Strike averted after unions get aviation firm to correct retrenchment process

Click HERE

For those who did the CSR compre, here can be a good idea on how it is not so easy for companies to exploit workers in Singpapore. Other than the tight labour laws, there is also the Workers Union (NTUC) representing and fighting for the welfare of the workers.

Then there is this characterisitc feature of Singapore: The Tripartite Alliance involving the MOM (govt), workers union (NTUC) and the employers. As seen in the above link, the Tripartitle Alliance - with its interevention by the govt -- is the reason why employers cannot just retrench workers and ignore their welfare. The Tripartite Alliance serves to bring the three major stakeholders to the table to work out a feasible solution to all. Workers thus need not fear knowing that the NTUC and the Govt are behind them. The Govt even has the tradition of putting their own cabinet minister to helm NTUC, the latest being Ng Chee Meng, till he lost his seat in recent election....but he is still the labour chief, with the backing of the govt.

But note that there are criticisms of the Tripartite Allaince structure. With the labour union coming under the control of the govt, there are fears that govt may not always put the welfare of workers as their top priority, as the govt's  priority is the WHOLE Singapore, not just the workers. A case in point is how the govt continues to resist the impostion of a minimum wage in favour of a progressive wage, coz the minimum wage will make Singapore less attractive to investors as labour cost will increase. Without the minimum wage law, employers are actually free to 'exploit' workers in the sense hiring them under low wages, esp for foreign labour.....So the tripartite Allaince may actually prevent and inhibit the NTUC (labour union) from doing its work properly -- looking solely after the benefits of workers without other distractions and concerns.....You want to know that singapore is one of the rare democratic countries where the labour union is too cosy with the govt for comfort....

World Athletics to level running field with shoe loans

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Note the impact of technology on sport....how it gives those who have access to it an unfair advantage, and also how it takes the shine off the inspirational factor behind sporting achievements....
If sporting achievements are meant to inspire humans to strive beyond their limits in their respective fields (not only in sports), then this would have been diluted and diminished when we know that the sporting achievements are not due to sheer human ability but accomplished with the help of technology....the best example if F1 racing.....

Global civil unrest holds lessons in public order, trust for S'pore: Minister

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Qns:
1. Discuss the claim that in the modern world people should care more about international than national issues. (CAm. 2013)
2. How far is it important for people to be aware of current events in countries other than their own? (Cam. 2014)

Forum: Foster racial harmony through team sports

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Note one of the functions of sport that is relevant to Singapore....

Forum: Too much screen time may hurt children

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NLB removes children's book for review after 'racist' alert

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Describing the book as "astoundingly racist", she noted in the post that the villain was being written about in "explicitly racialised terms, and in contrast to all the other characters who are depicted as fair-skinned".

If u r currently doing the compre AQ on libraries, do note this example and make the link about libraries being a safe and 'neutral' place....

There was a similar incident in the past where the public raised the alarm over some controversial titles in the public libraries....books with LGBT themes were found openly available in the open shelves of the children's section of the National Library...u can read more HERE and HERE

PAP Women's Wing and Aware express dismay over 'disproportionate' sentence

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"Such a sentence has a detrimental impact on public perceptions of violence against women: indicating to perpetrators that they can get away with a light punishment, and indicating to survivors that the often arduous process of reporting their experience will be unrewarding or even futile,"

It said the harm experienced by the female survivor is frequently minimised, while the past record and future potential of the male perpetrator is amplified.

Qns:

1. ‘Rehabilitation, not punishment, should be the purpose of the justice system.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2017)

2. To what extent is it possible ‘to make the punishment fit the crime’? (Cam. 2013)

Global methane emissions soar to record level: Study

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agriculture is still more important - there are still more emissions from farming than fossil fuels

livestock, particularly cows and sheep, was the largest source of mankind's methane emissions, driven in part by the growing middle-class demand for meat.

Rice farming is another major source of methane, along with manure, wood burning and bush fires, and even termites.

Ruminant animals, such as cows, burp out a lot of methane during digestion of their food.

G-20 carbon 'food-print' highest in meat-loving nations

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If everyone alive consumed steaks and dairy the way Brazilians and Americans do, we would need an extra five planets to feed the world

The production of food for 7.7 billion people is responsible for a quarter of the global carbon emissions that drive climate change.

About 40 per cent of that comes from livestock production and food waste, with the rest generated by rice production, fertiliser use, land conversion and deforestation to accommodate commercial crops.

"The food that we eat and how we produce it are also key drivers in the emergence of deadly viruses such as the one that leads to Covid-19."

Deforestation in particular erases the boundary between human settlements and natural reservoirs of disease in wild animals.

Forum: Be mindful of increased costs associated with climate change policies

Click HERE

Note how going green in not cheap....

For the rich, the "feel good" factor from being environmentally friendly and the health benefits will outweigh these cost concerns.

But for the less fortunate, going green may hurt their pockets. Compounded by the ongoing recession, social inequality is likely to rise if we continue to use existing approaches such as carbon taxes to tackle climate change.

Although targets for carbon emission and energy efficiency are needed, we should ensure that the targets do not come with an increased cost of living.

One way is to offer green products and services, possibly through incentive programmes or subsidies, at a competitive price on a par with their petrochemical counterparts.

Relate to ethical consumerism....

