himself may need support soon as his teaching contract will not be renewed. His wife, who works in a bank, will support him and his daughter for a while. He said: 'Of course, I am afraid too, but I'll stay positive.'

But work at transitioning.org will go on for him and his band of volunteers, he said

By Tan Weizhen

Civil servants' annual pay to shrink

2009-03-23T17:48:00.000+08:00

A DROP in annual salary is in store for the 66,000 workers in the civil service this year, with senior officers seeing a bigger percentage fall.

The reduction, however, will be made firstly in the variable components of their pay, with the Annual Variable Component (AVC) for 2009 'expected to be lower or even possibly zero', said the Public Service Division (PSD) yesterday.

The PSD, which oversees civil service matters, cited the slowdown in Singapore's economy for the fall in pay.

How steep the drop will be depends on the guidelines set by the National Wages Council (NWC), it said in an e-mail statement to The Straits Times. The council will meet next month or in May.

The PSD also warned that 'if economic conditions continue to deteriorate, further adjustments in salaries will likely be necessary'.

But in explaining the initial reduction, it said: 'The drop is to be expected as it is consistent with our salary policy which pegs the annual pay of civil servants to pay levels in the private sector.

'A substantial portion of this annual pay, especially at the senior levels, is variable, with components closely reflecting the performance of Singapore's economy.

'The drop will be effected, in the first instance, through a reduction in pay components linked to economic performance.'

One such component is the GDP Bonus, which is linked to growth in the country's gross domestic product (GDP). It is paid to administrative officers and senior civil servants like permanent secretaries.

This year, no GDP bonuses will be paid, the PSD said.

Another component tied to the economy is the AVC, which civil servants usually receive as mid-year and year-end payments.

This amount will be determined at a later date, said the PSD.

But individuals who did good work in the past year will still receive performance bonuses, which will be paid this month for work done last year.

This is to encourage officers to continue to excel in their work, it said.

The PSD was responding to queries about a circular it sent out this week to civil servants, priming them to expect a drop in their annual salary this year.

The circular comes ahead of the ending of the civil service financial year on March 31, as civil servants expect news about their annual performance bonus and pay increment.

Several civil servants interviewed were not surprised by the impending pay cut for several reasons.

The Government has forecast the economy to shrink by 2 per cent to 5 per cent this year.

Also, pay in the private sector is set to go down by 10 per cent to 25 per cent this year, according to some analysts.

Civil servants saw the signs too when in January, the Government announced a cut in salary of between 12 per cent and 20 per cent for Cabinet ministers and senior civil servants this year, with room for more changes if the economy worsens.

Statutory boards do not have to follow the pay changes in the civil service, said the PSD, but are expected to exercise wage restraint and stick to the NWC's guidelines.

But most statutory boards are expected to take the cue from the civil service.

Some also have a system of making adjustments based on market conditions, said the general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees, Mr N. Thurairajasingam.

Several statutory boards have informed his union that they plan to give smaller merit increments.

Senior officers will take a deeper cut, he added, declining to identify the organisations.

By Goh Chin Lian

Singaporeans still picky about jobs

2009-03-21T17:47:00.000+08:00

IT'S a familiar story these days, from Wellington to Washington. The Federal Bureau of Investigation gets more than 270,000 applicants for its 3,000 job openings.

Here in Singapore, some 20,000 people thronged a four-day career fair recently, vying for the 800 jobs offered by the upcoming integrated resorts. It was just one of several mega job fairs in the last three months, all of which drew big crowds.

The number of people seeking jobs has shot up with a vengeance of late. Apparently employment - or rather, unemployment - is no laggard in this downturn.

Primed as everyone is for bad news these days, with the economy in its steepest recession ever, the surge in Singapore's latest out-of-job data is still fairly dramatic: The number of retrenched workers - which had averaged below 2,000 in each quarter of 2007 before rising slightly to just over 2,000 in each of the first three quarters of 2008 - soared to 7,500 in Q4.

The local carnage from the global downturn is also starkly evident in another indicator - contract workers terminated prematurely because they have become redundant.

