By: Raymond Anthony Fernando
It is encouraging that the newly appointed Labour
chief Ng Chee Meng has
suggested forming a tripartite committee to provide better support for our
ageing workforce, and to help mature workers to continue working if they choose
to (“Ng Chee Meng pledges to address struggles of low-wage, mature and
middle-aged workers, May 15, 2018”, MediaCorp’s Today newspaper).
I believe Chee Meng is a suitable choice as he does
make the effort to reply, (once through his executive), when I put forward a
useful suggestion to him during his stint at the Education ministry. Another
minister who is touch with the ground is Heng Chee How who was at one time my
mayor, a kind, humble and down-to-earth man. That is how ministers and MPs can gain the
trust and confidence in the electorate.
Indeed, the
mindset of employers has to be changed if we want to help older Singaporeans
lead more meaningful and productive lives.
When older
Singaporeans are unemployed for long periods, for sure they will lose key
social support that includes loss in income, little or no recreation and no
friends to socialise with. In the
worse-case scenario, depression and serious health issues will surface for this
group who are bound to feel isolated and uncared for.
Feedback
from bosses and companies have revealed that there is a tendency for young
graduates and those fresh on the job to job hop and show insufficient workplace
enthusiasm and commitment towards their work.
Yet, this is not
the case with many older Singaporeans and those with special needs, who have
stayed loyal to the companies that they have worked for. In addition, with their wealth of experience,
older workers are well positioned to mentor the younger ones. By hiring older
workers, they can instill in younger workers that deep sense of company loyalty
that will reduce cost whenever staff turnover rate becomes a regular
affair.
To lead by
example, I propose that the Public Service Division (PSD) starts hiring older
Singaporeans. With PSD being the largest employer in Singapore, many displaced
older Singaporean workers can once again find employment, purpose in life and
contribute to the growth of our economy.
With Education
Minister Ong Ye Kung inviting Singaporeans to step forward with ideas and
suggestions, some of our experience older workers who have contributed in this
area to their companies can nurture younger civil servants to embrace ‘bright’
and ‘bold’ ideas.
Not all
graduates in the public sector have the ability to write well, to articulate
their replies to the public is a friendly manner, and where there are policies
put in place, know how to explain the rationale behind it. To this end, hiring older retired Singaporeans
who have excellent writing skills will be an assist to the government agencies
they serve.
PM Lee spoke in Parliament
on elitism today, Wednesday 16th May 2018 and I am glad he was
surfaced this issue. Thus, it is vital
that all MPs and ministers make the effort to reply to members of the public
who take time to drawn up constructive solutions to growing problems.
Unfortunately, only a handful of political holders do so. This creates the
impression that elitism is still very much alive.
We must
encourage active citizenry – for it is PEOPLE and IDEAS that make a nation.
I’d like to add here that the provision of part-time work
can be offered to allow older workers more flexibility in their work life as
they age.
On all accounts, we should promote the idea to employers
who may be skeptical of hiring seniors, that turning away older workers is a
waste of human capital. In working towards achieving this goal, we will gain
ground as employers realise that discrimination is wrong – not just for legal
or moral reasons, but for business reasons as well.
Let’s have enlightened employers who can contribute to
making Singapore an inclusive society – where no one is left behind,
RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNNADO
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