Despite Singapore's reputation as a developed country, hub for various activities, safe and secure city, etc. our nation's private security industry, especially in the manpower security (security services providers a.k.a. guard agencies) are still lagging in many areas.
I will not go in-depth as all of these will be revealed in my upcoming e-book on private security industry (manpower) in Singapore.
A forum writer, Mr. Jack Lee, has pointed out very accurately about another forum writer's comment that "Only Govt can help jobless PMETs", The Straits Times, February 25, 2009.
PMET means Professionals, Managers, Engineers and Techicians for those who don't know what it means.
I have watched Channel 8 news in Mandarin a couple of weeks ago when a middle-aged Chinese guy spoke out in Mandarin on his dissatisfaction about only being offered jobs such as landscape technician (garderner), security guard or cleaner.
Certainly any PMETs being offered a security guard or security supervisor's job is not glamorous because of the following factors:
1. Low basic pay (between S$450 to $500).
2. Low CPF rate contributions (few dollars a day - probe the CPF Board for more info - and yes, if you have to make your MP do it, just get it done).
3. 12 hours/6-days' week. Not only the guards and the supervisors are physically exhausted (especially for guards), they will also be mentally exhausted because if we were to factor in the commuting time to and from workplace to home, it can take up additional 30 minutes to another 2 hours depending on where they are staying.
4. As the writer Mr. Jack Lee has pointed out that the guard's take home pay "can double to S$1,100", there are various components in the forms of various allowances (meal, transport, laundry, shift or site allowance, etc) that made up to a gross salary of between S$1,500 to S$1,600. We all know that allowances don't attract CPF contributions, so even though the guards' gross salary is comparable to any administrative or clerical staff (entry level), but the reality is that the guards are deprived of their critical CPF contributions as the CPF accounts are meant to help them (don't fully rely on CPF) in their old age. Again perhaps the authorities can relook into these "loopholes".
Hong Kong, S.A.R. has better working hours (8 hours shift) and I believe their salary is quite reasonable too.
Yesterday, the Malaysian government announced that they will be reviewing the new salary structure for Malaysian guards in a move to hire more locals than foreigners. They have over 300,000 guards from Nepal and this figure exceeded the total numbers of their police and military personnel.
Don't call ourselves a "First World Country" when vital, essential and critical issues are not resolved.
Sadly, many of our retired and pensionable ex-uniformed officers are given the license to operate security services providers' business (guard agencies) but their professionalism, knowledge, ethics and conduct are still lacking.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment