Fellow Singaporeans and voters of Punggol East. Good Evening!
Thank you for joining us at this rally tonight. We really appreciate you being with us.
Some of you may have made the effort to leave work a little earlier. Thank you so much for your effort.
Some of you may have loved ones waiting for you at home. We will do our best to end on time.
Some of you may have brought your family with you. Thank you very much for your support.
As the Workers’ Party, we know that we Singaporeans treasure our family and loved ones. We know that we work hard at our jobs because we want to provide for our parents, our children, and our future.
The Most Valuable Gift
Singaporeans are one of the hardest working people in the world. Statistics show that since 2001, the number of official hours worked a week is 46. This means about 40% of our time is spent at work.
Assuming we sleep for 7 hours a day, this means that we sleep roughly 30% of our time. This leaves us only with another 30% for other activities. Mind you, the 40% of our time spent at work is only for official hours, not actual hours worked, and all the time spent on emails at home or using the mobile.
To make those numbers easier to understand, let’s think of Monday to Friday as 1 hour.
In that 1 hour, you sleep for 18 minutes, you wake up and you work for another 24 minutes. And then you have just 18 minutes to travel to and from work, play with your children, have dinner with your family, go out with your friends, and do whatever you want to do.
18 minutes…
Some of you may say that there’s Saturday and Sunday. But let us not live our lives waiting for the weekends to come.
Your children are not your children only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Your children are your children everyday.
And the most valuable gift you can give to the people you love is time.
The Government must lead the way
We are not asking you to work less hard.
We are asking for employers in Singapore to understand that your employee’s life is more than just his job. In fact, once employers understand that, your employees will likely be more productive, committed and motivated to work for you.
We are also asking that, if the Government is serious about improving the work-life balance of Singaporeans, then it must lead the way through action and legislation.
The Government should improve the work-life balance policies of the public sector to set an example for the private sector to follow.
Let’s talk about what the Government can do more in.
40-hour work week by 2020
Firstly, let’s reduce the number of working hours per week.
Let’s bring down official working hour to 40 a week. It means that if we take Monday to Friday as 1 hour, then instead of 18 minutes for our loved ones, we will have now 24 minutes. A 33% increase.
And let’s set a target for it. Let’s do it by 2020.
I asked about this in Parliament in September last year. The Government replied that it requires careful study.
We feel that it’s time for an update. Because if we say that family is our top priority, then it must be reflected in the time we spend with them.
Blue Sky Days
Secondly, let’s talk about blue skies. “Blue Sky Days” was implemented in 2006 to encourage public service agencies to let their employees leave work earlier or on time when the sky is still blue.
This is important because employees can go home early to have dinner with their family and spent quality time after that. Blue sky means family time.
In Parliament in September last year, I asked the Government if it would consider encouraging Ministries and Statutory Boards to practise “Blue Sky Days” on a weekly basis.
The Government’s reply was that 35 public service agencies have introduced “Blue Sky Days” on a weekly basis.
It is positive that “Blue Sky Days” is gaining traction. But there are over 60 public service agencies. For the government to set the right example to the private sector, as many public service agencies as possible must adopt this practice. Also, shouldn’t we work towards everyday being a “Blue Sky Day”?
Paternity Leave
Secondly, let’s talk about being a father.
I have three young children of my own. I believe that many of you who are fathers remember the days when your wife gave birth to your child. Some of you might have taken annual leave, or even no-pay leave, to take care of your wife and new-born.
As society progresses, and as families become smaller, the role of the father becomes just as important as the mother. And we need our laws to reflect that. Mothers have maternity leave enshrined in the Employment Act. Fathers do not.
In Parliament in August last year, I asked the Government for the percentage of companies offering paternity leave, and whether the Government intends to legislate paternity leave of at least six days.
The Government replied that the percentage of companies with at least 25 employees that offered paternity leave has been steadily increasing from 40% in 2004 to 48% in 2010.
This shows that companies are already changing their mindsets, it is about time the Government changed its mindset and legislate for paternity leave as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The Workers’ Party acknowledges that the Government has expressed support for policies to improve work-life balance. And we believe that the Government must make a stronger commitment in this area.
The Government must commit to reducing the number of working hours, without reducing the quality of services to the public.
The Government must commit to improving productivity by adopting technological innovations and changing our work practices, so that the goal of a 40-hour work week can be achieved.
It’s time for our country to move forward to achieve a sustainable work-life balance.
It’s time for our country and voters of Punggol East to elect a person who shares many of the hopes and dreams that you have.
As a woman balancing her career and starting out her own family, Li Lian understands the concerns of many couples who are beginning to start a life of their own.
Her life experience and her experience on the ground for the past many years are testament to her abilities and dedication to serve.
Li Lian will be a strong and committed Member of Parliament for all Singaporeans and especially for you, the voters of Punggol East.
