The strength of our unions in representing workers

In an article attacking NTUC, activist Kirsten Han quoted Garry Rodan, director of the Asia Research Center at Australia’s Murdoch University, as saying that the Singapore worker has been left with no adequate representation because NTUC has failed to play an independent role in defining and representing workers' rights.

Such deliberate ignorance.

To make up for the lack of arguments, she included the 'million-dollar salaries' of ministers. 

But first, Garry Rodan. He is someone whose vocabulary to describe the PAP Government includes words like 'regimes' and 'authoritarian rule'. Enough said. You know where he comes from.

In October 2015, the director-general of ILO (International Labour Organisation) Mr Guy Ryder strongly endorsed the Singapore model of tripartism. He commented that 'Singapore has become a model to emulate.'

Industrial relations expert Sarosh Kuruvilla of Cornell University called Singapore "a classic example of a place where tripartism is deeply institutionalised". Singapore, along with Slovenia, has ranked highest in the strength of representation.

"I haven't seen the kind of commitment from top leadership (they have in Singapore) towards the concept in any other country," Prof Kuruvilla said.

NTUC today has moved beyond representing the rights and welfare of the rank-and-file workers to embrace more workers, representing the PMEs as well and helping even workers who are not union members.

It has moved beyond merely representing workers' rights to helping workers to upgrade and build their skills so that they can continue to enjoy good salaries.

"It is not about asking people to give us extra salaries and extra benefits just because we ask," said Mr Chan Chun Sing, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

"It has to do with a lot of background work behind the scenes in trying to lift the productivity of our workers so that they can enjoy a good salary to provide for their families."

Such an idea is foreign to Kirsten Han. Her idea of an effective union is one that leads their workers in strikes.

Our unions work with post-secondary education institutes, institutes of higher learning and private service providers to increase the number of up-to-date training modules for workers.

At the same time, the unions also mobilise working people to make use of the available resources, such as the $1 billion worth of SkillsFuture Credit, to upgrade their skills and help themselves.

That's how workers' welfare and livelihood are being taken care of.

In transforming the Singapore economy into an innovative one, it is essential that the Government, the employers and the workers are all on board.

Good policies work only if they are effective. Companies cannot transform themselves without transforming their workers. The stronger the link between Government, unions and employers, the better.

Tripartism here is an asset and a strength, the envy of countries that have seen their workers having to take to the streets in, sometimes violent, protests to make themselves heard.

Tripartism here has resulted in mutual trust between employers and unions. Such a trust is good for workers.

At the May Day rally in 1960, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew declared that the government was openly on the side of the worker.

"To be a good and effective union leader is no longer a matter of simply getting the workers to unite and fight the employer. And if the employer refuses to settle, then to squat and suffer collectively at the factory gate and hope to make the employer's business also suffer until he settles or closes down. For with the government on the workers' side this is not necessary."

"The strength of the workers is directly related to the supremacy of the Government," Mr Lee Kuan Yew said.

A close link between NTUC and the Government is a win for the workers.

Lee Kuan Yew: unionist at heart

The Singapore Population Swing: 2018 is turning point

Singaporeans “cannot have the cake and eat it too”. They have to make the choice – they either pay higher taxes if they want a smaller pool of immigrants or pay lower taxes and open the doors to immigrants, says UOB economist Francis Tan.

Singapore will cross the demographic Rubicon next year, when the share of the population who are 65 and over will match that of those under 15 for the first time.

By 2030, it is estimated that the percentage of people younger than 15 will fall to only 11% while that of those above 65 will reach 27% of the resident population.

That will put us in the similar situation as Japan today.

The implications are many.

Will we need more adult diapers than children diapers, more nursing homes than childcare centres, more geriatricians than paediatricians?

Economists interviewed said that unless the Republic loosens its grip on immigration, taxes would have to be raised in the near future as a result of the rapidly greying population.

The size of Singapore’s workforce will shrink resulting in lower contributions to the nation’s coffers from economically-active individuals while expenditure will go up from rising healthcare costs.

Maybank economist Chua Hak Bin argued that loosening the immigration policy is necessary to cushion the adverse effects of a greying population. “Raising the intake of working-age foreigners will help shore up growth and fiscal revenue, and reduce the tax burden on younger Singaporeans,” said Dr Chua.

