Equal pay for equal work in Singapore? [Click here, here, here and here for online commentary arguing for it.] Here's the caveat: IMHO, this nationality-driven discrimination has become so widespread in Singapore that the bus drivers' situation is merely the tip of the iceberg. Are we ready to bite the bullet and do a throughout spring-cleaning?
Take a look at the healthcare sector in Singapore for example. Even nurses in Singapore are discriminated in their pay based on their passports. If you don't believe, just go check with the Human Resource departments of the various restructured and private hospitals. [I know about it personally from working at one such private hospital lodged upon a certain "mount", and heard about similar HR practices at another private hospital from an ex-colleague who transferred from there.]
Even monkeys know to reject unequal pay.
How do you expect nurses from various countries behave when they learn of the discriminatory pay in Singapore? Ever heard of "relational aggression" in nursing? [Click here for an example. In the example, SSN Y is a Malaysian who lived in Singapore for many years. SN J, SEN M and EN IV are non-Singaporeans. SSN R, SN SB, SN RB, SN M, PCA M and I are all Singapore citizens. I cannot recall if SSN L and SSN R are Malaysians or Singaporeans.]Reading Vincent Wijeysingha's post on The Online Citizen, citing what he considered bad HR policies that risks passengers' and road-users' safety made me laugh -- cynically. My ex-colleagues and I have gone through similar (mis-)treatment as nurses at a certain private hospital in Singapore.
> "their six day work week did not mean working Days 1 to 6 and then resting on the seventh. It meant being allocated a rest day at any time during each seven day period: Thus they could be off on Monday, work twelve days straight and then be off next on the Sunday of the second week."
- Checked. I have been through that. Even pressurized to take up double-shifts, sometimes in the midst of 12 consecutive workdays, and in the midst of it, getting crap from my management. In addition, being pressurized to return to work even when I am sick with medical certificate from the doctor (click here and here) or on my "once-in-seven-days" day-off.
> "This did not include the already existing practice of not paying the drivers for the time it takes to prepare their vehicles prior to starting their first run of the day and servicing their vehicles after the end of each shift. Workers estimated that SMRT sucked at least one hour of unpaid work per shift from each driver"
- Checked. We were expected to arrive prior to the shift reporting time to complete various safety checks prior to the start of our shifts. Ditto to stay behind after the end of our shifts for various admin and add-on work. [Click here and here for examples.]
> "Constraints precisely designed to neutralise anyone who dares to ask for respect and dignity. ... Are told to go and join another company if they are unhappy with their pay and conditions?"
- Checked. I have personally witnessed a foreign-trained nurse secretly crying as she was forced to return to work at a ward where she was being abused by the "senior" (i.e. long-service) staff. The bullying is real. My nursing buddy who was sent to that same ward earlier became physically unwell after undergoing the stress from the collegial abuse. My buddy threatened to break her bond with the hospital if she was not re-deployed to another unit. Fortunately for my buddy, the management believed that she could afford to pay up the bond, and thus she was quickly re-shuffled to another unit to retain her services. When I asked the foreign nurse why she didn't she try to speak to the management like my buddy did, she told me that she did. The management told the foreign nurse that if she could not take the abuse, she could quit if she paid-up her bond. [Note: Being newly recruited from overseas, the management knew that the foreign nurse did not have the savings to pay up her bond.]
Consider how such labour abuses compromise not only the nurses' physical, mental and emotional health but also patients' safety. [Click here and here for examples.] How safe do you feel if the nurses caring for you and/or your loved ones are all-smiles in-your-face but actually breaking-down or burnt-out inside? How many nurses left the Singapore healthcare system in disgust? [Some of these left comments in my blog.] Unless you have personally suffered such systemic labour abuse and are happy to accept it over your entire career, please do not chide me for leaving Singapore. Do not chide me for breaking my bond in favour of my physical (click here and here), mental and emotional health. Do not chide me for choosing to work in a country where having real unions and enforcement of workplace safety laws meant that labour is treated with dignity and respect. [Click here, here and here.]
Other industries in Singapore that I came across with similar discriminatory practices and/or labour abuses include: construction, hospitality (hotels), information technology (including banking and financial services sectors), food and beverage / restaurants, etc. IMHO, anyone game enough to hunt for discriminatory practices and/or labour abuse just have to close his/her eyes and pick any industry, ANY industry in Singapore -- dig a little deeper and one will open a Pandora's box of filthy discriminatory HR practices and labour abuses.
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[Update Dec-25, 2014] Click here to read a blog post from "The Slim Rolly Polly Wannabe", another ex-Singapore nurse (now nursing in Aussie).
