In Singapore, employer-employee relation is not balanced, employers have the legal right to set contract terms. Although a jobseeker can also choose to reject the contract but this will mean another round of job search which in itself is a tiring process.

While in a job, the employer could have legal ways to make an employee abide to his or her wishes by making critical remarks over his or her work or any other legitimate but unreasonable demands.

The employment laws in Singapore will only step in if there is a default in salary payment and left benefit negotiation to trade unions.

This leaves a question, do trade unions have much bargaining powers? With the influx of foreign manpower, will employers heed the calls of trade unions or is NTUC trade union, besides calling for skills upgrading, be effective and willing to do more for workers?

Yes, with a new skillset, you will be able to have a higher bargaining power, but if the employers do not support your skills upgrading, how will a full time worker go for the oft-mentioned upgrading, having to juggle a hectic work demand and his studies?