Mothership Memo is Mothership’s daily brief on the important headlines of the day. We will also contribute our views on the issues at hand.

Tripartite task force set up to look at wage guidelines

Labour Chief Lim Swee Say said that a tripartite task force will look into wage guidelines. This comes after disagreements among members of the National Wage Council (NWC) in coming up with wage recommendations that were released last Friday. One recommendation includes giving workers earning up to $1,000 a month a raise of at least $60.

Lim noted that the union had wanted the $1,000 ceiling raised to $1,100 or $1,200, but the employers disagreed.

For the next three to five years, the task force, consisting of employers and representatives from the trade unions and the Government, would aid NWC in making wage recommendations.

It is important for Singaporeans to know what happens behind-the-scenes where the tripartite works. While Singapore does not have the fiery brand of union activism seen in other countries, it does not mean that Singapore's unions are not working and fighting for employees' well-being.

The last legal strike in Singapore was sanctioned by then-Secretary General of NTUC Ong Teng Cheong in 1986. It speaks volumes about the tripartite framework for the last strike to have happened close to 30 years ago, discounting the illegal one involving bus drivers in 2012.

Asia lacks collective will to avoid conflict: Ng Eng Hen

Speaking at the annual security summit Shangri-la Dialogue, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said that Asia lacked Europe's 'never again' resolve to avoid conflict which was a result of coming out of two World Wars.

Ng said that Asia needed to step up practical military cooperation to address the region's lack of "strategic trust". An example is for countries to collaborate on humanitarian assistance, for example during recent disasters like Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

What attracted the international headlines today was a top Chinese general's riposte at the US and Japan, accusing them of teaming up against China and criticising China so publicly at a forum.

Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said that the speeches made by Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe and US defence secretary Chuck Hagel gave him "the impression that they co-ordinated with each other, they supported each other, they encouraged each other and they took the advantage of speaking first... and staged provocative actions and challenges against China". 

Singapore's response? Ng noted in the Straits Times that it was better to trade "hard words than other things that follow...If there is reflection and resolution, then the Shangri-La Dialogue would have played a very positive role." 

However, adjustments for the Dialogue are necessary to accomodate China and to ensure that the Dialogue remains a neutral platform for all participants to discuss security issues. 

A Chinese participant told Financial Times that Beijing viewed the forum as a western "set up". He said China sends a lower level delegation than other countires -which send their defence ministers - to avoid giving it too much legitimacy. 

Top photo from here. 

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