In May, Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said that the pool of full-time national servicemen is expected to shrink by one-third in 2030. To overcome manpower constraints, the SAF has relied on technology and other initiatives such as the recently-launched Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance, which was set up to redesign fitness training to enhance the potential of every soldier.

Singapore's rapidly ageing population

With a rapidly ageing population, healthcare expenditure will go up sharply.

Are we willing to pay more taxes so that the elderly in our midst can age in place and with dignity?

"WELL BEFORE THAT TIME COMES, we have to plan ahead, explain to Singaporeans what the money is needed for and how the money we earn and spend will benefit everyone young and old." - PM Lee Hsien Loong during the PAP Convention this year.

The message of a rapidly ageing Singapore is not new. But it's time we wake up to this reality.

Good planning far ahead of time will ensure that both the young and old can enjoy quality lives.

Government HEALTHCARE SPENDING is expected to rise sharply

By 2030, about 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be aged 65 and older. 

Government HEALTHCARE SPENDING is expected to rise sharply, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said.

Mr Heng was speaking to the media after a tour of Changi General Hospital and Saint Andrew's Community Hospital on Wednesday (Dec 6).

"As medical technology improves, as our population ages, the demands will grow, and the need to provide for that will also grow," he said.

Mr Heng predicts an annual budget of "at least" $13 billion from 2020.

Mr Heng said the figure "is just an initial estimate" and will depend on "how well we are able to manage in the next few years".

The budget for MOH this year was $10 billion. In 2010, it was $4 billion.

Singapore has a rapidly ageing population. This year, 1 in 7 Singaporeans is aged 65 and older.

By 2030, 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be 65 and older.

How the PAP Government builds up our reserves

If you want good government, you need good leaders. Even in the best of systems, if the leaders in charge are bad, the government will be bad. - Lee Kuan Yew, 19 Jan 1994 

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat noted that earlier generations of leaders and finance ministers were very prudent, even during the years when Singapore's gross domestic product was growing 8 to 9 per cent annually.

"They did not take it upon themselves and say, 'Well, look, this is a great bonanza and for a government to be popular let's spend all that'."

The Government exercises prudence and great restraint in spending the reserves, to safeguard the future of future generations of Singaporeans.

Elsewhere this is NOT ALWAYS THE NORM.

We see cautionary tales of elections descending into auctions, with political parties competing with each other to promise greater largesse from their nation’s coffers.

Take GREECE, for example, where political parties engaged in a “disastrous competition” to offer patronage, cronyism, nepotism, and welfare populism.

Once the populist policies were set in place, it was difficult to turn back as it would be “political suicide” for any party to do so.

The end result was economic and political bankruptcy and a younger generation that finds that its future has been mortgaged.

AUSTRALIA is another example. They have tightly contested elections in rapid 3-year electoral cycles. One party comes up with a programme, the other offers more, each trying to outbid the other.

This has led successive governments to continue spending accumulated surpluses from a resource boom, which by now are gone.

In Singapore, our opposition parties too will spend the reserves, if they can, to make themselves popular if they are in charge.

Tan Jee Say was famous for saying that $60 billion from our reserves is just small change.

And WP's Low Thia Khiang once asked then Finance Minister Tharman if it was possible for Singapore to have the benefits of a welfare state without their taxes. How do you give people free education, free housing, free healthcare without raising taxes? You know the answer.

Our reserves are not to be taken for granted. We do not want our children's future mortgaged.

Singapore's demographic time bomb starts to tick in 2018

By 2030, the proportion of Singaporeans who are older than 65 will more than double Singaporeans younger than 15.

A rapidly ageing population presents huge social and economic challenges to Singapore.

The Population White Paper sought to address such challenges so that Singaporeans, both young and old, can continue to enjoy quality lives.

The intent and purpose of the paper became 'hijacked' when Workers' Party chose instead to focus discussion on a population figure, whipping up a great emotion.

Thus a precious opportunity for a conversation on the challenges that Singaporeans must face together was lost.

What got a whipping was not the Government but the well-being of present and future Singaporeans, both young and old.

Fortunately for Singapore and Singaporeans, a rapidly ageing population is something that the Government has been preparing for, having studied the population trends since the 1980s.

OUR RESERVES ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED

OUR RESERVES ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED

During a question and answer session at the Straits Times Global Outlook Forum, Mr Heng was asked by Bank of Singapore chief economist Richard Jerram about the possibility of spending a higher proportion of the earnings on Singapore's "huge assets".