From an average of less than 200 in the preceding six quarters, the number shot up to 830 in Q3 last year, and then 1,910 in Q4. So in all, some 9,410 people were made redundant in Q4 last year, more than the sum total in 2007.

Various estimates by economists put the total job loss this year and next at between 100,000 and 240,000 - despite the best efforts by the government to help employers retain jobs.

The public sector has, of course, weighed in to offer thousands of openings in various sectors: education, health care, security, newbie high-tech industries. There appear to be, at a quick glance, jobs galore at all levels: blue collar and white, low skills to specialist skills.

If only job seekers and hirers could be magically and seamlessly matched, with happy, productive outcomes for both worker and employer.

The reality, of course - apart from a glaring mismatch of demand and skills in the job market - is that the 'art and craft' of job matching (from manpower training at tertiary-level enrolment planning to job creation) is one fraught with perils and pitfalls, especially in the face of immediate short-term needs.

You have 1,200 jobs up for grabs in the clean-tech industry, but not enough Singaporeans qualified to fill them.

You get people becoming teachers with no real passion or zeal for teaching. Students who want to become a doctor get 'channelled' into dentistry or biochemistry.

Yet another common reason for the mismatch here - even when apparently desperate for employment, Singaporeans would still be fussy and picky, shunning jobs that entail shift work, or too long a commute, or too much time on their feet, to say nothing, of course, of any work that requires donning a hard hat on a work site.

And yet some still sit up and grouse on noticing that foreigners took up the lion's share of new jobs created last year - available jobs that Singaporeans did not want.

Jobs Credit scheme most helpful: survey

2009-03-21T17:44:00.000+08:00

THE Jobs Credit scheme rolled out in the recent Budget has drawn a strong positive reaction from trade associations surveyed by Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI).

In a post-Budget survey last month, SCCCI asked its 131 trade association members which of 12 key Budget initiatives they 'considered most beneficial'.

The survey, which drew a 90 per cent response rate, showed the Jobs Credit scheme was warmly received by 78 per cent of respondents.

In contrast, only a third of respondents rated another Budget initiative - the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR), which employers can tap to upgrade workers' skills - to be significantly helpful.

SCCCI said: 'In all likelihood, the drastic changes in the global economic landscape prompted most respondents from trade associations to stay focused on dealing with the immediate challenges rather than preparing for the economic rebound.'

Also favoured by SCCCI members were measures such as corporate tax cuts, rental rebates and property tax rebates, which drew a 70 per cent-plus response.

For three-quarters of respondents, the greatest challenge now is coping with the fall in demand. The next biggest problems are rising business costs (68 per cent) and difficulty in getting a bank loan (42 per cent).

SCCCI said the survey respondents indicated that banks remain cautious about lending, despite the government's efforts to share the risk on loans.

The survey also revealed requests from respondents for more government help to ease business costs - specifically, relaxed application criteria and procedures for S-pass and a cut in the foreign worker levy.

Other items on the trade associations' wish-lists include lower transport costs via reduced ERP charges, greater flexibility in COE prices for goods vehicles and buses and government reconsideration of a GST cut to boost spending.

By TEH SHI NING

Recruitment still strong in Asia's biomedical sector

2009-03-21T17:39:00.000+08:00

BUCKING the trend in other industries, recruitment in Asia's biomedical science sector remains strong despite the economic downturn, says recruitment firm ScienTec Consulting.

Talent is in demand by contract research organisations (CROs), biotech firms and pharmaceutical companies setting up R&D bases in the region. ScienTec alone has about 100-150 immediate positions waiting to be filled, of which 80 per cent are in Singapore.

'More companies are basing clinical trial studies in the region as they look to create more personalised medicines and need access to Asian populations,' said ScienTec managing director Karen Tok. 'We are also seeing an increase in R&D and contract manufacturing outsourcing companies in Asia.'

