Firms must try to hire Singaporeans first from Aug 2014

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yep. He's making exactly the same points I've been making from the beginning. This is really going to throw a spanner into the productivity drive, big time. And life if going to be living hell for any expat making less than 12k/mo

[AngMoG]

Yep. He's making exactly the same points I've been making from the beginning. This is really going to throw a spanner into the productivity drive, big time. And life if going to be living hell for any expat making less than 12k/mo

I think this country (well city state) is on the cusp of making some terrible decisions that it will take decades to recover from.... they're not single large decisions but a series of small ones that pile up into a disaster....

My thoughts exactly. Since 60% or so of GDP is with GLCs (if memory serves), companies leaving would not be felt quickly. In any case, MNCs have a vested interest in doing so discreetly, in order not to get noticed too quickly.

I think they are going down a very slippery slope, and there could be a breaking point when the housing bubble finally bursts (probably due to jobs, foreigners and companies leaving) that everything will go downhill real quick. I hope to have left by then

[the lynx]

Out in CNA today:

MOM takes action against 10 companies after finding their job ads to be discriminatory and not in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

Nothing new but it shows that the government is serious on putting priorities on locals. Although other discriminatory aspects like language, age preference are just as bad.

Google on "MOM", "Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices" as keywords. Interesting that one of the offenders posted job ads for Filipinos. Pretty blatant, I must say, in view of the grouses from the locals.

[Wd40]

Out in CNA today:

MOM takes action against 10 companies after finding their job ads to be discriminatory and not in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

Nothing new but it shows that the government is serious on putting priorities on locals. Although other discriminatory aspects like language, age preference are just as bad.

Google on "MOM", "Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices" as keywords. Interesting that one of the offenders posted job ads for Filipinos. Pretty blatant, I must say, in view of the grouses from the locals.

Just read the article. One thing I found strange. The discrimination was on the basis of Age, sex and nationality and may be race too? So its not necessarily favoring foreigners over Singaporeans. So why just bar them from hiring foreigners? Thats an easy way out. They should instead be fined.

I think they are mixing 2 very different things. Firms that favour foreigners, first of all dont even post ads locally. They use body shopping agencies that have tie ups in foreign countries to get foreigners from there for cheap. Especially large MNCs do this and get away with it because large number of staff is not on their payrolls, instead on an agencies payroll and you will find Indian agencies will have lots of Indians working through that agencies and Filipino agencies will have lots of Filipino agencies working through them for the same client.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Wd40, that generally only for IT or labour. Most DO advertise for foreigner locally. The vast majority of Asian foreigners looking for EP types of jobs are over here on SVPs knocking on doors. It's only the headhunted ones that are gotten from overseas. But headhunting is a different ballgame entirely.

Eight of the 10 caught are local recruitment companies who's clients insisted that it was not part of their job descriptions. I worked in the industry for 7 years. I know better. In fact, I know the owner of one of the agencies in that list. She was a former colleague of mine at the recruiter we used to work.

[Mi Amigo]

Yep. He's making exactly the same points I've been making from the beginning. This is really going to throw a spanner into the productivity drive, big time. And life if going to be living hell for any expat making less than 12k/mo

I think this country (well city state) is on the cusp of making some terrible decisions that it will take decades to recover from.... they're not single large decisions but a series of small ones that pile up into a disaster....

My thoughts exactly. Since 60% or so of GDP is with GLCs (if memory serves), companies leaving would not be felt quickly. In any case, MNCs have a vested interest in doing so discreetly, in order not to get noticed too quickly.

I think they are going down a very slippery slope, and there could be a breaking point when the housing bubble finally bursts (probably due to jobs, foreigners and companies leaving) that everything will go downhill real quick. I hope to have left by then

^^^^ +1. Can you say "House of Cards?"

Out in CNA today:

MOM takes action against 10 companies after finding their job ads to be discriminatory and not in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

Nothing new but it shows that the government is serious on putting priorities on locals..

Indeed, and rightly so in many respects. BUT, are there really enough locals with enough experience, skills and, ahem, nouse to fill the jobs that the skilled expats previously brought to the table? Not in my experience TBH.

[touchring]

Yep. He's making exactly the same points I've been making from the beginning. This is really going to throw a spanner into the productivity drive, big time. And life if going to be living hell for any expat making less than 12k/mo

I think this country (well city state) is on the cusp of making some terrible decisions that it will take decades to recover from.... they're not single large decisions but a series of small ones that pile up into a disaster....

My thoughts exactly. Since 60% or so of GDP is with GLCs (if memory serves), companies leaving would not be felt quickly. In any case, MNCs have a vested interest in doing so discreetly, in order not to get noticed too quickly.

I think they are going down a very slippery slope, and there could be a breaking point when the housing bubble finally bursts (probably due to jobs, foreigners and companies leaving) that everything will go downhill real quick. I hope to have left by then

The housing bubble will burst when interest rates rise regardless of what happens to MOM policies.

MOM policies are guided in anticipation that job growth will shrink soon and by making it more difficult to apply for EP, they hope that whatever fewer jobs created go to locals.

Of course whether companies will hire locals by putting up an ad on a website for 14 days is another subject for debate. Hey, companies could still hire a foreigner after that 14 days!

If a company that wants to hire you can't even wait 14 days, that speaks volume about your worth.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Not necessarily. It might speak more about the company's clients and what kind of contract penalties are in it for not meeting required man/days.

[jwop2800]

Some of the points mentioned by other forum members on this new hiring rule are true to an extent.
This new rule came about because of many cases of employers hiring employees based on race and nationality instead of merit.
There are always bad apples out there.
I would like to know the forum members' opinion on how to prevent or solve this kind of problems if you all disagreed with the new hiring rule.

[Wd40]

Some of the points mentioned by other forum members on this new hiring rule are true to an extent.
This new rule came about because of many cases of employers hiring employees based on race and nationality instead of merit.
There are always bad apples out there.
I would like to know the forum members' opinion on how to prevent or solve this kind of problems if you all disagreed with the new hiring rule.

Hiring own kind doesn't mean, it is at the expense of Singaporeans. In IT for example there are lots of Indians in certain teams and lots of Filipinos in certain teams. But there are not enough locals with IT skills so hiring own kind is not a problem here at all. What about all construction workers? Why do you think they are all Bangla? Do you have a problem with that too?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Nah. The problem is selective from his point of view. They only find fault if it something they want but are not up to snuff with. Bangla roles, they don't want but in a lot of cases, that's all most "might" be good for (doubtful as most have never done an honest days labour in their lives). It's only if it's a coveted job or a job they wish they could get.

However, 6 out of 10 Singaporeans would not agree with the OP.

[the lynx]

I would like to know the forum members' opinion on how to prevent or solve this kind of problems if you all disagreed with the new hiring rule.

Didn't mean to be rude, but you sound like a journalist or columnist looking for (free) materials for your next writing.

[PNGMK]

I would like to know the forum members' opinion on how to prevent or solve this kind of problems if you all disagreed with the new hiring rule.

Didn't mean to be rude, but you sound like a journalist or columnist looking for (free) materials for your next writing.

Yep - wouldn't be the first rag writer to show up here.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Not a journalist, but probably someone looking for a good screenshot to post on TRE or some such again. We ought to give them some fuel for the fire, especially considering all those oppie sites have their heads up their collective arses.

Why don't you give us YOUR impression. From my many years in HR & Headhunting here, I find the biggest culprits are those local firms who want Chinese by requiring Mandarin speakers even thought they have no business dealing with China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. Maybe you can give us your thoughts on why that is okay but the other isn't? Hmmmm?

[morenangpinay]

probably waiting for me to show up too