Right skills for right jobs 'key in future economy': PM Lee's May Day message, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/right-skills-for-right-jobs-key-in-future-economy-pm-lees-may-day-message?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20160501-[Right+skills+for+right+jobs+%27key+in+future+economy%27%3A+PM+Lee%27s+May+Day+message]&xts=538291

Right skills for right jobs 'key in future economy': PM Lee's May Day message

Singapore must press on with the urgent task of transforming its economy so that there will be more opportunities for workers and their families to improve their lives, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Preparing workers to take on good jobs will remain at the heart of this transformation journey, Mr Lee said in his May Day message, ahead of his May Day Rally today.

"At the heart of our economic transformation is the need to ensure that Singapore continues to offer the right jobs, our workers have the right skills, and there is a good match between the two," he added.

Mr Lee said the process will entail many changes, but gave the assurance that one thing will not change: "This Government remains on the side of workers."

Singapore's economy grew by 2.1 per cent last year, the slowest since the 2009 global financial crisis.

In his message, Mr Lee noted that the ageing population and tight labour market will pose challenges, as will slowing growth in China and strong global competition.

He said: "Due to these factors, we expect growth to remain at 1 to 3 per cent in 2016."

Amid these conditions, the Government is committed to economic transformation and to supporting those "ready and willing to make the effort", Mr Lee said.

He cited the recent Budget measures to boost the economy and investments in research and development as examples of resources being pumped in to assist the process.

A Committee on the Future Economy is also coming up with strategies to better position Singapore for this more challenging future.

While these measures are not targeted narrowly at workers, Mr Lee said they will benefit workers when good jobs are created and the economy is strong.

He urged workers to upgrade their skills through SkillsFuture, and be ready to take on the new jobs created.

Mid-career and retrenched workers are also getting help to adapt to changing market demands and to renew their skills to meet them.

The Government, employers and workers all have a role in transforming the economy, Mr Lee added.

Employers must work with unions to redesign jobs and nurture their workers, while workers have to partner employers and stay relevant for the future. "We can succeed if we all work together and each one does his part," he said.

"This is not the first time that we have had to reinvent our economy," Mr Lee noted. Economic transformations in the past succeeded because the Government, employers and labour movement worked together to realise a shared vision of improving workers' lives, he added.

"I am confident that we will succeed again if we stay united, and work resolutely and patiently at this goal," Mr Lee concluded.

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Faster bus rides to city from the north with North-South Corridor, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/faster-bus-rides-to-city-from-the-north-with-north-south-corridor?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20160429-[Faster+bus+rides+to+city+from+the+north+with+North-South+Corridor]&xts=538291

Faster bus rides to city from the north with North-South Corridor

Residents in the northern part of the island can enjoy speedier bus rides to the city, when the 21.5km North-South Corridor is ready by around 2026.

One of three lanes on each side of the expressway will be reserved for express bus services, reducing bus journey times by up to 30 minutes, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) yesterday.

A bus service now takes 60 to 70 minutes to get from Woodlands to the Central Business District (CBD). With an express bus service on the upcoming corridor, the journey will take just 30 to 40 minutes.

Bus commuters living in the north welcomed news of the new corridor, which links towns in the north to the CBD.

Some said they may even take the bus to the city instead of the MRT in future.

Ms Koh Cai Ni, 20, a part-time retail assistant, now takes the MRT from her home in Yishun to the city, which takes about 45 minutes.

"If (travel time is) really shorter, I might switch to buses. Plus, it may be cheaper," she said.

Teaching assistant Betsy Lim, 49, said it takes about 45 minutes to go from her home in Hougang to Orchard. "The dedicated lanes for buses will be good, especially in the morning during peak hours, as the buses can avoid traffic jams."

However, Ms Cynthia Lim, 19, who is waiting to enter university, said the wait for express bus services tends to be longer, which may not amount to time savings.

"So even if travel time is shorter, the waiting time might make it the same," she said.

The LTA also said yesterday that inter-town bus services could leverage on the corridor.

Residents in Woodlands, Sembawang and Yishun, for example, could have faster bus connections to towns such as Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Toa Payoh.

Mr Marcus Heng, 21, a polytechnic graduate, said it takes him about 45 minutes to get from his home in Bishan to places like Woodlands and Sembawang.

"I think it'll be useful, especially for full-time national servicemen going home from the Yishun and Sembawang camps," he said.

Along with dedicated bus lanes, a cycling path stretching the entire length of the corridor will be built. It will be linked to other cycling infrastructure along the corridor, such as park connector networks.

Said Ms Betsy Lim: "The cycling track is a good move to encourage people to keep fit. Some may even choose to cycle to work in the city."