Speaking at a seminar on talent resource challenges at the Biomedical Asia 2009 conference yesterday, Ms Tok said the talent crunch has prompted companies to offer incentives and benefits to draw the cream of the crop. These include business class flights, travel allowances, sign on bonuses or bonuses tied to length of service.

For specialists with more than 10 years' experience, job hoppers can continue to expect the standard wage increment of 10-20 per cent. For mid to junior-level positions, recruitment activity is hot enough to have led ScienTec to set up a separate division last year.

'Although biomedical sciences companies in Asia are still recruiting, the global economic crisis has meant they are being more strategic in their recruitment,' said Ms Tok. 'For example, many now focus on resource optimisation, trying to get individuals who can multi-task in different roles, or get the best talent for their employment dollar.'

She estimates that about 60 per cent of the vacancies her company has been tasked to fill are for mid to junior-level posts. Most of them are in clinical research, biologics, diagnostics and monitoring technology, medicinal food extracts, drug discovery and healthcare firms. Job functions range from researchers and physicians to project managers and sales personnel.

However, there has been a fall in top-tier positions in sales because of lower demand forecasts and the transfer of leadership responsibilities to local staff.

At Sterling Life Sciences, another biomedical head-hunting specialist, the shift in demand is not that clear cut. The company, which focuses on specialised hires such as in translational medicine, said that while CROs remain bullish about regional growth, M&A activity in the pharmaceutical sector has resulted in some hesitation to increase headcount.

'There is still jockeying for scientific manpower resources, not only in South-east Asia but also in North Asia,' said Sterling director Robin Tan. 'In Singapore we see a steady and sustained growth in R&D activity in drug discovery and biomarkers, requiring specialised talent in the areas of pharmacology and medicinal chemistry.

'Although scientific talent is largely regarded as global these days, costs have come under greater scrutiny among new setups in Singapore. Hence, highly experienced researchers from Asia are still an attractive option for the continued development of our biomedical industry.'

By CHEN HUIFEN

Singaporeans shun jobs in service sector

2009-03-19T17:38:00.000+08:00

SINGAPOREANS, it seems, will not stand for working on their feet.

The food-and-beverage, retail and service industries are still hiring, but many companies in these sectors report a lack of interest among Singaporeans.

Instead, it is the foreigners who are lapping up these jobs.

The Straits Times spoke to 12 fast-food chains, cafes and restaurants and another one dozen retail and service outlets, all of whom were keen on hiring Singaporeans. Among them, they have more than 740 jobs for the taking.

But the problem with these jobs - at least to Singaporeans - is that they come with long hours and a lot of standing during the shift. They also involve working nights, weekends and public holidays.

What these job hunters want: Office jobs and regular hours.

Repeated calls have gone out to Singaporeans to be less picky at a time when layoffs are starting to kick in, but there is a mental block against such jobs.

All but one of the 12 food outlets say they are finding it tough to get Singaporeans to take on service or kitchen positions. Among the retail and service outlets, eight said residents here baulk at front-line positions.

At Pine Garden's Cake, more than nine in 10 applications for positions come from foreigners.

The bakery's business development director Wei Chan, who managed to fill a vacancy for a sales and marketing manager only after four months, said that he has had Singaporeans who quit after having worked only one day.

At P.S. I Love You Nature Bakery, about half the 100 inquiries about its openings for eight kitchen crew and service positions are from foreigners.

Retail fashion chain 77th Street is hiring eight employees for its two new stores. Its marketing manager Mike Chin has had applicants asking to work only Mondays to Fridays. 'They set the terms and conditions, rather than us.'

Ms Carol Sai, manager of Kousei Foot Reflexology who is looking for a receptionist and foot reflexologists for a new outlet in Choa Chu Kang, said Singaporeans think of the vacancies as blue-collar ones and 'want high paying positions'.

Mr Raphael Chan, country director for sandwich chain Subway, agreed. He said Singaporeans perceive service positions as 'transition work or temporary school-holiday jobs'.

But if Singaporeans are not biting, it does not mean employers can blithely hire foreigners in their place.

The law permits only a certain number of foreigners in proportion to the number of Singaporeans employed.

