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Tag: SDP

  • SDP: Government Less Elitist, But System Still Far From Fair And Sustainable

    SDP: Government Less Elitist, But System Still Far From Fair And Sustainable

    By raising income tax rates for the top 5 per cent and setting up the Silver Support Scheme to give payouts to the lower-income elderly, Budget 2015 has shifted the Government to a “less extreme elitist position”, said the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in a statement responding to the Budget today (Feb 25).

    But while measures to aid the “poor and weak” are welcome, Singapore is still far from a fair and sustainable system, the party said.

    The shift in the Government’s policies have come about not because of a change in the People’s Action Party’s ideology, but because of electoral pressure, the SDP said. “In the meantime, the ruling party continues to ignore the critical issues such as minimum wage, universal healthcare and retention of our CPF savings,” they added.

    Adding it was imperative for Singaporeans to support the SDP in the next General Election, the party said it plans to campaign on policies which include raising taxes on the top 1 per cent earners in Singapore to pay for financial assistance. “This Budget is a clear demonstration of how a competent, constructive and compassionate opposition like the SDP benefits Singaporeans,” they said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • SDP: Model For Implementing Minimum Wage In Singapore

    SDP: Model For Implementing Minimum Wage In Singapore

    Minimum wage (the lowest level of wages an employer may legally pay an employee) is an important policy tool that balances the needs of an economy with those of low-income workers so that economic growth occurs in a just and sustainable manner.

    A wage structure that is out of kilter with the cost of living and productivity is inimical to long-term growth.

    Under the SDP ‘s A New Economic Vision for Singapore, the government will establish a Wage Equity Commission (WEC) to recommend the minimum wage level.

    The WEC will comprise representatives from trade unions, chambers of commerce, professional associations, social work organisations, and academe.

    The determination of the minimum wage level will be based on a basket of factors including the cost of living index and inflation rate.

    Based on a wage level that would allow a worker working full-time (44 hours per week) to afford basic necessities, the SDP recommends the official minimum wage to be $7 per hour. This works out to be $1,232 per month for a full-time job of 44 per week. The amount would be subject to review by the WEC.

    Following the enactment of the Minimum Wage Act, the WEC will assess the impact of the policy on a basket of indicators (see box on right) and publish annual reports to monitor the situation.

    In addition, the WEC will be empowered to deal with complaints of wage manipulation and non-compliance by employers.

    The Progressive Wage Model recently introduced by the PAP targets only a small number of low-wage workers in the cleaning and security industries. What about workers in other sectors who are paid below a fair, living wage?

    There is also no mechanism to stop employees from manipulating the system by paying workers more but extending their work hours.

    Hong Kong implemented minimum wage in 2011 amidst much scare-mongering by the policy’s opponents that such a law would increase business costs to the extent that it would make the economy less competitive.

    However since its implementation, minimum wage has not adversely affected Hong Kong’s economy which continues to remain competitive and buoyant.

    Singapore is one of the few countries left in the world without a minimum wage law. The SDP will campaign for minimum wage, as we have in the past, in the upcoming elections.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.ucoz.org

  • SDP Proposes RESTART To Help Retrenched Workers

    SDP Proposes RESTART To Help Retrenched Workers

    When Singaporeans are retrenched, they are left out in the cold with no financial protection. Through no fault of theirs, retrenched workers suddenly find themselves in uncertainty and hardship.

    Low-wage workers are especially vulnerable as they have no say in company restructuring or the factors that cause MNCs to relocate their operations. This affects even middle-income professionals in the fields of life sciences and hospitality.

    Unexpected lay-offs cause severe strain on the entire family with serious social repercussions. Even though income stops, the bills don’t. The family still needs to eat, children still need to go to school, and electricity bills still need to be paid.

    On the other end, when CEOs and top managers are let go, they are given golden handshakes, sometimes worth millions of dollars.

    To remedy such an imbalance, the SDP proposes a retrenchment insurance scheme called RESTART (Re-Employment Scheme and Temporary Assistance for the ReTrenched) for our workers who find themselves laid-off from work.

    Here’s how it works:

    1. If a worker is retrenched, RESTART pays him/her 75% of last drawn salary for 1st 6 months, 50% for 2nd 6 months, and 25% for final 6 months.
    2. The payout stops once the individual is re-employed or 18 months after retrenchment.
    3. The payout capped at the prevailing median wage (which is $3,770 as of 2014). This means that a retrenched employee earning $3,200/month would be paid $2,400 for the first 6 months and so on whereas an employee earning $5,000/month would get paid 75% of $3,770 for the first 6 months.
    4. MOM will assist the retrenched individual to seek re-employment and help match his/her skill- and salary-level to new job where possible.
    5. The individual can reject only up to 3 job offers.

    Based on a 5% unemployment rate, we estimate RESTART’s budget to be $2 billion a year. This budget will come from

    • the state (80%), employers (10%) and workers (10%)
    • employees’ contributions are made on a sliding scale with the higher-income groups paying more
    • employers would match their employees’ contributions dollar for dollar

    Such a hybrid system of financing would spread out the fiscal responsibility to all stakeholders.

