KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

What are your views, parents?

maisy wrote:What are your views, parents?

policy / decision makers have no sense of what is happening on on the ground

only superficial comparison of wages without taking into consideration of the singapore environment where we need to put up bond, insurance, decent living condition, maid levy etc....all add up to more than a thousand dollars a month, anytime costing more than in HK or Taiwan where there is no mandatory 6 monthly medical check up, no levy, and in HK they live like in a shoe box....stupid and uninformed comparison

I know of Indo maids who went to HK and regretted the living condition and want to come back to SG for the lower pay. In HK, they can be asked to become the family driver too

verykiasu2010 wrote:policy / decision makers have no sense of what is happening on on the ground

only superficial comparison of wages without taking into consideration of the singapore environment where we need to put up bond, insurance, decent living condition, maid levy etc....all add up to more than a thousand dollars a month, anytime costing more than in HK or Taiwan where there is no mandatory 6 monthly medical check up, no levy, and in HK they live like in a shoe box....stupid and uninformed comparison

I know of Indo maids who went to HK and regretted the living condition and want to come back to SG for the lower pay. In HK, they can be asked to become the family driver too

Family driver? Wow that's cool! My DH was just telling me how he wishes our maid can drive, then maid can drive around for groceries and chauffeur us around. Hehehe!!

Happy Mama wrote: Family driver? Wow that's cool! My DH was just telling me how he wishes our maid can drive, then maid can drive around for groceries and chauffeur us around. Hehehe!!

I do know a local lady who put her maid through driving school and is now acting a chauffeur for her kids. Why not, some of them are reasonably well educated.

I've always thought that the local maid's pay was way too low anyway, and my maid is already getting quite a bit more than the proposed $450 minimum, so........

In any case, its not a government decision, its a measure on the part of the maid agencies.

3Boys wrote:I do know a local lady who put her maid through driving school and is not acting a chauffeur for her kids. Why not, some of them are reasonably well educated.

I've always thought that the local maid's pay was way too low anyway, and my maid is already getting quite a bit more than the proposed $450 minimum, so........

In any case, its not a government decision, its a measure on the part of the maid agencies.

Wow how long has your maid been with you? Must be quite long to warrant >S$450

verykiasu2010 wrote:policy / decision makers have no sense of what is happening on on the ground

only superficial comparison of wages without taking into consideration of the singapore environment where we need to put up bond, insurance, decent living condition, maid levy etc....all add up to more than a thousand dollars a month, anytime costing more than in HK or Taiwan where there is no mandatory 6 monthly medical check up, no levy, and in HK they live like in a shoe box....stupid and uninformed comparison

I know of Indo maids who went to HK and regretted the living condition and want to come back to SG for the lower pay. In HK, they can be asked to become the family driver too

Yep, in HK, some maids are even required to work in 2 families without extra pay. In Singapore, they are not allowed to do so.

It is a 4-digit figure to have a maid at home in Singapore. Govt wants its levy, maid agency wants its cut, maid wants her salary increase and better living condition. What about us poor employer - who is giving us the "extra" we have to pay out? What comes in goes out to pay everyone else - like that how to ever retire???

Happy Mama wrote:Wow how long has your maid been with you? Must be quite long to warrant >S$450

By the way, my Indo maid used to read story books to my DD and my maid enjoys reading the Straits Times. When she first came, we were so :!: to see her able to read in English!

Happy Mama wrote: Wow how long has your maid been with you? Must be quite long to warrant >S$450

5 years, is that considered long? She's been above $450 for 3 years liao.

3Boys wrote:5 years, is that considered long? She's been above $450 for 3 years liao.

5 years is quite long. I've never had such luck. Longest was 3.5 years. You are indeed quite generous with your maid

Happy Mama wrote:5 years is quite long. I've never had such luck. Longest was 3.5 years. You are indeed quite generous with your maid

I suppose

What's the diff between $380 and $450? One family lunch in a pizza joint, perhaps. But it means quite a lot to an Indon maid. I don't mind having one less pizza lunch per month to help her along a little. We may grouse about the levies and such, but it cuts both ways, the poor lady doing the housework has her wages depressed for it as well. Just my view only, in no way insinuating that anyone else need agree with this.

No easy answer......