Straits Times story 4 November, 2011

November 4, 2011

The discussions also sparked a debate on controversial topics, like the effectiveness of re-employment.

Mr Leong Sze Hian, former president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, posed a series of questions on re-employment and asked why the Government did not just raise the retirement age to 65.

Would workers be able to make ends meet if they were, say, re-employed on a 50 per cent pay cut? What if companies converted workers from permanent to contract schemes early on, just to avoid re-employment?

‘Why are the employers being given so many escape clauses?’ he concluded.

Responding, NTUC’s assistant secretary-general, Ms Cham Hui Fong, pointed out that under the re-employment law, workers who suffer huge pay cuts can ask the Manpower Ministry to arbitrate.

Re-employment, she added, gives all parties a flexibility that raising the retirement age will not.

Ms Cham also argued that if the solution was to be sustainable, it had to be win-win for workers and businesses, or companies may leave the country or find other ways of getting rid of their workers.

‘Let’s start with re-employment and see how it works out,’ she said.

 

SHARE TWEET PIN SHARE

About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.