See the rebuttal to this article at: Forum: Go green, even if it costs more

Mediacorp says sorry for portrayal of paedophile character in drama

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A useful local eg....Note how the media can perpetuate and cement stereotypes and biases against a certain group....
Regulations are meant to protect against unhealthy, undesirable influences; but they can also inadvertently demonize a particular group in the process.....
Make a distinguishment btw authentic portrayals and fake news -- smoking can cause cancer vs the insinutations on LGBT below:

"To our knowledge, there is no evidence that homosexual males have a greater propensity to offend against children than heterosexual males."The portrayal of gay men as paedophiles further perpetuates falsehoods that create further suffering among an already marginalised and stigmatised population." It also added that STDs can affect anyone and are "not confined to any gender identity, sexual orientation or behaviour".

According to guidelines by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, content on free-to-air television should not promote or justify the homosexual lifestyle.

For Qns on media, censorship and discrimination....

Hard slog to restart tennis

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Note the idea of how hosting a major sporting event can send a powerful message, and the impact on the image of the country, whether it is repairing the damage done or boosting it.....

the Wuhan Open, a potentially symbolic event for the city that was hit first by the coronavirus

Staging the event in October will send a powerful message about the city's recovery from the coronavirus and have an impact that stretches beyond tennis

Qn: Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits. Do you agree? (Cam. 2005)

Olympics a symbol of solidarity: Koike

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Relate to the idea of how sport can bring people together in solidarity...but note the risk to the reputation of the host country if hosting the Games leads to a spike in infections....

Given the spiralling costs of postponing the Games - the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will spend up to US$650 million (S$903 million) while billions more will largely be borne by Japanese taxpayers -

"I want to host them as a symbol of the world coming together to overcome this tough situation and of strengthened bonds among humankind," 

Qn: Hosting major sporting events creates more problems than benefits. Do you agree? (Cam. 2005)

Digital tools help speed up contact tracing efforts to ring-fence Covid-19 cases

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Solution: helps contain spread of virus in a pandemic by aiding contact tracing for quarantine [tech does not forget, unlike the fragile human mind, when it comes to recalling the places u had gone to, and can even identify the people u have been in contact with]

Problem: privacy issues and discrimination

Qn: 'The digital age has created more problems than it has solved.' Discuss. (TJC J2 Midyr 2020)

J.K. Rowling signs letter warning over free speech

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Note how the noble intention of fighting for equality for marginalized/victimized group can mutate into a stifling of free speech....Like the backlash of the MeToo movement, the victims become so empowered that they become the tyrants. If u r familiar with the term "tyranny of the minority", it can be applied here too...

free speech is under threat due to an "intolerance of opposing views"

they welcomed protests for racial and social justice and calls for greater equality across society....But they cautioned that this drive had also intensified a "new set of moral attitudes and political commitments" that tended to weaken norms of open debate and tolerance of different views, with a "vogue for public shaming and ostracism".

Rowling, 54, has come under fire for speaking out on trans issues, including raising concerns that trans rights are eroding women's rights to single-sex spaces and suggesting young women are being rushed into medical transition

Alleged monkey abuse forces Thailand to relook coconut trade

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Compare also to the use of elephants to carry the logs in the timber industry in Thailand...[animal labour]

The US$400 million (S$556 million) industry, which relies on monkeys at some plantations, is facing possible boycotts in the United States, Europe and Australia after the People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) alleged that monkeys are being abused and "treated like coconut picking machines" for Thai growers and producers.

Peta alleges that an undercover investigation at eight farms and several monkey training schools revealed "shocking abuse" where "monkeys are chained, confined to cramped cages and forced to climb trees and pick coconuts".

"We have to understand that climbing tall trees for humans is a very dangerous job that could end in injury or death,"

Relate to qns on animal rights and ethical consumerism / corporate social responsibility

Qn: 'People go green merely to be trendy.' Do you agree? (TJC J2 Midyr 2020)

Singapore GE2020: Hwa Chong defends advice to students to not discuss election on social media

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For a Forum reply to this article in the Straits Times. click HERE [Forum: School shouldn't stop students discussing politics on social media   ]

"Students' posts could be screen-captured, taken out of context and circulated further, even if the original posts were published in their private accounts. Such digital footprints could remain even if the posts were removed.

Robust discussions on national and civic matters also take place often during General Paper lessons

But because of their youth, we also do not want them to be inadvertently embroiled in agendas beyond their control.

any online controversy, even if caused by actors beyond the student's control, is a crucible which builds character, if not canniness.

Responsible and sensitive use of media is cultivated through engagement, not wilful avoidance

Relate also to 2018 AQ on Youth&Politics

Qn: To what extent do young people in your society take an interest in politics? (Cam. 2006)

Actor Chase Tan apologises to LGBTQ community after netizens slam Mediacorp drama for negative gay stereotypes

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Netizens have criticised Channel 8 and Mediacorp over a male paedophilic character who molests teenage boys and has a sexually transmitted disease, and scenes where characters behave in homophobic ways....roles in the TV series which perpetuate negative perceptions of gay people.

Members of the LGBTQ community said the paedophile character perpetuates a false stereotype of gay men as perverted sexual predators. Some pointed out that such problematic portrayals of queer people are not balanced by positive portrayals in local media. Singapore’s censorship policy forbids positive portrayals of LGBTQ people in the media.

Positive portrayals of LGBTQ people in media are not allowed, under broadcasting rules. The government’s reason for such censorship is that media content should not “promote homosexual lifestyles”.

For qns on whether regulation/censorship of the media is justified....Consider also how regulation of the media perpetuates inequality for some marginalized groups....