Its still a mystery to me why our government has decided to all along restrict the influx of foreign workers by focusing on the semi-skilled S-Pass work permit system when the EP work permit category is more damaging to the employment opportunities of our average local PMETs.
As of next year, employers hiring foreign workers using the EP work permit have to pay $3000/month in salary – up from $2800 and the candidates must have at least a basic degree.
Singapore company registration specialists, Rikvin, has observed a 25.7% increase in the number of Singapore work visa applications between 2010 and 2011, in spite of higher requirements effected in July 2011.Although higher Singapore Employment Pass (EP) requirements have been in effect since 1 July 2011, Singapore company registration specialists, Rikvin, has observed that the number of Singapore EP applications between H2 (i.e. July to December) 2010 and H2 2011 has increased by 22.5%.
The jobs that go to the EP work permit holders are typically jobs that can be carried out by the average tertiary-trained Singaporean PMETS except for the niche IT programming and financial sector. Its not uncommon to see many MNCs hiring predominantly foreigners with just a trickle few consisting local staff.
On the other hand, the S-Pass work permit is heavily used primarily by manufacturing, services and construction businesses as majority of the Singaporeans does not work in these blue-collared low-paying industries.
However, we have heard of S-Pass work permits being used now even for administrative and executive-level jobs – depriving many average Singaporeans of such work.
The EP work permit needs to be relooked to ensure that only jobs that Singaporeans shun will be opened for foreigners to work in.
If not, employers will always try to use up their foreign hiring quota first before turning to hiring Singaporeans on a secondary basis due to the cost factor.
Moreover, it is the EP work permit system that poses the most challenges to our well-educated local PMET s out looking for jobs and not the S- Pass work permit system that caters largely to the semi-skilled service and manufacturing sectors.
These E_Pass job holders are ususally the executive or mid-managerial level positions – jobs that typically Singaporeans can do and thrive on.
By continuing to allow employers to hire foreigners undeterred using the EP work permit, the government is actually forcing our local PMETs to compete head on with its cheaper and younger foreign counterparts.
More worrying, employers can now staff his company with 100% foreign workers using the EP permits – which is the case for many MNCS here. This explains the reason why many local Singaporeans have complained that Marina Bay financial centre represents more of a foreign overseas location than Singapore now.
I feel that the S-Pass work permit’s original hiring quota should remain whereas a cap should be placed on the EP work permit system.
The reason is simple – jobs taken up by foreign workers using the S-Pass are often blue-collared, low paying and mostly shunned by Singaporeans whereas jobs offered by the EP work permits are what most local PMETs will be seeking out.
It is thus ironical that the S-Pass foreign labour quota is tightened whereas the EP work permit is not.
The rumour is that E-Pass holders are normally tertiary-educated and thus easily converted to be permanent resident and later on to citizenship for their votes?
Perhaps, the overall foreign labour quota system should be given a thorough over haul so that our local workers’ interest can be looked after first.
We have a need for foreign workers here as our country has a limited manpower pool but please, let us not deprive the average Singaporeans of their basic need of a decent job.
Without that, all else does not matter.
Gilbert Goh
NB: This letter to the ST forum was not published.
The S Pass is lower skills.. The government want higher skill people to stay here and become citizens. New citizens so they can get more votes in 2016. That’s what I can think of. Its all about votes.
More Singaporean are losing their jobs to foreigners.
In time to come, more of these Singaporean not going to vote for the government.
You better wake up their brain. You think the new citizens cast more votes? Fat hope.
These EP work permit applicants usually are degree holders with years of working experience. It is much easier to obtain a degree in their countries as compare to s’pore. These foreign universities could be some 3rd of 4th class universities. You could buy the degree cert or bribe to graduate.
$3000/month in salary is not consider too high for a degree holder with a few of working experience. Employers will most likely most willing to hire these foreigners on EP.
After working in s’pore for a few years, they will apply for PR or citizenship. Some countries recognise dual citizenship. That really benefit them.