Mr Chen Rong Hua, who manages two coffee shops in the east, said he has to hire three Singaporeans before he can take on one Malaysian.

The Manpower Ministry comes down hard on employers who inflate their local staff numbers to hire foreigner. Offenders may be fined up to $15,000, jailed up to one year or both on each charge.

Hiring Singaporeans is preferred, said Ms Constance Teoh, vice-president of operations for lifestyle apparel brand OP, as they speak better English and adapt to the work environment sooner.

But employers do appreciate one thing about foreigners: They are usually ready to work hard.

Ms Cindy Ee, director of PINC Nails, said: 'They rarely go on leave or take sick leave. They are more willing to stay late.'

By Leow Si Wan

Grads among worst hit as jobless rate increases

2009-03-19T17:37:00.000+08:00

GRADUATES are hurting the most among the growing pool of jobless Singapore residents battered by the economic crisis.
The number of out-of-work degree holders more than doubled last year to 14,800 in December, from 6,200 a year earlier.

They joined an expanding group of unemployed residents - comprising Singaporeans and permanent residents - whose numbers rose from 56,100 in September to 69,900 in December last year.

As a result, the resident unemployment rate worsened further. It rose to 3.7 per cent in December, from 3.3 per cent in September, according to the 2008 labour market report released by the Manpower Ministry yesterday.

Analysts like Nanyang Technological University (NTU) economist Choy Keen Meng blame the rapid rise of unemployed graduates mainly on the financial sector.

The sector, which employs many degree holders, has been downsizing and laying off workers since the global financial fallout erupted in September last year.

The National Trades Union Congress' assistant secretary-general Ong Ye Kung added that struggling companies were also retrenching corporate staff such as their administrative workers, who appeared to be seen as non-essential to the company's survival.

'I've noticed companies are hanging on to those who add directly to the company's bottom line, such as those on the production line or engineers,' he said.

The surge in white-collar layoffs began towards the end of last year. Half of the 7,500 workers retrenched in 2008's final quarter were professionals, managers, executives and technicians: PMETs.

This has stiffened the competition that fresh graduates face. Said DBS economist Irvin Seah: 'They are fighting for the same jobs and fresh grads are at a disadvantage compared to those with experience.'

Between May and July this year, 12,000 fresh graduates are expected to enter the job market.

The plight of the young and jobless graduates has received Government attention. The Monetary Authority of Singapore will set aside $15 million to subsidise internships and attachments of fresh graduates in the financial industry over the next two years.

But Singapore Human Resource Institute executive director David Ang believes they can do with more help.

'The mid-career professionals have conversion programmes. Maybe something of this nature can be replicated for all fresh grads,' he said.

The jobless degree holders are part of a broader group of PMETs who have been hit hard by the recession. Some 5,820 PMETs were retrenched last year, forming 41.8 per cent of the 13,920 laid off.

To ease their plight, the Government launched the Professionals Skills Programme, which aims to retrain them for jobs in new growth sectors, such as health care and digital animation.

Such bleak prospects appear even more brutal when placed against last year's robust job growth: 221,600 jobs were created, just shy of the 234,900 record achieved in 2007.

Services added the most with 136,400 new jobs, followed by construction (64,000) and manufacturing (19,500).

But the gains were made largely in the first nine months. In the final quarter, the job losses jumped to 9,410 from 3,180.

DBS's Mr Seah believes 99,000 jobs will be shed by 2010.

Graduates like Mr Edwin Lim, 27, are now lowering their expectations. Mr Lim, who has a degree in commerce and finance from Australia, has been seeking a finance-related job for two weeks since his return home.

'Now I'm open to other options like marketing, or doing an internship in the finance industry,' he said, adding: 'What I want is to get the experience for a long-term job when the economy turns around.'

By Aaron Low

1 in 2 willing to work for less pay

2009-03-18T17:34:00.000+08:00

AS OUR money woes increase with the worsening recession, a recent survey surprisingly found that half of Singaporean workers will sacrifice pay for meaningful work - even in these tough times.

