๐ช๐ฃ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ
๐๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ด๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ธ๐ช๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ด๐ด, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ค ๐ฐ๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ข๐บ 2022 ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ข๐จ๐ฆ
This Labour Day will be our third successive one in the COVID-era. Over the last two-and-a-half years, we have seen Singaporeans demonstrate their resilience in adapting to the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
Despite the worst of the pandemic hopefully behind us, the Workersโ Party worries that rising prices will bite ever harder in 2022. Singaporeans, especially lower income workers, are struggling with the increased cost of living arising from the higher prices of utilities, public transport, food and other essential items. For the sandwiched class, these cost rises are eating into precious wage gains, even as they have to support retired parents and their school-going children. They deserve more support.
The Workersโ Party is concerned that the Governmentโs planned GST hike will exacerbate inflationary pressures. We therefore cannot agree with the Governmentโs decision to raise the GST. We have put forward in Parliament four alternative levers for raising revenue: adhering to the OECDโs proposed global minimum corporate tax rate, taxing wealth, increasing the reserves contribution and taxing externalities. Each lever on its own can generate more than what a 2% GST hike will. We should exhaust these revenue-raising possibilities before turning to a GST hike.
We repeat our General Election 2020 manifesto calls for the introduction of a national minimum wage, anti-discrimination laws and a redundancy insurance scheme so as to improve outcomes for our workforce and strengthen safety nets. We are glad to note that the Government announced in 2021 that it will require companies hiring foreign workers to pay all their local employees at least the Local Qualifying Salary of $1,400, and will enshrine into law the current workplace anti-discrimination guidelines.
Singaporeans owe a debt of gratitude to the frontline workers in this battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Workersโ Party wishes to also express our appreciation to the public officers tasked with executing the new policies and unprecedented measures to help our country weather through the worst of the pandemic.
Last but certainly not least, we thank all caregivers who have to juggle their work with caring for family members at home. They too are essential workers, albeit unpaid and often under-appreciated. We thank them for their loving toil and sacrifice.
This Labour Day, the Workersโ Party renews our commitment to fight for a brighter tomorrow for Singapore and encourages all Singaporeans to take heart as we move forward together in these uncertain times.
Majulah Singapura.
1 May 2022
The Workersโ Party