It's Labour Day, and what would a day for workers be without a message from the Workers' Party (WP), right?

In its message published on their website, titled "WP calls for more help for older PMETs", the party hones its focus on a group that doesn't always receive as much attention or targeted assistance.

PMETs are having trouble finding work after being retrenched

According to the WP, there are more than 1.2 million professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in Singapore, comprising over half of our resident workforce.

It pointed out that 76 per cent of local workers who were retrenched in 2018 were PMETs, and only 63 per cent of those retrenched found work within six months.

They also highlighted that PMETs faced "renewed competition" from mid-skilled foreign workers.

It noted that the number of foreign S Pass holders increased by 11,000 in 2018, and the foreign workforce as a whole increased, reversing a decline in 2017.

During Budget 2019, DPM Heng Swee Keat announced that the government would reduce the number of foreign workers in the service sector after the number of S Pass holders reached a five-year record high.

To tackle the issues PMETs are facing, the WP proposes four solutions.

1. Stringently checking educational credentials; enforce salary floors for foreigners

The first was an Education Credential Assessment to ensure that the qualifications of Employment Pass and S Pass holders were genuine, and to strictly enforce salary floors for these workers.

The WP feels this would enable Singaporeans to compete for jobs with foreigners on a "level playing field".

2. Abolish retirement age to allow older workers to keep working if they want to

Second, the WP proposed abolishing the retirement age so that older workers could continue working if they chose to.

Noting that 68 per cent of all retrenched workers were aged 40 and older, it said the government should explore how to further incentivise companies to hire older workers.

3. Implement redundancy insurance for retrenched workers in need

WP called for "stronger social safety nets" to help those out of a job.

It referred to their Redundancy Insurance scheme previously raised in Parliament in 2017, which aims to provide a cushion for unemployed workers while they look for new jobs.

This is intended to complement existing programmes for re-training and re-employment.

Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo said in 2017, however, that redundancy insurance may lead to higher long-term unemployment if done wrongly.

4. Help for the underemployed

The WP also mentioned underemployment as a challenge for 3.4 to 4.3 per cent of the workforce, who experience low morale, insecurity about their job prospects, and difficulties making ends meet.

It called for a change in how underemployment is determined, asking the government to also factor in mismatches in a worker's skill sets and income with what he or she is qualified to do and earn.

This, the party said, would help policymakers get a more accurate picture of the situation.

Said the WP:

"The economic disruptions that many workers face are not unique to Singapore. Governments around the world ignore workers’ grievances at their peril."

It concludes expressing its hope that Singapore remains an open trading nation, but is also one that protects the welfare of the PMETs, in order to strengthen social solidarity.

You can read their message in full here.

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Top image from Workers' Party's Facebook page.