Those in the baby-boomer generation - aged 48 to 65 - were more likely to make the sacrifice than the younger Generation Y crowd, aged 18 to 29.

The 'value of work' survey, a first by human resources firm Kelly Services, aimed to measure and reflect the value of work in building pride and self-confidence, said Mr Dhirendra Shantilal, the firm's senior vice-president for Asia-Pacific.

The online poll in December involved almost 100,000 respondents from 34 countries, including 3,600 from Singapore.

It found that while 60 per cent of Singapore's baby-boomers said they were willing to take less pay if they felt their work was meaningful, only 47 per cent of Gen Y-ers felt the same.

The Gen X group, those aged 30 to 47, measured at 55 per cent. The global average was 50.6 per cent.

Mr Shantilal said Singapore's baby-boomers were more inclined to take up meaningful work because they were 'generally financially stable' and were the main beneficiaries of Singapore's long periods of economic boom from the 1970s.

'But they have also weathered the storms of the nation's recession in the mid-1980s. Having gone through both stable and challenging times, they have adopted a more balanced and pragmatic view of life,' he added.

Some of the values of baby-boomers include respect, empowerment, challenge and growth. Mr Shantilal said: 'Therefore, they will go for meaningful, emotionally satisfying work, including volunteering their services.'

That Gen Y workers in Singapore are less likely to sacrifice pay is not a big surprise, as the goal-oriented drive of Singaporeans places emphasis on financial stability and independence, he said.

Banker Pang Kai Ying, 26, is one. 'I work just for the money, as nothing can substitute it. I find meaning outside of work.'

Others such as customer relationship manager Teresa Tay, 28, said she would settle for a lower wage if she found a meaningful job - but at a later age.

'When you are young, you really want go out there and blitz your career, before settling down to a simpler life later.'

The survey also found that while many respondents had reservations about the real value of their work, a vast majority performed their tasks to high personal standards.

About 84 per cent of Singaporeans said the work they perform gives them a sense of pride, while 78 per cent said it contributes to their self-confidence.

Mr Shantilal said the survey affirms that pay is not the only key factor to attract and retain talent, even in tough economic conditions.

'It demonstrates that we can motivate employees to take pride in their work, so they can contribute positively to their organisations.'

He also addressed the wider impact of the economic crisis on the job market, pointing out that regardless of age group, employees with 'the right attitude, who possess the relevant competencies...should not be overly worried about sacrificing pay even in challenging times'.

He added that employees and organisations alike should adopt the right attitudes and strategies during this tough period.

'Employees will have to accept that they would be required to work harder, that organisations will take certain cost-cutting measures during this difficult period and that some processes may be interrupted.'

By Jessica Cheam

16,880 lost jobs last year

2009-03-16T17:28:00.000+08:00

REDUNDANCIES nearly tripled from 3,180 in the third quarter of last year to a record quarterly high of 9,410 workers in the fourth quarter as the global economic downturn worsened.
For the whole of 2008, a total of 16,880 workers were made redundant, comprising 13,920 workers retrenched and 2,970 workers whose contracts were terminated prematurely, according to the latest labour market report released by the Ministry of Manpower on Monday.

More workers across all three broad occupational groups were laid off in the fourth quarter of 2008, with professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) experiencing the largest increase - from 950 in the third quarter to 3,790 in the fourth quarter. For the whole year, 6,200 PMETs lost their jobs, forming 37 per cent of the workers displaced, up from 31 per cent the previous year.

Getting retrenched is 'better than striking lottery'

2009-03-16T17:27:00.000+08:00

SOME came out dancing, some gave flying kisses and waved goodbye to their colleagues.

One might think that these workers had just got huge bonuses instead of their retrenchment letters.

During this recession, with many fearing for their jobs, the sight of happy retrenched workers is somewhat surreal.

It may have been Friday the 13th yesterday, but it was certainly not Black Friday at the Delphi Automotive Systems plant in Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 1. The company makes products for the automotive and medical industries.

