So many low-pay PMET’s?

singapore-employees

June 23, 2018

Why are there so many low-pay PMETs?

I refer to the article “Earning less than S$2,500, ‘disguised executives’ call for overtime compensation” (Today, Jun 23).

It states that “Describing these workers as “disguised PMEs (professionals, managers and executives)” in a blog post earlier this week, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) assistant secretary-general Patrick Tay said inflated titles are the reason why some workers are not compensated for working beyond official work hours, even though they are not in substantive positions of authority.

Mr Tay said the cases he has come across could just be the “tip of the iceberg”, as there may be more than 30,000 PMEs here who earn less than S$2,500 monthly.”

According to the Yearbook of Manpower Statistics 2017 – there were 791,900 employed residents with gross monthly income (including employee CPF contribution) less than $2,500.

So, a primary contributing factor to so many low-pay PMET’s maybe our labour policies which arguably, may mean that the labour movement may have failed to fight for our worker’s rights.

Leong Sze Hian

 

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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.