When 60-year-old Anada Kumar was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2019, he was surprised at how much his company of almost 20 years cared for his welfare and well-being.
While on a two-month hospitalisation leave following surgery, he received frequent calls from his company, Bok Seng Logistics, asking how he was recuperating. His colleagues from the human resources department also came to visit him at home.
What Mr Kumar appreciated the most was when the company allowed him to work from home after he ended his leave.
Working from him allowed him to limit his overall movement and journey to work, which enabled him to recover better. Bok Seng Logistics put in place the arrangement even before working from home was the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 650 other workers can now have the same benefits as Mr Kumar after the NTUC U Women and Family (U WAF) signed agreements on 16 August 2022 with 10 logistics and supply chain companies.
All the companies pledged their commitment to making their workplaces better for workers.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, NTUC U SME and U WAF Director Yeo Wan Ling, and Supply Chain Employees Union (SCEU) Executive Secretary Fahmi Aliman witnessed the signings at Bok Seng Logistics' warehouse in Tuas.
Bok Seng Logistics, a unionised company under SCEU, was the first company in the sector to commit to the agreement.
The company's Group CEO Dave Ng said: "We want to create a better workplace for our people to improve their lives. I believe that when we take care of our workers, they will take care of our business."
With the agreement, the 10 companies will review the existing provision of work-life harmony (WLH) support; adopt tripartite standards and develop policies on flexible work arrangements (FWA) and workplace harassment; redesign identified job roles and provide the necessary training for female workers to take on these jobs.
The companies will leverage NTUC's support and resources to implement the commitments.
NTUC said a relook at job roles will allow workers to contribute to higher value add jobs, earn higher wages, and attract and retain manpower in the growing sector.
According to the Ministry of Manpower, the logistics sector contributed $6.8 billion, or 1.4 per cent, of Singapore's GDP in 2019. It employs more than 86,000 workers in more than 5,300 companies.
The NTUC secretary-general said that while NTUC has been pushing for workers' productivity through workforce transformation, he is glad that employers are also embarking on improving the workplace environment, especially for women.
He added that pushing for more FWAs would go a long way for female workers juggling parent care and childcare.
"We want to look deeply together with our female workers, listen to their needs so that NTUC can be alongside them and champion their work interests,” he said.
Unionised companies or U SME partners that sign the agreement and fulfil specified criteria will receive additional support from NTUC.
The criteria include adopting and adhering to the Tripartite Guidelines on FWA and WLH and having a workplace harassment management policy.
NTUC's U WAF team will furnish the companies' premises with either a wellness corner where staff can relax or bond or a lactation space.
Mr Kumar hopes more companies can be more progressive and take better care of workers' welfare.
"When you have that added touch from the management that shows how much the company cares for its workers, the workers will be more motivated to go the extra mile for the company," he said.
