$3,000 to wash dishes: Sakae Sushi

The CEO of a local sushi chain has generated some buzz after he said his company will pay cleaners $3,000 a month.

Last Friday, Sakae Sushi CEO Mr Douglas Foo went on UFM100.3 to talk about the difficulties of hiring locals in blue-collar positions. During the interview, Mr Foo complained that he was unable to find any cleaners despite a salary offer of $3,000 a month.

This sparked much public debate, with many netizens saying that it was too good to be true.

One member of the public was quoted in Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao as saying: "I used to be a manager and was only paid $2,500. A dishwasher earning $3,000 is unbelievable."

However, when Mr Foo was approached by the paper for an interview, he not only dismissed the naysayers but also added that Sakae Sushi is looking to hire ten people to clear dishes and maintain the hygiene in the store.

They will also be required to come to work before the store opens daily to clean the premises and clear the rubbish bins.

Even though the restaurants are equipped with dishwashing machines, Mr Foo says that manual labour is still required to clear leftover food from the dishes.

Mr Foo said that candidates for the cleaning position have been unsuitable one way or another, and that there are 10 spots to fill.

On Wednesday, the company confirmed on its Facebook page that they are recruiting Singaporeans or permanent residents as dishwashers for $3,000.

In a status update posted at about 5pm, Sakae Sushi said:

"We would like to confirm that we are recruiting Singaporean or PR dishwashers for SGD 3,000".

People who responded to the posting were sceptical and thought that it might have been a marketing gimmick.