Pritam Singh's minimum wage call shows he is out of touch with reality

The Leader of the Opposition is out of touch with reality calling for a universal minimum wage at this time of recession when the priority is to save jobs, not calling for a universal minimum wage to lift wages.

Throwing in words like 'moral imperative' and 'national solidarity' do not make the call wise at this time or the timing right.

Even my mother with her folksy wisdom knows that a pay cut may be necessary for her to keep her job.

Employers have been given the green light by the National Wages Council to implement temporary wage cut if it can save jobs.

Minimum wage is politics, not economics.

The politicians decide, BASED ON THEIR OWN OPINION, what they think a worker should earn at the minimum.

Minimum wage is at best, populism at work. At worst, it is a cosmetic change that looks good on the outside but changes nothing on the inside because it does not address the needs of workers or the needs of the industries where they work.

In economics, wages are determined by supply and demand, and productivity, among other things.

The Progressive Wage Model addresses the needs of the workers AND the needs of the industries.

The sectoral minimum wage is set based on HARD DATA, NOT AN OPINION.

Taking into account the needs of the lift and escalator sector, the sectoral min wage for this sector is set at $1850. That's $550 more than $1300.

Jamus Lim disappoints with no answer for minimum wage level

One expects more of Jamus Lim.

But his maiden performance in Parliament was an anticlimax to the hype of election and the expectations that followed

He came to Parliament to make the call for a minimum wage but has no idea what that wage should be.

He seemed completely unaware of WP's call for a $1300 min take-home wage. Does he think this is the right level? Is it too high? Too low? What's the impact on SMEs? Etc?

He does not know of any country with a minimum wage that has a lower unemployment rate than Singapore but he has 'reams and reams of studies' that support his claim of the impact of a minimum wage.

Reality is not an academic discussion.

Jamus Lim and minimum wage

No big arguments needed. Just one statistic.

Minimum wage was legislated as Federal law in the US in 1938.

82 years later, millions are still left behind.