    To prevent abuse of the programme, those relieved of their work due to misconduct, resign from their jobs or worked with the company for less than a year will not be eligible for RESTART.

    As the name, suggests, RESTART is meant to provide temporary assistance to retrenched workers and to help them get back on their feet to contribute to the economy. It will help to reduce tension and hardship for families, keeping our social fabric secure and strong.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.org

     

  • SDP Goes On First Walkabout In Sembawang GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC

    SDP Goes On First Walkabout In Sembawang GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC

    The opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) today (Jan 25) conducted its first walkabout since it launched its preparations for the next General Election, due to be held by January 2017.

    The walkabout kicked off at the Marsiling Food Centre, with about 50 members and volunteers taking part. They covered several markets and food centres around Marsiling, Fajar and Bangkit, which lie within the boundaries of Sembawang GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC.

    Leading the walkabout was SDP Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan and his sister Chee Siok Chin. Dr Chee has said he plans to run in the upcoming election, after sitting out the previous two because of bankruptcy. Also present was SDP Vice-Chairman John Tan, who ran in the 2011 General Election.

    “We want to continue to be able to tell people that they need a voice in the Parliament – a voice that will help them articulate their concerns and their worries,” said Dr Chee.

    SDP also handed out copies of its newsletter, The New Democrat, which highlights its alternative vision for the Central Provident Fund system.

    Dr Chee said he does not think starting SDP’s preparations early will result in them losing momentum. “We are not doing this for ourselves,” he said. “It is a cause and causes are timeless. There is no time frame to it.”

    Despite the loss of star candidates after the last General Election in 2011, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) remains confident it will be able to put forward a strong team for the next election, said party chief Chee Soon Juan.

    Speaking to reporters after a walkabout at Marsiling Food Centre yesterday, Dr Chee was coy about new faces in his party. “For sure, this is going to be something to watch. We’re going to be able to put up a very good slate of candidates. We’ve got new people coming in,” he said. “People are getting excited about our message and … they want to be a part of this. We feel very good and very confident at this stage.”

    In attendance at the walkabout were about 50 members and volunteers, who distributed the party’s newsletter The New Democrat and spoke with residents at several food centres and markets in Marsiling, Fajar and Bangkit. These places fall within Sembawang GRC and the single-seat Bukit Panjang — two constituencies in which the SDP contested during the 2011 GE and plans to stand in again.

    Since 2011, the SDP has lost several high-profile members, among them Mr Tan Jee Say and Dr Ang Yong Guan, who set up their own political party, Singaporeans First. Ms Michelle Lee, who contested in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC under the SDP banner, has been seen at Workers’ Party events, while Dr Vincent Wijeysingha resigned in 2013 to focus on civil activism.

    The party has also announced that it would release an economic policy paper next month and a party manifesto in May. It also plans to introduce potential candidates in October.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Chee Soon Juan: PAP Should Not Stigmatise Failure

    Chee Soon Juan: PAP Should Not Stigmatise Failure

    Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan has criticised Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing’s decision to make scathing remarks about him on Thursday, adding in his response laced with sarcasm that Singaporeans “detest” the politics of mud-slinging.

    Referring to Mr Chan’s description of him as a “political failure”, Dr Chee said unlike the “accomplished” minister who had risen quickly through the ranks of the army and assumed political office, he had chosen a different path that does not lead to “power, privilege and a high salary”.

    “In this respect, Mr Chan is right — I have not succeeded. I have instead undertaken (the task) to speak up for the people of Singapore in what was, to put it mildly, a very difficult political terrain,” said Dr Chee.

    “Nevertheless, I am proud of my achievements … But I want to sound him a note of caution: When we attain our goals in life, we should not look down on and criticise others who have yet to achieve theirs.”

    The minister wrote to The Huffington Post on Thursday about their decision to publish two of Dr Chee’s articles — Without Freedom There Is No Free Trade and Free The Singapore Media And Let The People Go, printed on Nov 13 and Dec 11 last year, in which he criticised the Government for violating human rights through its trade processes and for its control over the media.

    In the letter, Mr Chan also detailed Dr Chee’s lacklustre electoral performance against that of Mr Chiam See Tong — founder of the SDP who had been forced out by Dr Chee — and his dismissal from his lecturer post at the National University of Singapore for misappropriating research funds and other misconduct.

    “It is because of these and other failings that Dr Chee is a political failure — not because he was persecuted, as he likes to pretend (to be),” the minister said.

    Taking issue with Mr Chan’s sharply worded letter, Dr Chee yesterday said the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) “outdated practice of stigmatising failure” troubles him.

    He also hit out at the PAP’s “habit of engaging in the politics of name-calling and personal destruction”. “It is disappointing that the younger generation of ministers like Mr Chan has not set a new direction for the conduct of politics in Singapore, instead relying on that of a bygone era. How does calling me a failure help to solve the problems that Singaporeans face?” said Dr Chee.

    “For the sake of Singaporeans, let us go beyond such an unconstructive form of politics that Singaporeans detest and graduate to a more mature level of contestation of ideas that the people deserve.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com