Alternative news in 1 day? (part 75) – real total wage declined last 5 years?

March 8, 2014

I refer to the article “Govt can’t let up on efforts to boost pay” (Straits Times, Mar 8).

Wage increase?

It states that “The ministry repeatedly cites a survey between 2008 and 2010 to show that training has led to wage increases of between 2.6 per cent and 4.6 per cent.

But it is unclear if these increases resulted directly from training, or whether there were other contributory factors.”

Negative real total wage change last 5 years?

In this connection, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) web site

– Income – Annual Wage Changes – Total wage Change (%)

– the real annual total wage change (excluding employer CPF) from 2008 to 2012, was -2.4, -1.0, 2.7, 0.1 and -0.8, respectively.

This works out to a cumulative real decrease in wage change of about -1.5% or -0.29 per annum, from 2008 to 2012.

Like a “broken tape recorder”?

So, why do we “repeatedly cites a survey between 2008 and 2010 to show that training has led to wage increases of between 2.6 per cent and 4.6 per cent”?

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.