However, Singapore does not recognize dual citizenship. In order for a foreigner to obtain Singapore citizenship, they must have documentation to prove that they have renounced their present citizenship before they can proceed to become Singaporeans. The only group not affected are children who can hold dual citizenship until 22 years old.
So, there is no way any foreigner can eat the cake and have it too,
yeah, Singapore middle managers thrives on giving orders while sitting on their fat asses. Let other people do the real work. No wonder they are out of jobs.
I have a colleague who is an admin assistant and she is holding employment pass. According to her, not necessary to have $3k salary as long as one has a degree. So employment pass really easy to get.
@Tim,
Wrong, salary threshold must be met, otherwise no EP and lower EP passes are scrutinized a lot on degrees. We had a fresh graduate guy few years back that we had really big trouble getting into SG on EP at $3500 as even though he was amazingly good, SG government wasn’t taking too kindly to his 3rd world degree. Too bad we couldn’t keep him, he was poached by US MNC after two years here and he moved to US after that as we couldn’t afford to pay what MNCs were throwing at him.
Emm… your example only confirms that salary is not a important criterion. Your candidate was rejected despite having a salary of $3.5k, well above the minimum. Recognition of the degree is a more important consideration for EP thats why admin assistants with recognised degrees are given EP despite earning less than 3k. The recent raising EP criterion from $2.8k to 3k is just a PR exercise.
Tim,
My example confirms that not any degree is acceptable and the fact we had tough time with salary above threshold at the time is not that easy to get EP contrary to what admin assistant said.
Easiest to get is P1 pass, for that category degree doesn’t really matter, especially if salary >10k per month. SG government probably thinks that if private employer is willing to pay that much then applicant must have above average qualifications. The lower the pass category and salary is the more scrutiny is applied to degree and qualifications and threshold is non-negotiable. If salary is below threshold applicant will be given lower pass: P1 > P2 > Q > S-pass. In admin assistant eyes all of those are EPs.
In the end market sorts people out, I have seen those who weaseled in, sent back home because they couldn’t perform and those who perform, triple and double promoted in one year and still had MNCs showering them with money. Same goes for locals, just because you have pink NRIC doesn’t make you automatically better performer or smarter. And yes, degree qualifications are important only for fresh grads who don’t have any experience or other means to estimate their potential performance. It’s funny to hear lamentations about degrees from people who had 3-5 years of experience, they better have decent track record than some degree, otherwise go ahead and put those PSLE scores on resume too.
You are missing the point. The discussion here and Gilbert’s article are about
1. EP holders doing jobs locals can do.
2. There is no quota for EP.
3. Even admin asst can get EP despite govt claim that only talent not found locally can get EP
4. Min. Salary for EP is not strictly enforced thus I can hire admin asst on 2k salary.
Thus it is possible for a company to hire 100% foreigners on EP filling all jobs from admin asst to general manager and we are seeing this happening. That’s the crux of the matter.
A lot of the foreign friends I have do not get less money than locals. They are actually paid more to work in Singapore. I am talking about EP btw. For S-pass, it is just cheap labour (but u don’t care about that, cos Singaporeans are too high class for that right?)
So you have to ask, why are companies paying more money to hire foreign executives and managers when there are plenty of Singaporean who wants the job.
S’poreans do care about influx of S-pass holders coz those that are locals who are low educated or wish to take up jobs in construction, cleaning, retail, security, hotel, F&B sectors but are facing tough competition from influx of S-pass holders.
Employers would rather hire foreigners than hire locals of the low wages they to pay, force them to work long hours & put these foreign workers live in highly congested & unhygienic places. How many employers do care about the well-being of the employees? Not much. These employers usually only care about maximise the profits & minimise the costs.
if you knew anyone working in Hyflux. You can check with them the high turnover rate, forced long working hour & scolding & threating from the top management officer. She had already threated the locals that they can be replace by FT anytime if they can’t commit to work.
This is call exploitation of cheap labour. This is how Communism, Marxism & socialism were created & became popular in the past.
The culture & mindset of FT are better locals in term of creativity, diligent & productivity are created by PAP. PAP kept on praising the standards & achievements of S’pore edu system, commercial & engineering sectors. But on the other hand, they kept sending their children & scholarship holders to foreign universities; import large amount of FT into the country! Even some of the PAP MP, ministers are not S’pore born.
