Besides studying whether the gap is widening, it is more important to find out if the lowest-income group is able to get by and not fall into the vicious cycle. Many people are complaining and blaming the government for this problem. But is this really the responsibility of the government? I don’t think so.
Everyone, well most people, in our society are looking out for themselves. Life is about personal aggrandizement. The government creates the playing field in which people go out and screw other people to be number one in society.
The government can, and should, do more about the widening income gap.
The question really is whether it is ONLY the government’s responsibility to deal with this problem.
To me, the answer is no. Employers and bosses can make the choices that will help deal with this problem. Faced between hiring a lower cost worker from overseas and paying more to a Singaporean, most bosses will say they will hire the overseas worker. They, those who are hiring, will claim that the overseas people are more hardworking. BULLSHIT.
I once worked in a company and on projects where the only reason some guys were hired is because they were cheap. Their bodies, or rather man-hours, could be sold to the client for a bigger markup. What about the work they were supposed to do? Well, the Malaysians, who perversely became the brethren of us Singaporeans, and Singaporeans worked harder to pull the average productivity up. Because of poor hiring, we had to work harder to cover the inadequacies of our colleagues.
The government can create policies to force bosses to behave better. Although the truth is the bosses will always find ways to circumnavigate the government’s policies. God forbid, one day, with their money, they can even directly influence these policies.
To really deal with the widening income gap, we need bosses who are willing to take less home for themselves. We also need to ensure that these bosses do the best – their generosity attracts better talent and workers, and their companies do better than those who hoard the wealth all for themselves.
The widening income gap isn’t just a problem for the government, it is one that all of us must solve together. The problem is, once most of us get the sniff of money, of prestige, of power, we forget. We forget.
Daily SG: 30 Mar 2011 « The Singapore Daily | 30-Mar-11 at 11:30 am | Permalink
[...] Leave No Ones Behind – Ian On The Red Dot: Widening Income Gap Is NOT JUST The Responsibility Of The Singapore Government [...]
Whitedusk | 30-Mar-11 at 2:43 pm | Permalink
You haven’t been writing alot lately. Been wondering where you’ve gone.
When you talk of man-hours I presume it’s something to do with IT/software. Ever so often I heard all these stories of foreigners with little skills getting employed while locals are struggling to get one. It’s the asking price no doubt. I wondered if they pay more for locals will they be able to cramp more projects in.
In the F&B line it’s another story. Employers cannot get locals to serve, wash and cook. It’s a tough balance and it’s not easy for employers to increase the pay for locals to close down the wealth gap. It’s not their problem.
iantimothy | 31-Mar-11 at 11:43 am | Permalink
Hey Whitedusk,
Left my last company about 5 months ago. Working on building my own company now, so been very busy. Yup, talking about IT/software. The thing is, they won’t want to pay more for locals, or rather they don’t need to, because they can use the threat of a foreigner taking the job to force locals to accept lower pay. That’s why locals move out from IT to go to other industries; that’s why we have talent shortage in this industry.
The trick is this. If no-talent guys puts in 80% effort, the boss just need to push the talent guy to do 120% effort, the project gets done because the amount of effort is still on avg, 100% from everyone. That’s why I’ve seen lots of my peers get burned out. They carry the weight for a lot less pay.
With F&B, I wonder whether there is a minimum level of pay that will get more locals to do the serving, washing and cooking work. Of course, if bosses do this, their own profits will be less.
I understand in a capitalistic society, there is a focus on maximization of profits, but maybe, instead of relying on government to redistribute wealth, bosses can do the redistribute by not maximizing their own profit, but maximizing overall stakeholders’ value.
On another note, how things on your side?
Whitedusk | 04-Apr-11 at 5:10 pm | Permalink
Sometimes you cannot blame the bosses because ppl jump ship with the lure of just the smallest incentives. Locals change jobs faster IMO.
I’m in confinement with my wife. Baby boy just turned one month today. Haven’t found a job in SG. Haven’t really trying hard to find a job. Writing iPhone apps for fun. Taking up a bowling coach course in these 2 Months. Basically doing lots of stuff i Never had the chance to do back when i was working in HK.
What’s with this entrepreneurship you do? I used to do entrepreneurship during my Msc as well.
iantimothy | 05-Apr-11 at 12:45 pm | Permalink
Hey congrats! It is going to be a long time before I get to a similar phase in my life.
What sort of apps are you writing?
Me, well, a bunch of us are starting a web-based company. Coding the e-commerce platform now.
Whitedusk | 05-Apr-11 at 11:33 pm | Permalink
I’m basically writing a couple of utility apps which I think will be useful for my family. Hopefully can sell for a few dollars lah~ Working on a password management app now because my wife got lots of passwords for ME to remember. Next will probably be a bowling score keeper app for my own use~
Don’t tell me you are doing one of those group-purchase deals on e-platform?
iantimothy | 06-Apr-11 at 12:52 pm | Permalink
Nope. Not group-purchase deals. Too many clones out there already.
Haha. Yeah man. I also have to remember for the gf.