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[Update Dec-25, 2014] Click here to read a blog post from "The Slim Rolly Polly Wannabe", another ex-Singapore nurse (now nursing in Aussie).
Hi WD,
ReplyDeleteThis is the sad truth about Singapore. Workers rights are virtually none. I previously came from the construction industry and seeing the way companies are treating the workers appall me greatly and following Yawning Bread posts on the workers really break my heart. This is just not the way to treat fellow humans, just because they come from poorer, less developed countries. To make it even worse, our MSM promote such a mindset and after countless of years of brainwashing, even Singaporeans sees such practices are normal. Just reading other people comments when discussing foreign workers issue make me wonder at times if they even consider how such practices are affecting the workers. We had already trade away so many of our basic workers rights that there's virtually nothing much left.
Cheers,
J
Hi J,
DeleteThanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
I agree with you that so many of our basic workers rights have been lost. Sometimes I wonder what really happened, because I recall that back in the early-1990's it wasn't that bad. Perhaps PAP had not flung the foreign labour floodgates wide-open back then, and thus employers had to treat workers well to retain their services. E.g. We had some foreign colleagues, but all were paid equally as Singapore citizens with equivalent training/experience.
> even Singaporeans sees such practices are normal
These Singaporeans are either those with a vested interest or those who are "short-sighted".
Example of those with a vested interest are people like this boss who went on TV claiming that nobody willing to work as a dishwasher even when offered $3K/month.
As for the short-sighted folks, I really don't know how to talk to them. Like, why can't they see that by allowing unlimited supply of foreign labour who are willing to take whatever crummy pay offered, it will eventually undercut Singapore citizens' pay, benefits and workplace conditions. Frankly, I have given up talking to such folks. It seems to me that they not only lack vision, they also lack humanity.
Well, I am now in Canada. I have the union and others on my side when I advocate against discrimination. What a difference in labour norms here. Even my China-Chinese nursing friend PY who worked in Singapore before exclaimed, "Never want to go back and work in Singapore again. NEVER!" If it was bad for me as a Singaporean nurse, I can imagine what pushed her (given the anti-PRC sentiments) to make such an exclamation.
Cheers, WD.
Well, we are what we deserved because the older generations either chose wealth and materials needs over basic rights or they had been cowed into submission by the government. It's rather sad but this is the situation that we are stuck with and from which change has to be earned and gained back.
ReplyDeleteActually I think that we lost our rights way before that but it was not obvious until the foreign influx came plus the fact that all was still rosy then.
Yeah, I agree with your thoughts. I had since given up on those people yet it's these shortsighted people who will ultimately vote for the PAP. Is Singapore meant to be stuck in this mindless loop until it's too late to save ourselves?
It's good to help unions and people on one side when facing discrimination and the law to protect one against such things. Sadly, Singapore lack so much in these area that it's so laughable, especially the tripartite nonsense our govt like to spew out and a lot of mindless Singaporeans spewing it out too.
I have seen some protests and strike while I was in New Zealand and I strongly believe that one's right to protest and strike must be protected because no matter how many communication channels there are, sometimes, the most effective way to get the management and leaders to move as well as to get enough attention to the matter is through this.
Well, I can understand PY feelings. Our society is degenerating into one filled with hatred. While it's still being levered at the PRCs right now, with the Indians and Pinoys getting their share, I believe it won't be long before it become a blanket hatred of all foreigners. And to make matters worse, Singaporeans seemed to have some stuck up superiority complex, thinking that they are the best (best sum up in LIFT blog posts), that's making things worse.
Cheers,
J
Hi J,
DeleteThanks for returning and adding on to your thoughts.
> Actually I think that we lost our rights way before that
Yeah, I think you raised a good point here. All examples below quoted from wikipedia.
- When Singapore joined the Federation of Malaya in 1963, the Malayan ISA was enacted in Singapore. Even after its separation from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore also retained the ISA.
- NTUC was created in 1961 when the Singapore Trades Union Congress (STUC), which had backed the People's Action Party (PAP) in its successful drive for self-government, split into the pro-PAP NTUC and the leftist Singapore Association of Trade Unions (SATU). The SATU collapsed in 1963 following the government's detention of its leaders during Operation Coldstore
- Newspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974
> this is the situation that we are stuck with and from which change has to be earned and gained back. ... Is Singapore meant to be stuck in this mindless loop until it's too late to save ourselves?
I don't know. To fight for change OR continue this mindless loop? Either way, the sky ahead look stormy. I wish the brave young Singaporeans all the best in undoing the mistakes of their (grand-)parents' generation.