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PrimaDeli apologises, sacks staff for making racist remarks to job interviewee, Manpower News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/primadeli-apologises-sacks-staff-for-making-racist-remarks-to-job-interviewee?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20160430-[PrimaDeli+apologises%2C+sacks+staff+for+making+racist+remarks+to+job+interviewee]&xts=538291

PrimaDeli apologises, sacks staff for making racist remarks to job interviewee

SINGAPORE - Bakery chain PrimaDeli has apologised, and sacked a staff who allegedly made racist remarks to a candidate during a job interview.

Facebook user Sarah Carmariah had posted on Thursday (April 28) about going for a job interview on Monday at a "well-known halal bakery" for a position as a cake decorator.

She claimed that during the interview, the head of the department she was applying to made racist remarks towards her and was dismissive of the way she iced a cake.

In a statement yesterday (Friday) afternoon, PrimaDeli's management said: "It has been brought to our attention that a staff member has made discriminatory remarks to a potential candidate in a job interview.

"We take a very serious view and have a zero-tolerance policy for such behaviour. This employee has since been dismissed with immediate effect."

In her post, Ms Sarah said that her interview with a human resources representative went well, but things went downhill after she was introduced to the department head.

He told her: "From what I see, and the way you look, and not trying to be racist ah, but you Malay, I think you cannot la."

He also cast aspersions on Malay people, and asked if she spoke Mandarin, saying that that was the language most of his employees used.

Ms Sarah wrote: "I was stunned and I just froze. I felt my ears getting a little hot, but I didn't want to lose my cool. I was taken aback and didn't quite know how to respond anyway."

She then had to ice a cake under the supervision of another staff member, who could not speak English well and did not explain to her how he wanted the cake to look.

After the department head returned, he remarked: "Aiyo, cannot lah."

He then began a conversation with the other employee in Mandarin. At this point, Ms Sarah retrieved her copies of her portfolio, thanked them and left.

She added: "I have no intention of naming or shaming this organisation and its people, but I would like to highlight that racial discrimination in the job market is more real than we think. How can anyone judge another based on general racial stereotypes?"

In its statement, PrimaDeli said: "We have made personal contact to offer our sincere apologies to the candidate in question. We would also like to apologise to the wider community with regards to the circumstances. 

"At PrimaDeli we believe in fair and equal rights for all at our company; we assess performance and suitability based on merit and achievements."

The national anti-discrimination watchdog, Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (Tafep), said it is trying to get in touch with the parties concerned to establish the facts of the case.

"Tafep would like to remind all employers that they are expected to abide by the principles of fair employment and adopt the good practices as stated in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. There is no place for discrimination in any form at the workplace," it added.

One in six of the 213 complaints lodged with Tafep last year were about race, language or religion.

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Mother's heartwarming post about son and 'MRT Uncle' goes viral as others share tales of friendly SMRT staff, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mothers-heartwarming-facebook-post-about-son-and-mrt-uncle-goes-viral-as-others-share?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20160429-[Mother%27s+heartwarming+post+about+son+and+%27MRT+Uncle%27+goes+viral+as+others+share+tales+of+friendly+SMRT+staff]&xts=538291

Mother's heartwarming post about son and 'MRT Uncle' goes viral as others share tales of friendly SMRT staff

SINGAPORE - A mother's heartwarming post to thank an "MRT Uncle" for brightening up her son's morning trips has gone viral, with others joining in to share similar anecdotes of friendly train staff.

Ms Samantha Bek said she saw many complaints on train operator SMRT's Facebook page, and wanted to "brighten up someone's day" by recounting her experience.

In her post on Thursday (April 28), which has since garnered over 38,000 likes and 5,000 shares, Ms Bek shared how her four-year-old son Jovan looked forward to his train ride with her to school every morning because of his "favourite friendly MRT Uncle Zainodin" at Bishan station.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Friday, Ms Bek said the online reaction was "totally unexpected", adding that it was nice to see fellow commuters give credit to SMRT when it is due. The rail operator has faced intense scrutiny for its train breakdowns, including a four-line failure on Monday.

Ms Bek told The Straits Times that the unlikely friendship was struck up "a few months ago" when Mr Zainodin overheard her son calling him "Star Wars uncle" for the light baton which SMRT staff carry.

Since then, they have been greeting each other nearly every weekday morning at the same area near one of the station's escalators. On Friday, Mr Zainodin thanked them after learning of Ms Bek's Facebook post, and Jovan reciprocated with a box of chocolates.

"Despite his age, he will always squat and give my son a big hug. The two of them will chit chat while we wait for the train, and sometimes my son will show him his toys or books," said Ms Bek, 36, who works for parenting app ParentTown.

