Will minimum wage laws work here?

[BBCWatcher]

3.6k is a guideline.
U can get ep for as low as 2.5k
Or maybe lower.....

No, it’s the other way around. $3,600/month is the absolute minimum for an EP, and more is often required.

S Passes can go as low as $2,300. The Ministry of Manpower can consider an application for both pass types simultaneously, so that might be what you’re thinking of.

I’m merely pointing out that the government has absolutely no problem requiring and enforcing minimum wages for over 10% of the workforce. Obviously a broader minimum wage is feasible, i.e. could be implemented.

 

[theMKR]

No, it’s the other way around. $3,600/month is the absolute minimum for an EP, and more is often required.

S Passes can go as low as $2,300. The Ministry of Manpower can consider an application for both pass types simultaneously, so that might be what you’re thinking of.

I’m merely pointing out that the government has absolutely no problem requiring and enforcing minimum wages for over 10% of the workforce. Obviously a broader minimum wage is feasible, i.e. could be implemented.

go play with the self assessment tool:

https://service1.mom.gov.sg/workpass/sat

This assessment is for aNew applicationIntended date of pass application10 Sep 2019
OccupationEngineerFixed monthly salarySGD 2,600
NationalityMalaysianDate of birth04 Mar 1992
Total work experience7 years 2 months
Relevant work experience4 years 6 months
Qualification 1
Awarding institutionInstitut Teknologi Afzal MalaysianCountry / RegionMalaysia
QualificationBachelor's Degree With Honours (1ST CLASS)
FacultyEngineering
Mode of studyFull-time
Length of study4 years 0 months
Graduation dateFeb 2013

2600 qualify for ep or s-pass

 

[Mecisteus]

Not true. Even free markets like USA have min wage.

It is a vicious cycle.

If you implement a minimum wage, then you don't expect to pay $3-5 per meal.

You will follow like western countries by paying more for taxes and food.

But how are their savings rate? ie Income minus expenditures. Surprisingly, only Switzerland is in the top 10.

Singapore is in the top place according to this list.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022415/top-10-countries-save-most.asp

 

[Mecisteus]

Manufacturing is still central to the Singapore's economy.

If there is a minimum wage, I think all the manufacturing plants have to close down and a lot of engineers will go out of jobs.

 

[Merg91]

Must be high tech then the jobs would be beyond minimum wage.
https://www.straitstimes.com/busine...asingly-important-part-of-manufacturing-fitch

 

[limster]

rather than ask govt to impose minimum wage, Singaporeans can make a start by simply paying people who give you good service .

Take for example the local barber I go to underneath a HDB block. The price he can charge for haircuts is unfortunately capped by all those QB House, EC House competition so he hasn't had any salary increase for many many years. I am happy to pay him more to take into account inflation over the years.

if you are not interested in paying those who provide good service more, then what hope is there for minimum wage, where you have to pay more for everything, whether good or bad service.

 

[ftpofmpo]

Of course a minimum wage is feasible. Most countries have one, including Singapore's neighbors.

And it's extra feasible in Singapore because Singapore already has some minimum wages. One poster pointed out, correctly, that Singapore does have a minimum wage for Singaporeans: for senior civil servants and government leaders. Their minimum wages are pegged to percentages of benchmark private sector wages. Singapore also has minimum wages for many foreign worker categories. For example, the Ministry of Manpower currently enforces a $3,600/month minimum wage (fixed monthly salary) for Employment Pass holders.

Whether it'd be a wise policy or not is a separate question -- yes, probably, in my view -- but feasible? Absolutely, no problem.

since singapore has a minimum wage in the form of progessive wage model, doesn't that sort of put a floor in the wage system already. Those that pay lower will be shunned

 

[towkayray]

Set minimum wage at S$500 per month for maids, S$800 a month for construction workers and S$6 per hour for fast food. Quite useless because they are already paid more than that.

 

[towkayray]

go play with the self assessment tool:

https://service1.mom.gov.sg/workpass/sat

This assessment is for aNew applicationIntended date of pass application10 Sep 2019
OccupationEngineerFixed monthly salarySGD 2,600
NationalityMalaysianDate of birth04 Mar 1992
Total work experience7 years 2 months
Relevant work experience4 years 6 months
Qualification 1
Awarding institutionInstitut Teknologi Afzal MalaysianCountry / RegionMalaysia
QualificationBachelor's Degree With Honours (1ST CLASS)
FacultyEngineering
Mode of studyFull-time
Length of study4 years 0 months
Graduation dateFeb 2013

2600 qualify for ep or s-pass

S pass minimum is S$2200. I have spoken to Filipina s pass holders, they claim only paid 1.9k per month, but employer fraudulently obtained s pass by submitting a 2.2k payslip for a certain period, before recouping the sums from subsequent wages.