Mr Heng replied that the size of the Republic's reserves gives Singapore "the FIREPOWER" to deal with anyone who tries to attack the Singapore dollar.

It also provides LONG TERM STABILITY to Singapore's economy.

It also gives Singapore the means to "weather crisis in ways which many other countries cannot". 

The reserves are not to be taken for granted, Mr Heng stressed.

If he can, he would rather leave it for the future generations, he said.

Reiterating the extent of Singapore's rapidly ageing population, Mr Heng said: "If we don't prepare for that, I think we will come to regret it and I want to make sure that… I will do the responsible thing."

Mr Heng noted how earlier generations of leaders and finance ministers were very prudent, even during the years when Singapore's gross domestic product was growing 8 to 9 per cent annually.

"They did not take it upon themselves and say, 'Well, look, this is a great bonanza and for a government to be popular let's spend all that'." 

He also credited former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee for the creation of GIC. The sovereign wealth fund has, over the years, invested in a variety of assets and earned returns which Singapore has tapped on. 

"I will be very cautious about making statements about how big our reserves are… increasingly, in a world which is more uncertain, I think we better have more firepower than less," he said.

Singapore's foreign policy and domestic policy are inextricably linked

Singapore's foreign policy and domestic policy are inextricably linked. They are not separate.

Singapore's domestic success depends on the effectiveness of her foreign policy. At the same time, Singapore's ability to speak with influence on the international stage depends on her domestic success.

That is why Singapore must be vigilant against any insidious attempt to divide us against ourselves so as to weaken our will and resolve as a sovereign country.

Whenever we come under 'heavy pressure', whatever our internal differences, Singaporeans must close ranks and stand up together for out vital interests.

Half of PAP's founding members were trade unionists

Back in 1954 when PAP was formed, more than half its founding members were trade unionists and almost two-thirds of the cadres were unionists. 

This is the background to understanding the symbiotic relationship between NTUC and PAP. 

In his speech on May 1 1960, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said:

"May Day 1960 will always be a notable occasion in the history of the trade union movement of Singapore. For this is the first time that May Day is celebrated in Singapore when there is A GOVERNMENT WHICH IS OPENLY ON THE WORKERS' SIDE. The PAP said clearly before and during the elections that a PAP Government is a Government on the side of the workers."

While other governments may say they protect workers from competition and unscrupulous businesses, they often end up frightening off investors and damaging the economy, causing job losses for workers.

Some countries try to weaken union influence, resulting in tit-for-tat conflict.

But in Singapore, the Government, workers and employers partner in growing and upgrading the economy, in a tripartite system that has delivered results over 50 years.

"The Government is always on the side of workers, but we make sure we are business-friendly and support our business to grow so that we have jobs for all." - PM Lee in his May Day Rally speech in 2015.

"We all judge tripartism by the basis of the results it generates, and in Singapore I think you you have the proof of the effectiveness of your tripartism, the results are there for everybody to see in terms of economic growth, in terms of employment, in terms of improved living conditions." - Guy Ryder, International Labour Organisation.

<< Be Vigilant Against Foreign Entities That Seek To Divide Us >>

<< Be Vigilant Against Foreign Entities That Seek To Divide Us >>

Singapore's domestic and foreign policies are inextricably linked. 

Foreign policy allows us to create opportunities for Singaporeans. And domestic policy prepares Singaporeans to seize these opportunities. 

Both go hand-in-hand to advance the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.

Our success is predicated on:

FIRST: Singaporeans’ continued confidence in and support for our foreign policy and its long-term objective of safeguarding Singapore’s independence and sovereignty; and

SECOND: Singapore’s continued cohesion, resilience and economic progress.

ON THE FIRST POINT, an emerging threat would be the proliferation of misinformation in this digital age.

Technological advancements have changed the way we communicate and consume our media.

The same technology which allows information to reach us almost instantaneously is also responsible for delivering distorted and even false information.

The so-called “post-truth era” poses many challenges for both domestic policy and foreign policy.

Big nations and smaller states have realised that they can increasingly achieve their objectives through MISINFORMATION which UNDERMINES THE WILL AND RESOLVE OF NATIONS THAT THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH.