Mr Zainodin's jovialness was also highlighted by other Facebook users in Ms Bek's post.

"This Uncle always greets me in the morning @ around 7am. And yes despite his age, he is fit cuz he walks quite fast from one end to another! It is quite obvious that he does his job with a lot of dedication & passion. Gd job Uncle," said user Ida VaMp.

Faili Majeed added: "He is always smiling and so polite despite the crowd in Bishan. And Bishan can be a madhouse yet he is so calm and patiently directs commuters.. love him!"

Mr Zainodin's colleagues at other stations also came in for praise.

Ctea Rosli wrote of "an Indian lady at Jurong East MRT wearing specs", who "will always be standing at the control station n greet 'good morning' to everyone..seeing her everyday just brighten up my day every single day!"

Lina Jay thanked a "sweet lady" at Raffles Place station for her "genuine smiles", adding that "I would like to give thumbs up to an Indian uncle in Bugis Downtown line that will always gives directions to alighting passengers cheerfully".

Yvonne Yeo also wrote of a "very chirpy and cheerful" staff at Raffles Place station.

"She'll greet the zombified passengers with a warm smile and greeting of 'good morning' even though nobody bothers to even reply or smile in return. Unfortunately I did not notice her name. But she definitely made an impression. Great job!"

 SMRT said service ambassador Zainodin Abdul Hadi, 65, has been with the company for four years. 

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Recession unlikely but gloom may deepen: MAS, Economy News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/recession-unlikely-but-gloom-may-deepen-mas?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20160428-[Recession+unlikely+but+gloom+may+deepen%3A+MAS]&xts=538291

Recession unlikely but gloom may deepen: MAS

The gloom blanketing Singapore's economy is likely to deepen but an outright recession remains unlikely, the central bank said yesterday.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said negative business sentiment has become more pervasive and unemployment is expected to rise even as wages moderate.

However, signs of weakening business activity remain confined to certain industries and the slowdown is not as dire as it was during the global financial crisis, it said in its latest macroeconomic review.

The twice-yearly review gives MAS' analysis and assessment of macroeconomic developments affecting the Singapore economy.

The outlook for the country's key trading partners such as the United States and Japan has weakened discernibly this year, meaning the Singapore economy will likely see "a protracted period of modest growth" in the quarters ahead, said the central bank.

MAS noted business sentiment has worsened this year, though layoffs in the past few quarters were largely contained within trade-related industries such as electronics and precision engineering.

With lower labour demand and supply, total job creation this year is expected to stay modest. As such, overall and resident unemployment rates are likely to rise slightly, MAS said. Redundancies could also continue to rise in sectors facing weak external demand and undergoing restructuring.

Economists warned of more weakness ahead. DBS economist Irvin Seah said first-quarter numbers were bolstered by a lift in pharmaceutical output, but this is unlikely to spill over to other sectors.

UOB economist Francis Tan said: "People are expecting a long winter. So they're holding back on investments and spending, and as a result the weak outlook can become self-fulfilling. It's a vicious circle."

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Man who took photo of foreign worker squatting while eating lunch calls for more awareness, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/man-who-took-photo-of-foreign-worker-squatting-while-eating-lunch-calls-for-more-awareness?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20160426-[Man+who+took+photo+of+foreign+worker+squatting+while+eating+lunch+calls+for+more+awareness]&xts=538291

Man who took photo of foreign worker squatting while eating lunch calls for more awareness

SINGAPORE - A man who snapped a photo of a foreign worker squatting on the ground to eat his lunch as he said he did not want to dirty the bus stop seat has called for more to be done to raise awareness on foreign worker issues.

Singaporean Andriko Ali said his Facebook post last Saturday (April 23) of the incident, which went viral with over 2,000 shares, was a good example of how foreign workers have displayed their considerate side.

Mr Andriko, 36, who works as a Workplace Safety and Health coordinator, told The Straits Times he was at the Jalan Buroh area in Jurong at around noon when he noticed the Bangladeshi worker squatting on the wet ground next to a bus stop as he ate his lunch.

Mr Andriko asked him why he did not sit on the bench.

His reply? "No abang (brother), I don't want to the dirty the seat."

"He has such high regard for others even though it's at the expense of his own comfort," Mr Andriko wrote in his Facebook post.

Mr Andriko shared that the Bangladeshi worked for a landscaping company and had been tasked with grass-cutting duties near a worksite in the area.

"Being in the building and construction industry, seeing workers such as him sit on the ground is nothing new," Mr Andriko added. "But the sight of him squatting was weird to me, which made me ask him to explain his actions."

The incident came after a Straits Times report on the same day revealed that Orchard Road shopping mall Wisma Atria had banned construction workers from using its public toilets.

