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A SURVEY by Tsinghua University of college graduates' income has once again attracted attention. It found that 69 percent of students who graduated in 2011 were paid less than 2,000 yuan (US$314) a month for their first job. Meanwhile, the National Statistics Bureau said migrant workers' monthly wages reached a record 2,049 yuan a month in 2011.

The walkout has highlighted a difficult balancing act as Singapore’s falling birth rate forces it to rely on foreign labour to keep its decades-long economic miracle, envied round the world, on track. The influx of migrant workers from China and Bangladesh has caused friction as “heartlander” Singaporeans have complained about crowded public transport and competition for housing.