Cheers, WD.
I have a girlfriend whos also bonded to one of these sponsorships at ngee ann polytechnic. As a malaysian, she is bonded for 6 years instead of the standard singaporean 3 years which is kinda unfair. Do u have any idea what should be covered or paid altogether to break the bond after she graduates? Does the bond breaking cost lessens if she works longer in the bond ? I just want to get her out of that hellhole asap.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous at Monday, April 15, 2013 8:50:00 AM,
DeletePlease see a more lengthy reply in the blog post below.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-art-of-bond-breaking.html
Cheers, WD.
What if my girlfriend wanted to break the bond and continue studying nursing degree IN singapore? And after the degree she'll go away with me to Australia? Just saying. This time self paid because she realises the mistake made? Also fyi, the sponsorship is from Changi general hospital.
ReplyDeleteHi Concerned Boyfriend,
DeletePlease check the following url for details on registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-and-Endorsement/International.aspx
As I've mentioned earlier, I did not go down the Australian route, so I cannot help you there. Besides, I am a believer of the DIY migration (and certification) process. My rationale is stated in the blog post below.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/12/emigration-to-diy-or-not-to-diy.html
Whatever the circumstances that led to your girlfriend being bonded to her unhealthy workplace, as a fellow human-being, I believe that she has a right to seek her own happiness. She may need a lot of emotional support from you even after she quit because the traumatic scars from prolonged exposure to stress/bullying take time to heal.
Send my regards to your girlfriend. Tell her that the world is her oyster -- do not stay at any place that does not value her and treat her well. As a human being and a professional, she deserves better.
Cheers, WD.
How about part time post-registration to degree during the bond service. Is it usually allowed?
ReplyDeleteHi Concerned Boyfriend,
DeleteIMHO, your girlfriend's best bet is to speak to her hospital's Human Resource Dept directly. It is up to her hospital HR to decide since her bond is with them. Factors they may consider include: whether they believe her reason(s) for wanting to switch to part-time work and upgrading to a degree, the risks of her not fulfilling her bond, and how desperate they are to retain staff.
I suggest that she sits down and thinks through her options before rocking any boat. Depending on her rapport with her polytechnic nursing lecturers, they may be the best source of neutral advice (i.e. people without vested interest). Don't be surprised that nursing lecturers often keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry, both locally and overseas. Some knows the trends/norms, at least mine from Nanyang Polytechnic did.
As I have explained in my other blog post and above, I took a different route. I doubt that I can offer relevant in-depth advice on your girlfriend's specific situation, given that I did not walk the same path.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-art-of-bond-breaking.html
Cheers, WD.
Hi Concerned Boyfriend,
DeleteBelow is a comment from someone who completed a similar bond (as the one your girlfriend has) with Changi General Hospital. Do excuse her language as she did not have a pleasant work experience there either. [Note: I have edited her message slightly for clarity only.]
Firstly, a DECLARATION AND DISCLAIMER: The following are personal opinions from me and the aforementioned person. Neither of us is a Human Resource personnel, nor are we in any way trained in the matters of handling termination of scholarship bonds. Thus any content from us shall be construed as a sharing of personal opinions, not career nor legal advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided by us. Under no circumstances will we or anyone related to this content be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from any reliance on the information or other content posted or linked herewith.
Ex-CGH staff wrote: "Wtf, it's pro rated. It's written in the contract -- which year, u pay how much. If that's the case*, just leave without notifying them. My friend did that as she had depression n just left. It costs too much for moh pursue lawsuit, more than the amt she owes (to them). But I'm so sure the breeching (i.e. bond-breaking) contract fee decrease each year."
*Note: By "if that's the case", she was referring to any threat/suggestion that your girlfriend has to pay up the full bond amount.
Please be aware that the above person left CGH years ago, so no one knows for sure if the above will apply to your girlfriend as well. Also be prepared that the paper-pushers may suddenly unveil their iron-fists under their gloves as they did in my case.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-art-of-bond-breaking.html
Good luck.
Cheers, WD.
Hi WD, I was googling on breaking hospital sponsorship bond when I chanced upon your blog... I'm now facing this dilemma of wanting to break my bond in exchange for my career freedom.. Took up 3 yrs bond during my diploma in nursing.. After working for this hospital for 1yr 2mths, I just want to get out of this hellhole.. But the prob is HR refused to allow me to pay the pro-rated liquidated damage in instalment... How do I go abt breaking this bond in my situation?
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 6:10:00 AM,
DeletePlease see my blog post in answer to a similar issue below.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-art-of-bond-breaking.html
Best Regards, WD.