The Importance of Being a Good Boss

It was only after helping out in the Tamil Ministry of my church that I realised many things. Yes, I have vaguely heard about things but for the first time, I saw with my own eyes, the deplorable living and working conditions of many of our foreign workers. The impact hit me hard and made me think.

Every now and then, we hear of pay rise for our civil servants and white collar job workers in general. The reasons given are our improved economic conditions, etc. If that is the case why are our cleaners, I mean, born and bred Singapore cleaners' pay still as low as ever. I found out from a friend that she earns $500 a month for 8 hours of cleaning. Once her employer even cheated her of one month pay when he suddenly disappeared. When she does not feel so well, she works part time. She is paid $3.00 an hour. For 4 hours, she is paid $12.00 and after deducting MRT fares, she is left with $10.80!

I learnt from the Indian workers that some of them are paid $12 to $15 a day. The more fortunate ones get $18 to $20 a day. They don't get paid if they don't work which means that they don't get paid on Sundays, supposedly to be public and off days for the mass of working people. One of the workers shared with me that should it rain, their pay would also be reduced and pro rated. Gosh! How could employers be so mean and cruel? Their workers wake up early in the morning to get ready for work, perhaps spending time to travel to their work place. Their fate and luck have to be dependent on the weather!!!

Yes, it seems very nice to hear that employers provide living quarters for their workers. However, for many, it means putting 20 workers in a room and 60 workers in a three room unit. Everyday, the staff have to queue up to use the toilets and bathrooms. The living quarters are usually filthy and infested with insects and rodents.

When I saw the living quarters of the workers, somehow I was suddenly reminded of the Industrial Revolution in England and Europe that I read about during my history
lessons in Secondary One 4 decades ago!! It looks like history always repeats itself and is certainly repeating itself in beautiful, great, and wonderful island of Singapore. Yes, it is doubtless that the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers are earning much more than they ever could in their own countries, but does that mean nothing much could be done to improve their plight? While we bask in the glorious sun shine of improved wealth and higher standard of living, why are our foreign workers subjected to such great disparity of wages, living and working conditions?

Now, I understand why our Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Pakistani workers always hang out around Little India every Sunday as they find comfort and joy in each other's company. No big meal to celebrate with, but simple joy in each other's comradeship. Very often, I see them sitting around, sharing some soft drinks, peanuts and sometimes beer, when they get their pay. Sometimes they share some jokes and laugh. Never mind their deplorable living conditions. Never mind the low wages which they would still have to send back to their loved ones in their homelands. Never mind the dangers at work. Never mind that in December when it rains almost everyday, their already low wages would be greatly reduced. They seem happy, at least happier than many of us well paid, spoilt, dissatisfied and forever complaining Singaporeans.

I once worked as a secretary in a legal firm in Penang. The late Mr. Lim Cheng Ean said to his son, Kean Siew, "A good worker's pay is worth 10 lousy workers' pay. If your secretary is excellent, pay her double so that she won't be poached by other companies. Son, always remember to pay and treat your workers well, and you will be richly blessed by God." I remember these words so vividly because I wrote them down in my "Little Book of Life" 34 years ago.

Gan Chau