These FT, MP & ministers are well fed with high pays.
Care to share more Hyflux practices? I was considering joining.
Pay is just soso unless you are in the top management; long working hours; demanding lady boss; always prepare to receive scolding from the lady boss; forgot about family & work balance.
You can join Hyflux if you don’t mind the above mentioned or join & use it as stepping stone to jump ship for next better job.
You can always see its ad on the internet cos turnover rate quite high.
EPs are not necessarily highly skilled, just tom dick harry types like any local uni or diploma grad. The problem is that there is no quota and companies don’t need to show cause — they can hire 100% EPs. This is already happening in certain SMEs and also certain depts within MNCs. Particularly if the VP or the HR is of a certain nationality and he/she wants to populate his/her little fiefdom with fellow villagers.
Imagine if the whole world operates like S’pore — wouldn’t this be a wonderful world? I bet many of the EP holders and PRs in Singapore will be screaming their heads off and cursing their govts. Probably doing a bit of target shooting too, since getting guns is so easy in those countries.
Companies are actually using S-pass to employ as much foreign Uni grads as possible. For them, $2K is a freaking pot of gold liao. Singaporean young grads and older Sinkies doing mid-career transition/switch are the hardest hit by S-pass.
@anon: You are totally right. I was working in an MNC, where around 80% of the management is foreigners (mostly Indians and Malaysians). And once these people are in hiring positions, they only hire from their own country. My boss was a Malaysian, and she took it upon herself to replace Singaporeans with Malaysians. She keeps firing Singaporeans like me and replacing them with her colleagues or friends from her own country. Since all the jobs are EP level jobs, she can do it without any checks. When will the government introduce some EP quota or protection for Singaporeans?
PS: I have nothing against Malaysians. I’m just telling my story.
Are those foreign sportman & sportwoman recruited to play for Singapore employed on EP?
They were given PR status fast & convert them to citizens soon. Whey they won some medals in international competitions, PAP will create huge amount of publications & set up big celebrations. This is just a act of hang up a goat head but sell dog meat. Is that what we want?
When PAP were celebrating & prouding declared them as one of us. The China people are mocking at us for being thick face & shameless.
It is because we are colonised economically. It’s either we let the floodgate open for perfect competition or the jobs goes out of the window. We (government and people) are not in-charge of our own country’s destiny. Period. God speed.
To fellow Sg
I do not understand why you are discussing
About the pros abd cons of our govt immigration
Or work permit (EP, S-pass,quota). Do you
Really think the govt does that the foreigners are
replacing Sg.
You will be next! Sorry I say! But is a fact,
Get out of Sg while you can, if you do it
When you are without a job for months,
You are lose your sense of direction.
Rent out your HDB when you are building
Your lives overseas.
You will not be able to do it once more
Foreigners buy more HDB.
You have no idea how serious this is.
The only way you can gain your dignity is
To start anew overseas.
If you cant migrate, find a job overseas, try
Other option and there will be a way.
You might think I taking shit, I had PR in Aust,
NZ, USA, studied in UK, but It has not be easy, however
I will try again and again in another country
First, as a postgrad student in Germany,
UK, Canada, Hong Kong, etc.
I have been overseas since 1979, in n out, left
A few months ago with my family. My young
Children of primary school age will be my future.
If you want to discuss your option, email
Me at swechua@yahoo.co.uk
You must have the Will to have the way!
Does not know
Talking shit
It has not been easy
Will lose
Do not generalize when it comes to foreigners taking jobs from Singaporeans. There are other things that come together with hiring foreign labor, especially on the EP level, such as language skills or an international background, which cannot always be fulfilled by locals. So, although I do believe EPs can affect the job market for Singaporeans, they also provide the country with a wider business platform.
yeah, Singaporean middle managers thrives on giving orders while sitting on their fat asses. Let other people do the real work. No wonder they are out of work.
^^SO TRUE.
globalisation my friend. it’s a bitch.(for you). heheheh
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