May Day Message 2010

I will be attending the May Day Picnic at Hong Lim Park this evening (4pm to 6pm)and most probably, TRY to give a SHORT speech there. (Well, people always commented that I give long speeches...) Please join us for this little gathering at Hong Lim Park.

Meanwhile, NSP has issued our May Day Message 2010

NSP's May Day Message 2010
Sat, May 01, 2010

In recognition of May Day, the National Solidarity Party honours the workers of the world in general, and those in Singapore in particular for their invaluable contributions towards nation building through their strife and hard work, sometimes in demanding and non-conducive environments.

Although a fundamental prerequisite of Production, labour is often taken for granted, especially by organizations with vested interest. Workers are expected to be more productive as in faster and better, yet they are also expected to be “cheaper” as well.

Labour unions should be truly independent to best advance the interests of their members. They should not be beholden to the State or any political power. In Singapore, the NTUC has categorically stated that it has a “symbiotic relationship” with the ruling party PAP. It would naturally serve to help sustain PAP’s political hegemony. At times, the NTUC operates much like a sub-division of the PAP.

Thus, in many sense, the NTUC has become a labour front turned political party. Its Secretary General and several other leaders are cabinet ministers, and the entire body has openly aligned itself towards a specific political identity. Under such circumstances, it inevitably loses its independence and ability to exert a better bargaining for the workers whose interests it supposed to safe guard.

The PAP Government has pride itself for having formulated an unique “tripartite” relationship with the labour front and the employers federation. However this is done by pure dominance of the labour union NTUC instead of treating them as independent equals.

Consequently, despite various fiscal schemes to promote productivity, Singaporean workers are often over-worked, over-regulated, under-paid and under-motivated. On the other hand, the leaders of the so-called “tripartism” are generally over-paid. Indeed, the divide between the rulers and the ruled has further expanded year after year.

Perhaps, the Government could re-examine its policy paradoxes involving market versus values, local against foreign, and family versus work. The mad chase after high GDP growth regardless of cost and benefits have caused great confusion to the People. High GDP growth is fast becoming meaningless to Singaporeans when many of them are displaced by cheaper foreign workers in the process. The stagnated income level for the our lower income workers has made High GDP growth figures totally irrelevant.

The union, NTUC, has not resisted any attempts by the PAP government to artificially boost GDP growth at the expense of Singaporeans by opening the flood gates to foreign workers. This is the most glaring failing of NTUC as well as the “tripartite” relationship.

Nevertheless, NSP continues to share a common aspiration with the Singaporean worker in maintaining a positive outlook that livelihood would improve with the anticipated structural changes in the national political scene in the coming months.

Ken Sun
Chairman, Central-South District
National Solidarity Party