About 220 of its 1,250 employees were retrenched yesterday, and there were more sad faces among those who kept their jobs.

One woman in her 50s was crying because she missed out on retrenchment.

She bawled: 'Why won't they retrench me? I already said I didn't want to keep working.'

Another worker, who gave her name as Miss Lim, was also disappointed as she had planned to set up her own business.

She said: 'I'm sad that I was not retrenched because I'm already in my 50s, and the work is exhausting. I'm so envious of my colleagues.'

Celebrating

Many of those who received the usually dreaded pink slip celebrated openly.

Madam Pang Tai Gek, 60, who got her wish of getting retrenched, ran out beaming, did a jiggle in front of her friends, and shouted that she would be treating them to a meal.

The line technician, who had been with Delphi for 20 years, said: 'I wanted to leave in two years' time to take care of my grandchildren. Now, I get an early retirement and $40,000! If I had retired on my own, I'd have got nothing.'

Agreeing, another worker shouted: 'It's better than striking lottery!'

As the workers waited to find out their fate, there were emotional group hugs and frenzied photo-taking.

But among some of the retrenched, the smiles were just a brave front to mask their sadness and hide their fears.

Ms Low, a machine operator who earned about $1,000 a month, said: 'After working here for 26years, I've made many close friends. I can't bear to leave. On the surface, I'm smiling, but tears are flowing inside.'

Storeman Ahmad Zali bin Amin, 40, blew kisses to his colleagues before stoically walking away.

When The New Paper spoke to him later, he admitted he was 'crying inside his heart' and had held back tears.

'I'm very worried. With my qualifications, I may not find a job outside,' said the 16-year veteran said, who only has a PSLE certificate. He has a wife and three children, aged 11, 12 and 15.

A machine operator, Madam Maniya, 50, is also worried because she still has to provide for a son, who is in Primary Two, and her mother, who suffered a stroke this year.

Quality analysis inspector Boh Ai Ping kept her job of 28 years, but was in tears because she couldn't bear to see her friends leave, she said.

She was not alone. Miss Cho, a machine operator of more than 20 years, cried as she said: 'I can't bear to see my friend go. She's really the strength and soul of our department.'

Her friend, a 59-year-old, said in Mandarin as she hugged her friend and laughed: 'The one who didn't get retrenched is crying, while the one who got retrenched is smiling.'

Many of the workers said they saw the retrenchment exercise coming and those retrenched were satisfied with their severance packages.

Ms Margarita Perfecto, Delphi's Asia Pacific manager of marketing and communications, said the retrenched workers will get one month's pay for every year of service, capped at 24 months.

They received two months pay upfront, and the rest to be paid out monthly. The payout will depend on length of service.

Ms Perfecto said: 'It is a tough exercise for us. It's very sad because part of our family has to go.'

She said the company had taken various steps to avoid retrenchment, such as shorter weekdays, job rotations, plant shutdowns and re-deployment of staff.

But it had to resort to retrenchment due to drastic changes in customer demands, she added.

Ms Perfecto said that the number of workers retrenched yesterday were 'comparable' to those in two retrenchment exercises in 1998 and 2000.

Cuts across the board

The retrenchments were across the board, but about 70 per cent were machine operators, she added.

She said the company had not targeted older workers or foreigners specifically, but had made the cuts based on its business needs.

The employees were told last week about the retrenchment exercise.

She said: 'Some employees had wanted to go, but their skills were needed for the business at this point.'

Ms Perfecto said Delphi was working with the Ministry of Manpower, NTUC and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to help identify job opportunities for the retrenched workers.

Madam Halimah Yacob, executive secretary of the United Workers of Electronic and Electrical Industries and the deputy secretary-general of NTUC, said workshops and employability camps have been arranged for the retrenched workers to assess their skills and to see if they are ready for jobs in other sectors.

