Does the Rally rally?

[Wind In My Hair]

Just watched the Prime Minister's National Day Rally speech. I thought he spoke very well, as usual. My mum was bored. I wish our ministers looked more interested than the rest of the audience. So in summary I think it was:

- more goodies for Singaporeans, about $3000 to $5000 per household
- certified dating agencies and more baby bonuses and paid leave
- public demonstrations allowed at Speakers Corner and police to stay away
- advent of cyberpolitics
- nothing for expats, unfortunately

Did anyone else watch it, and any thoughts?

[cavalier]

I was mostly interested in the baby bonus schemes. I think the increased maternity leave from 3 months to 4 is a good idea. Some of the other stuff is pretty low impact like the dating agencies. All the social engineering stuff really made me cringe especially the pics of the past campaigns like 2 is enough and then later the ones to encourage bigger families. I have a big problem with the gov trying to getting involved that way in people's lives. Provide incentives and let people decide on their own.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I watched it all but the last 15 minutes (my dad called and the PC was in the other room and it's not easy listening to him and trying to hear the speech as well.

WIMH's recap means I didn't really miss anything at the end after all. What it means to me is as a PR I still get screwed. And as I take care of my MiL in my house thereby having to have a 5 room flat, My wife duly gets screwed as a citizen for having a 3-tier family structure. Nothing new. We get a wee bit more but because of more people in the house the the family of four. She wins and loses all at the same time. Oh well. Nothing new.

The maternity leave increase is going to backfire in their faces. Employers already are giving short shrift to pregnant mothers as the feel the 12 weeks is too long. Regardless of the government paying half of it. The employers still have to find replacements for a full third of a year now. this is not going to sit well with them at all. I'll bet that will be modified before it over.

And I still think my solution for the baby shortage is the best way. And it's an equitable solution to stop the male whiners who go on about having to do NS while the girls get ahead of them in the market place.......

[cavalier]

The maternity leave increase is going to backfire in their faces. Employers already are giving short shrift to pregnant mothers as the feel the 12 weeks is too long. Regardless of the government paying half of it. The employers still have to find replacements for a full third of a year now. this is not going to sit well with them at all. I'll bet that will be modified before it over.

That's a good point. The winners are the women who already have jobs I suppose.

[ohnuts]

The maternity leave increase is going to backfire in their faces. Employers already are giving short shrift to pregnant mothers as the feel the 12 weeks is too long. Regardless of the government paying half of it. The employers still have to find replacements for a full third of a year now. this is not going to sit well with them at all. I'll bet that will be modified before it over.

I have the perfect answer, perhaps they allow the ready willing and able, expat, experienced spouses unwillingly on dependent passess to fill in for the 1/3 year, giving them an opportunity to do something other than whatever it is they do and still manage to go on holidays with their children/spouses regularly - like the very long school holidays! Now that would be my kind of job!

[Wind In My Hair]

I have the perfect answer, perhaps they allow the ready willing and able, expat, experienced spouses unwillingly on dependent passess to fill in for the 1/3 year, giving them an opportunity to do something other than whatever it is they do and still manage to go on holidays with their children/spouses regularly - like the very long school holidays! Now that would be my kind of job!

Nice idea, ohnuts. The education ministry has got it all sorted out - a long list of relief teachers so that they can find someone to step in even at the last minute if a teacher falls sick, and even more so when a teacher goes on extended maternity leave. I've long thought the other industries should develop a similar system, though granted other jobs aren't as homogenous as teaching nor is any single company as large as the teaching service, so it will more more co-ordination amonst companies to manage a similar relief pool. Still, what we're lacking is not resources but imagination and I do like your idea.

Saw your post on the other thread, but didn't know what to say. Hope you are ok. And welcome to the forum.

[Forks]

I think the litmus test will be how much more political freedoms they allow, how much speaking, and on what topics, will be allowed on speakers corner, and on the internet too, more so as Im sure there will still be defamation suits if it goes to far for some peoples fragile egos.

There have been a degree of comments and articles and such this year that seem to indicate that the PAP knows its positions is not as strong as it once was and despite MMs painting the opposition as a bogeyman destined to ruin the country 20 mins after they get power, I think giving people a bit more space to blow off steam shows that its not all sweetness and light in Singapore, certainly if I was to try to compare pro-govt to anti govt taxi drivers it would be 20 to 1 against which indicates a fair degree of discontent in some parts of the populace.

Of course as letting a little bit more freedom might be just enough to encourage the people to take it all the further, who knows.

[Wind In My Hair]

The maternity leave increase is going to backfire in their faces. Employers already are giving short shrift to pregnant mothers as the feel the 12 weeks is too long. Regardless of the government paying half of it. The employers still have to find replacements for a full third of a year now. this is not going to sit well with them at all. I'll bet that will be modified before it over.

You're psychic? It was published today that employers who fire a woman in the last 6 months of pregnancy still have to give her maternity benefits. Well done SMS, and the Gahmen too!

[sundaymorningstaple]

I saw that this morning as well. Just though I'd keep me mouth shut see'n as how I seem to be doing this a lot lately.



As an HR Manager I've seen it all and listened to it more than once from my various bosses. This one isn't bad but the last one was the stereotypical boss from hell if you were a woman. At least this time the Gahmen took the initiative for a change to nip it in the bud instead of waiting until it happened and then doing their normal kneejerk responses.

[ohnuts]

It will still happen, and it does happen. Soon as any kind of maternity leave is brought in for women employers (bit of a generalisation ) panic.

14 years ago in Australia, I lost a pregnancy at the three month mark, problem was, small business, they knew. Within four months I was pregnant again with my eldest, I was retrenched around my first run at the bathroom! From experience/knowledge it is also tricky for a married woman in her mid twenties to land a job!