Old workers deserve better
-
extracted from ST forum.
After 35 years in govt service, he gets $2 commemorative coin, a piece of paper.
A lot has been written in the recent months in our newspapers on allegations of ageism in the workforce.
After 35 years in govt service, he gets $2 commemorative coin, a piece of paper. Old workers deserve better
Much has also been said by the Ministry of Manpower about keeping the senior members of the workforce. Sadly, I cannot say that enough has been done to put words into action.
My father, Mohamad Bin Yusoff, had devoted a good 35 years of his life working in the public healthcare sector.
He started his career in 1970 at the Institute of Health in Tiong Bahru, then worked in Singapore General Hospital, the Dental healthcare centres at Pegu Road and Bedok and finally in2000 till this year at Singhealth in Tampines.
The changes were mainly due to the restructuring of the company and better utilisation of manpower.
Thirty-five years. It is not a short period of time. My father never had the luxury of a proper education in his younger years but what he lacked in paper qualifications, he made up in perseverance, hardwork and a good work attitude.
I dare say this for a majority of our nation's senior members of the work force. Need I remind everyone that these are the same healthcare workers who were at the frontline in the battle against Sars which hit our nation not too long ago?
I shudder to think how quickly we've forgotten the deeds of the people who were in the 'hot zone' of the Sars crisis day in and day out, when panic and fear were the normal reactions. It was a time when healthcare workers and even their family members were shunned by others like the plague.
Has it really been that long that we have forgotten about it? Has it been that long so much so that it now seems perfectly all right to terminate the service of our senior workers?
For my father's work during the Sars crisis, he was awarded a $2 commemorative cupro-nickel coin as a tribute to the healthcare givers in recognition of their contributions in the battle against the disease.
You may say it is not much but at home, we had displayed it with pride as a reminder of how my father left home everyday to earn a simple, honest living in a place where people dread, at a time when a sneeze from someone in public transport would draw wierd, unwanted stares from everyone.
Let us be honest. Few people rose to meet the challenge which Sars presented when it struck. One fine day, my father came home with a piece of paper informing him that his services were no longer required. No reason was given.
After 35 years, what has my father to show for it? A $2 commemorative cupro-nickel coin and a piece of paper. We have since stored away the $2 cupro-nickel coin for what used to be a symbol of pride now seems to be mocking my father and his family.
Which is why I plead and urge that more should be done to recognise the many deeds that the senior members of the workforce have contributed in the building of our country.
Razali Mohamad -
.
-
govt, talk talk nia...u think they really do meh? even have also on surface nia.
-
its everyone for him/her self these daysOriginally posted by kops21:govt, talk talk nia...u think they really do meh? even have also on surface nia. 
-
they are the one who retrenches the most workers.
-
i feel for the son & father.
indeed, old workers deserve better.
*makes mental note* -
over here.. we have pension funds, benefits n allowances for elderly.. haih~
-
sometimes society is so unforgiving.
-
Well...Sad to say,thats 1 ugly side of the world.However,they are also other beautiful sides that we did not see.Originally posted by kops21:sometimes society is so unforgiving. -
Old workers deserve better and after the damage done, they're looking into it. Statistics as reported in the TODAY's print version (not online version) seems to say so.
-
it is getting more and more regular.Originally posted by kops21:sometimes society is so unforgiving. -
At the rate we are importing people into Singapore and increasing the population, you can imagine the number of old workers 20, 30 years from now.
The problems will be worse.
Much, much worse.
-
i hate to say this.Originally posted by charlize:At the rate we are importing people into Singapore and increasing the population, you can imagine the number of old workers 20, 30 years from now.
The problems will be worse.
Much, much worse.
by then i hope i am gone already. -
extracted from ST forums.
Do older workers get exploited by private sector when govt outsources jobs?
Our government has been encouraging the private sector to employ able-bodied senior citizens in our workforce. It is indeed a very heartwarming to remember these senior citizens as they were responsible in one way or another for our country's progress.
However, it is rather disturbing to note that exploitation is still practised as in the case of companies engaged by our government agencies.
We stay in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in the precinct of Rivervale Gardens. When we moved to this precinct five years ago, we were greeted by a very beautiful landscape surrounding our immediate neighbourhood which comprises of six blocks of flats.
In the beginning, we could see gardeners pruning and trimming the landscape once every fortnight, and visitors to our precinct often commended the greenery surrounding us. It became a status symbol for us.
Sadly nowadays, I no longer see anymore trimming or pruning the plants on a fortnightly basis. Instead, what greets my eyes every morning is this frail-looking elderly Chinese man alone tending to a vast landscape in our precinct. Rain or shine, this old man labours on with his hunched back.
The blame must go to our government agencies because of the outsourcing of such essential services to private contractors. After outsourcing these services, our government agencies - in this case the town council - do not provide active supervision on a regular basis.
The town council only acts promptly when there's a complaint, like when we complained on many occasions about the height of the trees.
I hope the relevant agencies will look into this matter to save an elderly citizen, who is working for daily sustenance, and not lead him into his grave tending our gardens.
Paul Antony Fernandez -
isnt cost-cutting the main purpose of outsourcing?
a contractor will by all means try to cut cost too. employing old folks is the best solution to them.
CHEAP!!!!
cant blame the contractors. -
Yes, I know that the GLCs are outsouring the workers probably to save cost of hiring them
-
this is no place for old folks who have no money.
work to their graves is whats gonna happen. -
saw an old man full of grey hairs removing sand from the drain just outside bedok stadium.
what a sad sight!! -
See a lot of old and frail workers at foodcourts and public and office toilets. Isn't it ironic that much of the manual labour in Singapore is actually done by elderly folks?
-
peppermint... let's see you grow old one day and get retrenched even when you are doing good work.. just because you are "dead wood"
do tell us your views again
in a world where every school and ever bloody institution is looking for leaders, i'm looking for as many dedicated followers as possible...
for it seems that the world has forgotten the stories about too many cooks and too many indian chiefs...