 

[ftpofmpo]

Must be high tech then the jobs would be beyond minimum wage.
https://www.straitstimes.com/busine...asingly-important-part-of-manufacturing-fitch

There is nothing from this account that does not mirror mainstream position, ai and real natural language processing must have arrived. one can look to the exchange between mahathir and the japanese for insight into their disagreements and challenges on the matter

 

[towkayray]

UK minimum wage £8.20 per hour. Those fellas actually pay quite substantial income tax and national insurance. I spoke to a lot of staff in London, they admit they struggle on such a low wage. Meanwhile, the poorest Singaporeans on SGD$6 per hour still enjoying their cheap cai png and occasional chicken rice.

 

[RMCWMR]

rather than ask govt to impose minimum wage, Singaporeans can make a start by simply paying people who give you good service .

Take for example the local barber I go to underneath a HDB block. The price he can charge for haircuts is unfortunately capped by all those QB House, EC House competition so he hasn't had any salary increase for many many years. I am happy to pay him more to take into account inflation over the years.

if you are not interested in paying those who provide good service more, then what hope is there for minimum wage, where you have to pay more for everything, whether good or bad service.

Hahahaha. That is the joke of the century. Singaporeans are known as gian png, selfish, kiasu people. Asking them to pay more for services is like asking scammers to be truthful. Its against their nature. Never gonna happen

 

[RMCWMR]

It is a vicious cycle.

If you implement a minimum wage, then you don't expect to pay $3-5 per meal.

You will follow like western countries by paying more for taxes and food.

But how are their savings rate? ie Income minus expenditures. Surprisingly, only Switzerland is in the top 10.

Singapore is in the top place according to this list.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022415/top-10-countries-save-most.asp

Not necessarily. Companies can figure out ways to keep cost low such as self service.

 

[limster]

Not necessarily. Companies can figure out ways to keep cost low such as self service.

you are basically saying that minimum wage will cause employers to fire their employees and go self service and maybe invest in more automation?

 

[Mecisteus]

Not necessarily. Companies can figure out ways to keep cost low such as self service.

Electronics manufacturing is operating in a cut throat environment in Singapore where profit margins are razor thin and some are operating at losses.

If costs of hundreds or thousands of low rank employees go up, I think the MNCs rather move out to cheaper locations.

Also the same for F&B. Basically, employers can raise price of food or they go out of business if there is a higher minimum wage.

 

[Aion99]

Slightly disagree. In what you described,
Plate collector boss or any other private sector employer very likely will kick out the 2k/mth degree holder and employ 2 O level. So without min wage, he can have 3 plate collector. Once MW kicked in he have to reduce to 2 in order to have the same headcount expenses. So the way I look at it MW does deny employment opportunity or increase cost to some extend. Of course those who remain employed under MW will be happier.

Totally agree because what you described happens in Gov sector/stat board.

Remember it is very difficult to find those local young O Levels holders (never further theirs studies) . As those age below are 35, majority are degrees holders. Left only mature workers who can't survive with just 1k.So I don't think they can easily find three O level workers willing to work for 1k. Min wage policy can force employer to increase productivity too, force degree holders to find higher pay jobs, if the employer decided to hire 2 o level instead. So no need 3 workers. The advantages are far greater than disadvantages. SG is minority country still afraid to implement min wage policy.

 

[Oldnerd79]

Agree.. gen X also difficult to find ppl who started working after O levels..let alone the millennials generation. No point having minimum wage because most likely it will only be the foreign workers n won't benefit our own citizens anyway..

 

[Merg91]

Mummy56789 is one for sure.
She suggested more taxing for the super rich but not her own pay scale.
Ask her to pay 50% more for her condo maintenance fee or McDonald meals ? Lol

Even in CPF issues, the few against it simply because they believe they are disadvantaged.
'They can manage their retirement' 'I like CPF but dislike CPF Life'. Lol

What a wonderful world.

Hahahaha. That is the joke of the century. Singaporeans are known as gian png, selfish, kiasu people. Asking them to pay more for services is like asking scammers to be truthful. Its against their nature. Never gonna happen

 

[RMCWMR]

Agree.. gen X also difficult to find ppl who started working after O levels..let alone the millennials generation. No point having minimum wage because most likely it will only be the foreign workers n won't benefit our own citizens anyway..

Foreigners in SG already have min wage

 

[RMCWMR]

Electronics manufacturing is operating in a cut throat environment in Singapore where profit margins are razor thin and some are operating at losses.

If costs of hundreds or thousands of low rank employees go up, I think the MNCs rather move out to cheaper locations.

Also the same for F&B. Basically, employers can raise price of food or they go out of business if there is a higher minimum wage.

Firstly low cost electronics manufacturing is not and will not be a core contribution to the singapore economy. Those are better off in low cost countries.

As for restaurants more and more are adopting self order and self service. I see no impact to workers even with min wage