Vote Workers’ Party!
Vote Lee Li Lian as your Member of Parliament for Punggol East SMC!
Saudara-saudari,
Perkara yang ingin saya sampaikan pada hari ini menyentuh tentang isu kesimbangan antara waktu bekerja dan kehidpuan berkeluarga.
Berkenaan isu ini, saya ingin kongsikan tiga perkara yang telah saya kemukakan di parlimen.
Waktu Pekerjaan
Yang pertama, saya telah menanyakan kepada Pemerintah samada waktu pekerjaan secara amnya di Singapura dapat dikurangkan dairpada 46 jam ke 40 jam seminggu. Dalam menjawab soalan saya, pemerintah mengatakan bahawa perkara ini perlukan sebuah kajian yang mendalam jika ia hendak dilaksanakan. Saya rasa masanya sudah sesuai untuk pemerintah membuat kajian terutama sekali dengan tertubuhnya Kementerian Pembangunan Keluarga dan Masyarakat.
Blue Sky Days
Kedua, saya telah mencadangkan agar pemerintah melanjutkan program ‘Blue Sky Days’ secara mingguan kepada lebih banyak Kementerian serta Badan-badan pemerintah.
Program ini membolehkan para pekerja pulang kerumah masing-masing sebelum terbenam matahari dimana langit masih kebiruan.
Pemerintah mengatakan bahawa sejak program ini di perkenalkan pada 2006, 35 buah agensi pemerintah telah melaksanakan program ini secara mingguan. Walaupun ini adalah satu langkah yang positif oleh Pemerintah, namun saya harap agar lebih banyak lagi agensi-agensi pemerintah akan melaksanakan program ‘Blue Sky Days’ ini kerana saya fahami pada keseluruhannya ada sekurang-kurangnya 60 agensi pemerintah.
Cuti ‘Paternity’
Perkara yang ketiga adalah Cuti ‘Paternity’ atau ‘Paternity Leave’.
Soalan yang saya ajukan di parlimen adalah berapakah peratusan syarikat-syarikat yang menawarkan cuti ini dan samada Pemerintah ada berhasrat untuk mengeluarkan rang undang-undang yang memperuntukkan sekurang-kurang 6 hari Cuti ‘Paternity’.
Jawapan yang diberi ialah peratusan syarikat-syarikat yang mempunyai sekurang-kurangnya 25 para pekerja, yang menawarkan Cuti Paternity ini telah meningkat dari 40% pada tahun 2004 kepada 48% pada 2010.
Peningkatan peratusan ini menunjukkan syarikat-syarikat swasta telah mula merubah minda dan prihatin tentang perlu adanya keseimbangan antara pekerjaan dan berkeluarga. Oleh itu, saya percaya sudah sampai masanya Pemerintah juga harus merubah minda dan mengadakan rang undang-undang yang memperuntukkan Cuti ‘Paternity’ secepat mungkin.
Hadirin sekalian, saya pernah bekerja sepenuh masa sebagai seorang Kaunselor rumahtangga selama 4 tahun sebelum ini. Dalam menjalankan sesi kaunseling dan kursus rumahtangga, perkara yang selalu di dibincangkan oleh pasangan adalah faktor kekurangan masa. Pasangan-pasangan ini akur akan kewajiban untuk mencari nafkah keluarga dan harus bekerja keras untuk menampung kos kehidupan yang tinggi di Singapura, namun mereka juga sedar tentang pentingnya masa untuk bekeluarga. Tetapi, reliatinya di Singapura ramai pasangan suami-isteri mempunyai hanya sedikit masa untuk waktu bekeluarga.
Hadirin sekalian, memenuhi nafkah fizikal yakni keperluan asas kehidupan adalah penting namun memenuhi nafkah batin seperti keperluan emosi, psikologi serta rohani juga sama penting. Untuk memenuhi segala keperluan-keperluan ini, kita amat memerlukan keseimbangan dalam waktu bekerja dan berkeluarga.
Akhirkata, Cik Li Lilian sebagai seorang isteri beliau amat memahami tentang keprihatinan ramai pasangan muda yang baru ingin memulakan kehidpuan berkeluarga dan beliau juga amat prihatin tentang isu ‘Work-life balance’ ini.
Hadirin sekalian, saya dan Cik Li Lilian telah menjadi rakan seperjuangan selama 6 tahun. Pengalaman kehidupan beliau serta pengalaman beliau sebagai penolong perundangan kepada Encik Pritam Singh dibahagian Eunos di GRC Aljunied adalah satu testimoni yang menunjukkan tahap kebolehan serta dedikasi beliau.
Oleh itu penduduk Punggol East, pada 26 Januari nanti Undi lah Cik Li Lilian untuk menjadi suara anda di parlimen.
Undi lah Parti Pekerja.
Assalamualaikum.