It also put signs outside the men's toilets on five floors warning them of fines and work bans should they flout the rule.

The report sparked a debate on social media over society's treatment of migrant workers in Singapore.

Stressing that his own encounter was not related to the Wisma Atria story and that he did not expect his post to go viral, Mr Andriko nevertheless urged Singaporeans not to judge foreign workers too quickly, and to bear in mind that they have also played a part in helping to build the country.

"I believe a little bit more effort to educate them on the dos and don'ts while in Singapore would be more beneficial to everyone," he concluded.

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Plans for nationwide locker system for easier and cheaper parcel deliveries: Tharman, Economy News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/plans-for-nationwide-locker-system-for-easier-and-cheaper-parcel-deliveries-tharman?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20160426-[Plans+for+nationwide+locker+system+for+easier+and+cheaper+parcel+deliveries%3A+Tharman]&xts=538291

Plans for nationwide locker system for easier and cheaper parcel deliveries: Tharman

SINGAPORE - A new government initiative will bring about a nationwide system of lockers from which the public can retrieve small parcels ordered through ecommerce, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced on Tuesday (April 26).

This would make the last mile delivery of parcels easier, he said. Door-to-door deliveries are difficult to perform and add to the cost of delivery, which consumers end up paying for, he noted.

Some companies have started adopting locker solutions but it is costly if each company employed its own solution in each neighbourhood, Mr Tharman said.

There is thus a need for common parcel lockers conveniently located in or near residential areas would improve the ease of last mile delivery, he said.

Mr Tharman was speaking at the opening ceremony of LF Logistic's one million square foot "green" warehouse.

Another initiative Mr Tharman announced involved stationing a logistic operator within a mall to receive and consolidate the delivered goods and then provide last mile delivery to retail shops.

Mr Tharman said the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore plans to roll this out in Tampines Mall and Bedok Mall in July this year.

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SMRT concludes investigation into accident that led to death of two staff members, Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/smrt-concludes-investigation-into-accident-that-led-to-death-of-two-staff?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20160425-[SMRT+concludes+investigation+into+accident+that+led+to+death+of+two+staff+members]&xts=538291

SMRT concludes investigation into accident that led to death of two staff members

SINGAPORE - Critical safety procedures were not followed when the accident which led to the death of two SMRT maintenance staff members happened, SMRT said on Monday (April 25) after completing its investigations into the mishap near Pasir Ris MRT Station on March 22.

The investigations found that the deaths of Nasrulhudin Najumudin, 26, and Muhammad Asyraf Ahmad Buhari, 24, could have been avoided had safety measures been put into place.

Before a work team is allowed onto the track, protection measures must be taken. This includes setting the speed limit on the affected track sector to 0 kmh so that no train can enter on automated mode, and deploying watchmen to look out for approaching trains .

The SMRT's Accident Review Panel comprised members of the SMRT Board Risk Committee and three independent experts from Keppel Corporation, Transport for London which runs the London Underground, and a former staff member of Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation.

The panel determined that these vital safety protection measures were not taken.

It also said that the effectiveness of such protection before entry into the work site was not ensured as required under existing procedures, directly causing the accident.

SMRT said that its report has been submitted to the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Police Force and Land Transport Authority to help with their statutory investigations.

In the course of the review, the Accident Review Panel set out to examine the internal investigation findings - including the chronology of events leading up to the accident and its causes - and put forth recommendations to prevent a recurrence.

On the day of the accident, a joint engineering team comprising six signal staff members, including four trainees, and nine permanent way staff members - including two trainees - were tasked to examine a signaling monitoring device along the tracks near Pasir Ris MRT Station.

The device had earlier registered a warning of a possible fault that could affect train service.

The engineering team made its way to the device in single file along the maintenance walkway. As they approached the device, the signal team, led by a supervisor, stepped onto the track before the protection measures were implemented.

The supervisor narrowly avoided being hit by the oncoming train, but Nasrulhudin and Muhammad Asyraf, who were second and third in line, were unable to react in time.

There were also other factors identified as areas for improvement, namely track access management controls, communication protocols and track vigilance by various parties.

The Accident Review Panel concluded that while existing safety protection mechanisms are adequate, and current operating procedures continue to be relevant and applicable, they can be improved for greater clarity and ease of ground implementation.

In a statement to the media on Monday ( April 25),the rail operator said that it "deeply regrets" the failure to put into place safety procedures that led to the two deaths.

"SMRT Trains has taken immediate steps to ensure stricter enforcement of procedures, strengthened system ownership and control across levels and work teams, and tightened supervision within teams to prevent a recurrence," it said, adding that it was "comprehensively reviewing" all safety structures, processes and compliance.

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