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 insults union leaders

It's understandable that union leaders are upset. As the saying goes, once a union leader, always a union leader. These are passionate people working for the welfare of workers.

Jamus Lim has not walked a single day with any union leader to understand what they do and what motivates them. Instead, he sets himself apart from them, disdaining their wisdom as that belonging to the common people, based on folklore and beliefs and unscientific.

The wisdom of union leaders are like people who once believed that the sun revolved around the earth.

Really?

Jamus is clearly out of touch.

'Folky wisdom' of unionists have matched thousands of workers to new jobs

The arrogant Jamus Lim looks down on the wisdom of unionists calling that wisdom 'folksy wisdom and beliefs' and 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡.

Unionists have been hard at work and active on the ground fighting for the rights of retrenched workers, and matching workers to thousands of new jobs.

Jamus has yet to create a good job that pays well and does not require any further training.

Unionists have practical wisdom obtained from the ground. What Jamus has is not even his own study but studies done by others which other people have debunked.

Talk about wisdom.

Jamus Lim and his 'folksy' insult

We know he's got a big ego and must always win with the last word. But today, we discover he also looks down on 'folksy unionists'.

My, my. This guy lives in his own ivory tower.

Wake up, Workers' Party. Don't just read The Hammer.

Wake up, Workers' Party. Don't just read The Hammer.

Raeesah asked for the formation of a committee that is already formed.

Louis asked the government not to keep people unaware but to provide details of Phase 3 reopening when the taskforce had already said more than a week ago that details would be announced.

The best is from Jamus Lim. Not knowing that Minimum Wage Plus is actually Progressive Wage Model, he declared a shift in PAP's stand which he attributed to the election and claimed credit for it.

The Workers' Party must also keep the promises they made during the election and not keep quiet and hope that with time, voters will forget about them.

Good jobs and skills training

To close the gap of inequality, to help workers to access opportunities, to ensure that the fruits of growth are inclusive, and to uplift those at the bottom, skill training and re-training cannot be understated.

Singapore has a comprehensive programme to help our workers stay relevant and to equip them for good jobs - from SkillsFuture to traineeship to professional conversion programme to make a career switch.

It’s unrealistic and out-of-touch to believe that in this day of fast technological change, one does not have to train for skills after your school education.

WP Jamus Lim' expectation of good jobs is far too detached from reality.

Heng Swee Keat: preserving core capabilities and retaining special skills

DPM Heng Swee Keat said in his recent ministerial statement on 5 Oct that we would build a new future by being a Global-Asia node to create good jobs for Singaporeans.

To be a node, we must be connected to the world and this includes physical connectivity. Many global companies have their regional hub here because of good governance here, our stability and connectivity to Asia and the rest of the world.

The pandemic has decimated air travel in the world and devastated SIA and Changi Airport Group, and tourism.

We can either let them flounder, and let businesses shut down one by one and when the pandemic is over and the world recovers, there is no one to greet the opportunities.

Or we can do our best to help and support them, especially to preserve core capabilities and specialised skills so that when the world recovers, we can be the first out of the gate.

Let's have a clear picture of what the Government is doing.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 - 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. - Heng Swee Keat

This is a government working very hard to secure the future and to build a better Singapore for their people.