Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force, had acknowledged that this will have an impact on industries such as construction, and that many small- and medium-sized enterprises in Singapore and contractors will be affected.to bring in workers from China, among other support measures.
This daily rate includes costs such as housing, levies and insurance for the worker, which the company has to pay. The daily rate for workers from India or Bangladesh is about S$120 to S$150 now, up from S$70 to S$80 in the past.Mr Kenneth Loo, COO of Straits Construction, said that the situation is "very tight", and manpower was short before the travel restrictions kicked in. He estimates that there is a 30 to 40 per cent shortage of workers currently.
"I think we have no choice, we are still looking," he said in response to a question on whether they are sourcing for workers from other countries. Ms Christine Sun, OrangeTee senior vice president of research & analytics, said that the shortage is likely to be in the short to mid-term. "We are not looking at alternatives for the time being. Our present solution is to adapt with the limitation in resources. We are working with service buyers to extend project timelines," he said.
Workers from India and Bangladesh do essential work such as grass cutting and tree works, he said. He thinks there will be a 15 to 20 per cent shortage of workers in the coming months.Assistant Professor Laavanya Kathiravelu from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Social Sciences, whose work has centred around migrant labour from South Asia, said that a few other industries might be affected.