WP Salutes the Singapore Worker and calls for stronger leadership from the PAP government

This Labour Day, the Workers' Party expresses solidarity with Singaporeans facing economic difficulties and salutes the Singapore worker's tenacity to overcome arduous times.

Since the Asian financial crisis of 1997, Singaporeans have been through a series of "poverty waves" as a result of an unstable global economy. Many have seen the value of their assets fluctuate drastically as the global economy grapples with the dot.com bubble burst, consequences of September 11, the US led war in Iraq and the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Asia.

Another year has passed since the last general election, but for most Singaporeans there has been no significant improvement in economic conditions, and many face deepening structural poverty. Retrenchments continue, many businesses either continue to post losses, down size or relocate elsewhere, job prospects look bleak, the cost of living and doing business in Singapore remain relatively high our young people joining the work force for the first time find it harder to secure jobs and start at much lower salaries and some families are even unable to pay their mortgages and utility bills.

The Workers' Party reminds the PAP government that it has a duty to ensure that the economy recovers and that there is meaningful work for Singaporeans willing to work. To this end, the government should:

1. Spare no effort in containing the spread of SARS to ensure Singaporeans are protected;

2. Ensure that persons and businesses affected by the SARS outbreak are sufficiently cared for and assisted;

3. Identify and develop sufficient areas of potential economic growth and ensure that our workforce is equipped to handle jobs in these areas through education and re-training;

4. Closely monitor the foreign workforce numbers in Singapore to ensure that out-of-work Singaporeans who are able and willing to take on the work done by foreigners can indeed assume these jobs;

5. Consider the feasibility of a new long term social security net structure incorporating unemployment insurance and portable and full medical benefits, to be extended to all workers including women and single parent households.

Despite the current sense of economic hopelessness, we as a people can take heart by looking at the milestones that the Singapore Worker has achieved. Since our struggle with British colonial rule and over the last 38 years of our nationhood, Singaporeans have taken the brunt of the uncertainty of the global economy and have survived. The Workers' Party is confident we as a people will continue to successfully negotiate the global economy.

This Labour Day, the Workers' Party would also like to make special mention and register its gratitude to the healthcare workers in Singapore who have been in the frontline in our battle against the SARS. We recognize their courage and contribution and the professionalism of their work on this special day.

The Workers' Party will continue to be alert to look after and speak up for the under-privileged of the society including those who are now affected by structural poverty and the challenges of the global economy.

Sylvia Lim
Member of Central Executive Council,
Chairperson of Party Vison and Manifesto Committee
30th April 2003