By Elysa Chen

Jobs on offer: 800; Applications: 20,000

2009-03-12T17:26:00.000+08:00

A JOB at one of the upcoming integrated resorts (IRs) here is proving to be a really hot commodity - with both Singaporeans and foreigners.
Resorts World at Sentosa yesterday said it had received 20,000 - and counting - applications for just 800 jobs it had on offer at the Career 2009 and Education 2009 fair, held over four days beginning last Thursday.

The Marina Bay Sands IR, which was also hiring at the same fair, would not say how many applications it received, but its president Nigel Roberts said the level of interest was 'stunning'.

With 500,000 visitors to the fair over four days, and with Marina Bay looking to hire 'thousands', it is likely that it received a similar, if not larger, number of applicants.

Jobs at the casinos appear to be the most sought-after among applicants to the Sentosa IR.

Resorts World's senior vice-president for human resources and training, Ms Seah-Khoo Ee Boon, said half the applicants wanted a gaming-related job.

Of the rest, 40 per cent were gunning for a job in the Universal Studios' theme park.

The applicants, she said, were both Singaporean and foreign, retrenched workers as well as those who had jobs, and ranged from professionals to fresh graduates.

Interviews for the shortlisted candidates started yesterday.

Among those who are keeping their fingers crossed is Singaporean Desmond Goh, 33, who already has a job in a hotel here.

He said he was looking for a job at the Sentosa resort because he wanted a change of pace.

A significant number of applicants were also foreigners who flew here just to look for a job.

Filipina Elahn Grace, 28, an English graduate, who arrived two weeks ago, said she chose Singapore because 'it is a safe place and there are many opportunities here'.

Another Filipina, Ms Candy Lopez, 24, lost her job back home as an accountant recently, and decided to come here to try and find employment.

She said: 'I'm just taking a chance to be employed.'

The organiser of the fair, Mr Michael Ling from IIR Exhibitions, confirmed that the integrated resorts drew the lion's share of attention.

'They were the busiest,' he said, adding that jobs in the health-care and social services sectors seemed popular too, judging by the crowds at the booths.

Mr Ling was unable to say how many job applications in total were made during the fair. Up to 15,000 positions were available in the four-day fair.

The two integrated resorts need some 20,000 workers, and are expected to ramp up hiring this year as both gear up to open by the end of this year and early next year.

By Lim Wei Chean & Alessa Pang

2 men from S’pore in Top 50 list for "Best Job in the World"

2009-03-03T17:23:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE: Two men from Singapore have made it to the top 50 candidates who are shortlisted for what is touted as the "Best Job in the World". They beat more than 34,000 applicants ranging from scientists, chefs and students from around the world.

The two Singaporeans will be up against each other and 48 others for the job of a caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef in a tourism promotion by the Queensland state government.

The successful candidate will be paid US$100,000 for six months to enjoy the sun, sea and sand and report his experiences via blogs, photos and video diaries.For Greg Reynen, a teacher at the Singapore American School, the news that he was shortlisted was a timely birthday present as he has just turned 31.He said:

"I was at my computer and I couldn’t believe it, I just screamed and I went running down the hallway. It’s an amazing opportunity. It totally fits my personality and I get to go out, meet new people and interact with the locals and tourists. I also get to try new things and be adventurous.

"For 24—year—old Jimmy Wong, a freelance diver and photographer, it was a total surprise as well.He said: "At first, I was definitely in a state of shock, but after that I realised if you do something out of passion and the love for it, you can go far.

"The judges were impressed with the duo’s video clip submissions.Leong Pik Yin, manager, Marketing Communications, Tourism Queensland, said: "They were quite creative and their applications were quite out of the box and they met all the five selection criteria."

These include being proficient in English and IT savvy.Tourism Queenland received about 224 applications from Singapore. Besides the two successful applicants from Singapore, two other regional applicants, from Malaysia and Indonesia, made the cut.

The 50 shortlisted applicants will be narrowed down to a final 10. An 11th applicant will be chosen by popular vote via a "wild card" round. You can go to this website to vote.They will then fly to Hamilton Island in early May to take part in the final selection. The winner will be made known on May 6 and he or she will start work or play on July 1.