Daily Lessons from Life 14 January 2013 - S'pore's productivity well below most developed countries: DPM Tharman

There are quite a few headlines worthy of commenting on e.g. Mdm Halimah Yacob became the 1st Female Speaker of Parliament, Ms Lee Li Lian being nominated as the candidate for Workers' Party in the Punggal East by-election, etc. BUT I decided to comment on a longer term thingy - productivity of Singapore!

"S'pore's productivity well below most developed countries: DPM Tharman

SINGAPORE: Singapore's productivity is well below that of the most developed countries, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, he noted that restaurants here are experiencing difficulties finding employees. Mr Tharman said some restaurants have raised pay to attract part-timers during the peak Lunar New Year season. But most still have difficulty finding people, because the overall labour market is close to full employment.

DPM Tharman said these are real problems for businesses, but the solution is not to ease up on foreign worker policies.

Using restaurants in the US, Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong as examples, he noted that they have fewer workers, but are still able to do well. The same employee handles more duties, and serves more tables. The employees are well-paid, both full-time and part-time. They know their stuff, including details of the dishes on the menu, and are well trained.

Mr Tharman said productivity then becomes key to upgrading incomes and standards of living - and transforming jobs is the only 'fundamental and sustainable' solution.

Higher productivity will also mean price increments can be minimised - even if wages go up.

Mr Tharman said the government has to keep the foreign worker policy tight, but at the same time lend strong support to help this upgrading and upskilling in every sector.

And customers too have to play their part by treating workers in ordinary jobs with respect."

What can I say but the lessons for me are:

1. what DPM Tharman described is the Standard expected of waiting folks at the restaurant. No? If not, what happened? Because it is too easy to get cheap but unqualified waiters. Does customers really care? Not really as long as the foods are good and safe! Maybe for some...;

2. whatever happened to Singapore's famed Productivity Movement in the 70s' where every organization was doing Productivity Bee, Work Improvement Team, Quality Control Circles, etc? Whatever happened to these 'software'? the CULTURE? This is WHERE Singapore has failed!! It is too much of a 'flavor of the year or the month or the week' thingy! Every NEW minister has to prove himself or herself with some NEW initiatives basically re-packaging the old wines in a new bottle!;

3. as LONG as Singapore government DOES NOT invest in building and then SUSTAINING the culture of respect for all decent jobs, work smart and hard as a natural work process, etc, we will STILL be relying on cheap and sometime good foreign labours while our 'not so productive local labour' will be uncompetitive, even in its own backyard!!

Another championing a sustainable productivity movement - again??