By SY Lee and Leong Sze Hian
We refer to the article “Highest pay hike in 16 years for blue-collar workers” (Straits Times, Jun 7).
Real total wages grew 1.5% per year?
The article states that from 2003 to last year, labour productivity rose 1.4 per cent each year, while real total wages grew 1.5 per cent per year.
As this is for real total wages (including employer CPF contribution) – what are the statistics for “excluding employer CPF contribution” and the 20th percentile?
Last 6 years’ real wage change – really pathetic?
(Table from page 4 of MOM’s report on wage practices 2013)
Also, the annual change in real total wages (including employer CPF contribution) was dismal, for the last 6 years from 2008 to 2013, at -1.7, -1.0, 2.9, 0.9, 0.4 and 2.9%.
The real total wage change (excluding employer CPF contribution?) was even worse at, -2.4, -1.0, 2.7, 0.1, -0.8 and 2.9%, respectively.
The real basic wage change was equally bad, at -2.2, -0.7, 1.1, -0.8, -0.1 and 2.7%, respectively.
So, does this mean that the cumulative annualised real basic wage change from 2008 to 2013 was about -0.1%?
8 in 10 companies gave pay hike?
And in its report, the Ministry of Manpower noted that more companies – eight out of 10 last year compared to six in 10 in 2012 – gave workers earning below $1,000 a month a pay hike, a point which it first made when the National Wages Council (NWC) released its wage guidelines last week.
4 in 10 didn’t give $60 increase?
According to the report, 56.7% of establishments (surveyed?) did not give the $60 wage increase recommended by the NWC, and 23% did not give any wage increment at all, to workers earning less than $1,000.
If the above dismal statistics are not “pathetic”, what is? – given that all media reports are full of praise for the subject Report on Wage Changes 2013!
Real wages up by 2.9 per cent: MOM – TodayOnline
Highest pay hike in 16 years for blue-collar workers – Straits Times
Wages in private sector rose 5.3% last year: MOM – Channel News Asia
What about workers who didn’t get $60?
Actually, it may even be worse because the above statistics are on the percentage of establishments, not the percentage of workers. What may be more interesting and significant to know is the number of workers (not establishments) who didn’t get the $60 increase or any increment at all.
