Who paints our HDB flats ?

[tom]

As Singapore progresses, more Singaporeans can afford to study further. Some at local universities, others to colleges / universities overseas. More with better jobs and higher pay packets.

When that happens, who is going to work as construction workers, shipyard workers, and doing all the dirty work in Singapore ?

In the 1970’s the size of foreign workers in Singapore doubled. In year 2000, foreign workers constitutes 29 % of our workforce. Today, the percentage shot right up to 36 % , maybe more.

Lets take Punggol North and Punggol Central as an example. Most of our BTO housing projects are undertaken by “ China Construction Companies “ meaning a high percentage of workers are foreign workers from China.

The Waterway project, Serangoon River infrastructures, Punggol Point, Schools,  foreign workers are mainly from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.

Things that are happening at our doorway, the re-painting of our flats along Punggol Field.  Without them, we really don’t know what will happen. Who wants to risk their lives painting the gable & parapet  walls from ground to 17 storey high; on a cage suspended by 4 thin cables.

[tom]

more pictures......

[ahfu]

This foreign workers issue is not uniquely Singapore.
 
I think in oil rich countries like UAE, Saudi Araba etc  most of
their construction workers are foreigners, but the big diff
between us and them - is they are a resource rich country and their
citizens are mostly well off.

Singapore have many lowly educated guys
who are very unproductive  like hawker assistants,
drivers, odd job labor, ( loan shark runners!), even  prisoners etc....

We could perhaps  rope in these men and train them to
build our homes - of course by employing machines and equipments
to make construction work 'high tech'-  and financially rewarding
.

One of the reasons younger men dont like construction work
or even painting works is because these are perceived as
dangerous and  backward .

So, MND & HDB  need to update and upgrade its
policies in awarding contracts to contractors.  

For example,  priority will go to companies that employ
a certain  % of construction trained Singaporeans,
and are upgrading and machinising their constuctions.

I think following current Minister Lim Hwee Hua's
visit to Japan to study the building industry there,
we should expect a big change in the way
we build our homes and offices bldgs.

Btw,  I feel our Government must  consider banning
construction workers from entering the Casinos,

or very soon we could see a rise
in robberies and thefts.

[ahfu]

Btw,  I feel our Government must  consider banning
construction workers from entering the Casinos

oops,  I meant foreign construction workers