Gintai the ex-SMRT train driver who lost his job [link] due to in a controversial decision from his management to sack him due to "compromising of safety" told me yesterday he went for a job interview at Semb Corp. For Gintai, in his early 50s, is too young to retire and have to remain employed to survive the high cost of living, without any unexpected unemployment safety nets.
Since we are at job hunting, I will take the opportunity to highlight a part of at interview done by some girl with some girl in Sydney. [link] The interviewee cited it wasn't all rosy in Australia as compared to Singapore. This was her parting shot
"In Malaysia and Singapore, it’s so much easier to get a job. It’s an instant thing for us. You have a maid to help you most of the time. Even if you don’t, it’s not too expensive to eat out, compared to Australia. The weather doesn’t change in Malaysia and Singapore either and you have connections when it comes to jobs. Only bad thing is that you have to work and toil!"
Apparently Jaslyn Lai, the Malaysia chick who was interviewed is 27 years old today and have been living in Australia for 8 years. That's a tough cookie to survive 8 years, considering how hard she described life in Australia. Yours truly is already thinking of migrating to Greenland at the thought of coping with my third summer in a month's time.
Seriously, I wonder how Jaslyn get the idea how instantaneous we can get a job in Singapore. Assuming she did her tertiary education in the early part of her 8 years in Australia, she would be barely out from college at 19 years old prior to her move to Australia. Here are the following doubts:
- Did Jaslyn try out the Singapore job market at 19 years old to know how easy was it to get a job?
- If so, did she assume the job market in 2013 is as good, if not better than it was in 2005?
- Did the interviewer consider the candidate's age before coming into conclusion that Australia is not greener where it comes to the job market?
If we are young like our friend Jaslyn, everywhere looks really green really, so let's have fun staying in the less green side for 8 years, it doesn't really matter. But tell that to Gintai, unemployed in his 50s, that the Singapore job market, where age discrimination is criminally rampant, is greener.
At the interview, Gintai was offered S$1,300 a month for a job. Never mind if that was a far cry from his average salary of $4-6k (including OT) in SMRT. Most of us understand it is not realistic to get anywhere close to our previous salaries if we get a retrenchment or sacking at the peak of our career. A pay cut is unavoidable but S$1,300? Didn't the frog face sushi guy offer S$3,000 to his dishwashers and told the whole Singapore that no Singaporeans were willing to take it up? I wonder if Jaslyn is willing to switch to the greener side and take up this job.
When I graduated from University in 2004, I was offered a job at a company in Bukit Merah. I was offered, coincidentally, S$1,300. I did not take it up because after making the calculations, I would not be able to make ends meet. I am surprised to hear this figure being offered for a job 9 years later, taking into inflation into consideration. There is no question that Singapore is a greener place that Jaslyn attested to. Trees lined up the roads, gardens were aplenty and bight green faces of mechanical humans add to the shine. Australia is just a huge patch of brown desert, less greens but more grins.
$1300 per month of 20 working days of 8 hours excluding CPF is $8.125 ph
ReplyDelete(if amt include 20% CPF employee copayment then $6.77 ph)
Wah, if Gintai want to feel undervalued then this is one good way of doing so.
If the pay is the latter then he is paid JUST slightly better than working as a McDonald crew
http://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/McDonald-s-Singapore-Salaries-EI_IE432.0,10_IL.11,20_IN217.htm
or the reproduction here for 2008
"Having worked several jobs here (I'm a PR, so no troubles with visas or permits). Here is what I can say about hourly part-time rates.
MacDonalds - $3.50 - $4.50
Starbucks/Coffee Bean - $5.50 - $7.00 (Depends on experience, your starting rate will differ)
Most restaurant chains - $5.50-$7.00
Most bars - $6.00 - $8.00 (Server positions, obviously bartenders rate will be slighty higher
Some GOOD bars - $10 to $15 (however, to score employment there is very hard)
The restaurant/bar I currenly work for (which will remain un-named) - $8.00 + tips (averages $0.00 - $40.00 per shift)
Hope this gives whoever's interested a fair idea of such part-time wages!
Cheers!"
I suppose someone can live on $1300 pm, assuming you dont pay rent, dont eat out, dont go anywhere... just.
Unfortunately, Gintai is too old to be considered for Aus visa. Anyone above 45 should not bother to apply for Aus visa unless have lots of money to burn. Aus is fast becoming another Sg.
ReplyDeleteJust had a look at the J Lai's posting including this:
ReplyDelete">After having lived in Australia for more than seven years, would you say that the grass is greener there?
Only sometimes. It’s harder to survive here, earning money is difficult and we have to do everything ourselves such as the laundry, household chores and cooking. We don’t have maids to help us.
But we definitely earn more here and seldom have late overtime work in the office, which is a good thing and it’s easier to travel to other countries , since we earn more. And we get to buy properties once we earn enough. In fact, my husband and I have just bought a townhouse even though we’ve only been working for only about two years – we just got married last January.
It’s quite hard to get a job though. Most people can’t get a relevant job and end up working at departmental stores or grocery stores such as Woolworths and Coles.
In Malaysia and Singapore, it’s so much easier to get a job. It’s an instant thing for us. You have a maid to help you most of the time. Even if you don’t, it’s not too expensive to eat out, compared to Australia. The weather doesn’t change in Malaysia and Singapore either and you have connections when it comes to jobs. Only bad thing is that you have to work and toil!"
In the first and last paragraph she compares life with not having a maid at home?????????
I don't know what life she used to live at home but she may have been from one in 5 households in Singapore who had lived-in maids
Many people in Australia get jobs in hospitality and supermarkets as a stepping stone but nothing to be ashamed about
In 2012 a 30 year old can get $22 ph (Australian minimum wage $17 fulltime $20 casual) working at supermarket.
That works out to be $880 pw without overtime, which is a comfortable income if the person is not crazy enough to rent a 2 bedroom place by him/herself. There is such a thing called shared accommodation...
Many people in Australia chose these jobs to suit their lifestyle and hobbies. I honestly dont think anyone can not have a job in Australia if they only want work to earn money to support themselves.
Oh BTW the new look website is great!
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