It is not only the larger powers, even smaller players can use social media manipulation to undermine resilience in the targeted countries with little expense.

These techniques may be cloaked in new-fangled terms such as fake news and election campaigns, but the aims of achieving national and diplomatic objectives are in fact very old.

THEY SEEK TO DIVIDE a country against itself.

Singapore is certainly not immune to these advanced, persistent threats. We are one of the most internet-connected societies in the world.

With the free flow of information and dis-information across geographical barriers, the onus is on everyone to exercise judgment and not take information at face value.

So, the next time you read a foreign policy commentary or op-ed, ASK YOURSELF WHO STANDS TO BENEFIT FROM THE PROPOSED COURSE OF ACTION.

What we need is a well-informed society that understands not only the multitude of views, but the corresponding trade-offs in each policy position.

ULTIMATELY, SINGAPORE'S CONTINUED SUCCESS will depend on our resilience as a nation and as a society.

As a multiracial and secular society, our social cohesion has been tried in the past, and will continue to face challenges.

There may be attempts by external forces to divide us along racial and religious fault lines. We already see cases of foreign influences such as religious extremism exacerbating societal divisions in countries around the world.

It is imperative that Singapore remains vigilant against those who seek to mount insidious information campaigns to influence segments of our population for their own ends.

Singapore cannot tolerate attempts by foreign countries or entities to manipulate our people’s sentiments.

Singapore’s future is for Singaporeans to decide.

In the face of such attempts, the ties that bind us together as one people, which I would describe as “social reserves”, are vital.

In the same way that we have built up our financial reserves, we should build up our social reserves as an investment for the future because these social reserves will come in handy and helpful during difficult times.

http://bit.ly/2Byl88K

For a small country like Singapore, our domestic and foreign policies are inextricably linked.

For a small country like Singapore, our domestic and foreign policies are inextricably linked.

"Foreign policy allows us to create opportunities for Singaporeans. And domestic policy prepares Singaporeans to seize these opportunities. Both go hand-in-hand to advance the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans," Dr Tony Tan said.

He was speaking at the 10th S Rajaratnam lecture on 28 November.

Singapore cannot rely on having friendly relations to safeguard our national interests and sovereignty.

Singapore has resolutely pursued an independent foreign policy in which our interests are not subservient to anyone else, Dr Tan said.

Diplomacy is not to be confused with foreign policy. Diplomacy is a tool of foreign policy.

Diplomacy is not about having friendly relations 'at all costs'.

Diplomacy is about "promoting friendly relations as a way to protect and advance our own important interests."

Singapore must stand firm to preserve our fundamental interests. Even when we come under 'heavy pressure', Singapore "should not shy away from standing up for our vital interests, even if things inevitably turn sour for a while."

Dr Tan also said we should not seek to appease or ride on the bandwagon for fear of retaliation, especially when Singapore's vital interests are at stake.

"At the end of the day, our policy decisions must be based on one simple question – is this in Singapore’s interest? Where possible, we should try to find a mutually beneficial approach to resolve issues," said Dr Tan.

Cruise down Singapore River 1987

For more than a century since 1819, Singapore River and its banks were the focal point of all global and regional trade passing the island. 

Commercial activities concentrated along the banks of the river attracted squatter colonies, hawkers and backyard industries. Pollution became a major problem as garbage, sewage and industrial waste were dumped into the river.

Starting in 1822 and for more than 100 years, multiple committees had been established by the different governments to study the state of the river and propose alternatives on improving its navigation and solving pollution.

The last colonial commission to clean up the river was set up in 1950s and it estimated the cost to clean the river at about S$30 million.

However, the implementation on the commission’s report failed to achieve its targets due to financial difficulties and complexity of the problem.

It was only in 1969 that then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew set the machinery that would result into the clean-up of the river as a part of an overall strategy of urban development of the city-state.

http://global-is-asian.nus.edu.sg/index.php/clean-up-of-the-singapore-river-before-and-after/

Tony Tan: Singapore’s Foreign Policy Approach

When independence was thrust upon Singapore in 1965, our region was in disarray. Singapore faced ongoing conflict within our immediate neighbourhood, coupled by the threat of communism at our doorstep. Singapore did not have a defence force then to safeguard our sovereignty.

We had no foreign policy to speak of. And while we knew it was important to make friends to secure Singapore’s interests, we were acutely aware that Singapore could not simply rely on having friendly relations to safeguard our interests and sovereignty.

Singapore has resolutely pursued an INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY based on one key principle.

We make as many friends as we can while insisting on our right to be treated as a sovereign country, where our interests are not subservient to anyone else’s.

At times, Singapore may have differences with other countries, including bigger powers. Skilled diplomacy is then needed to manage such delicate situations and keep a fine balance to our external relations.

But diplomacy should not be confused with foreign policy. Diplomacy is a tool of foreign policy to advance our national interest, just as Free Trade Agreements are tools to advance our economic agenda.

While it is important to carefully consider any positions we take and to make as many friends as possible, we should not seek to appease or ride on the bandwagon for fear of retaliation, especially when Singapore’s vital interests are at stake. It is in the implementation of our foreign policy that diplomacy comes in and takes an important role.

At the end of the day, our policy decisions must be based on one simple question – is this in Singapore’s interest? Where possible, we should try to find a mutually beneficial approach to resolve issues.

But we must stand firm to preserve Singapore’s fundamental interests, even if we come under heavy pressure, or if it means a temporary downturn in bilateral relations.

Since our independence, there have been several instances where we have been tested by big and small countries on issues fundamental to Singapore’s sovereignty and national interests.

Some of these include issues concerning our sovereignty, such as the dispute over Pedra Branca; issues concerning the honouring of important international agreements such as the terms of the Water Agreements with Malaysia, as well as the Points of Agreement (POA); or issues concerning our rights to apply our laws and enforce our penalties, such as the death penalty and other punishments, in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.

Each time and at each test, we have stood firm.

And because of this, there will always occasionally be downturns, even between the closest of friends. But we should not shy away from standing up for our vital interests, even if things inevitably turn sour for a while. Nor should we hesitate to seek solutions through diplomacy, negotiations or third-party settlement of disputes.

What is important is that we as a nation have the confidence to stand together and weather such occasional turbulence.

Diplomacy is not just about having “friendly” relations at all costs. It is about promoting friendly relations as a way to protect and advance our own important interests.

We don’t compromise our national interests in order to have good relations. The sequence matters. But that is not to say that we should underplay the importance of friendships in international relations.

Let me take one example – the Yemeni civil war. As the crisis worsened in April 2015, MFA arranged for a coach to evacuate eight Singaporeans and nationals from Brunei, Cambodia, India, Malaysia and Vietnam out of Yemen to neighbouring Oman.

Our goodwill was reciprocated as other countries rendered assistance to Singaporeans as well. Such cooperation was only possible due to the wide network of friends Singapore has developed over time.

Ultimately, foreign policy serves to safeguard Singapore’s interests and Singaporeans’ freedom to chart our own paths.

As a small country, Singapore is often buffeted by forces that are beyond our control. In fact, the world today is one in which no single dominant player, let alone a small country like Singapore, can determine the trajectory of world events.

This does not mean that we should simply accept our fate. But it makes it imperative that Singapore remains nimble and adaptable to global trends.

As a small country, Singapore should continue to support an open global architecture and a rules-based multilateral system. We cannot afford to have international relations work on the basis that might is right. Respect for international law is essential for peace and stability.

And in the face of complex, transboundary problems today, we need a spirit of constructive interdependence to find solutions to global challenges, because no one country, large or small, can succeed on its own.

Singapore should also look to its immediate neighbourhood for opportunities and a collective voice. ASEAN has been, and will continue to be, a key cornerstone of Singapore’s foreign policy. Collectively, ASEAN has a population of more than 600 million people and a GDP that makes the region the 7th largest economy globally. A united and successful ASEAN will ultimately benefit Singapore and Singaporeans.

For a small country like Singapore, domestic and foreign policies are inextricably linked. Foreign policy allows us to create opportunities for Singaporeans. And domestic policy prepares Singaporeans to seize these opportunities. Both go hand-in-hand to advance the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.

- Excerpt of speech by Dr Tony Tan at the 10th S Rajaratnam Lecture on Tuesday, 28 November 2017 at 1430 hrs at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

Full text of speech:
http://sglinks.news/article/510079/mfa-press-speech-by-dr-tony-tan-keng-former-president-of-at-the-10th-s-rajaratnam-lecture-on-28-november-2017-at-1430-hrs-at-the-singapore