The last 12 months have been eventful for every worker. If the year could be defined by one thing, it would be COVID-19.
It was in February when Singapore had its first locally transmitted COVID-19 case.
Foreign worker dorm residents had the greatest number of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 using the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, coming in at 54,505 as at mid-December 2020.
As the pandemic affected businesses due to the circuit breaker measures, we saw the impact it had on the lives and livelihoods of workers.
Some workers found themselves working less, having to take no-pay leave. Others, especially on the front lines, were working overtime. Unfortunately, many were retrenched.
But in the face of adversity, strength is born.
The last 12 months also saw the Labour Movement and its partners work towards protecting workers, doing what they can to preserve jobs and providing workers with the support they need in dire days.
Here is a recap of some highlights of the year in the Labour Movement.
Taxi and private-hire drivers who required to be quarantined as part of the COVID-19 precautions received additional support in the form of allowances under the Tripartite Care Package.
The Government had also set aside $77 million for these drivers to tide over the COVID-19 situation.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng announced at the Budget Debate 2020 the Job Security Council to improve the matching of at-risk PMEs and workers into jobs, even before they become displaced.
To date, NTUC has worked with 9,000 releasing and receiving companies to match over 25,000 workers to new jobs.
The Government went on to present Singaporeans with an unprecedented four Budgets in 2020 – The Unity, Resilience, Solidarity and Fortitude Budgets.
Each Budget built on the last one when it came to the measures that supported workers and kept the nation going.
The demand for daily essentials surged as Singapore entered DORSCON Orange in February. Although unexpected, NTUC FairPrice quickly responded to the situation and increased the volume of daily essentials being sent to the stores by three times. Delivery trips were also doubled.
NTUC distributed care packs for workers across industries who have been working tirelessly to keep Singapore safe and running.
In total, NTUC distributed more than 1 million masks and 6,000 care packs.
In March, the NTUC Training Fund added $4 million to $36 million SEP Training Support Scheme set aside by the Government.
The Government added a further $48 million to the SEP Training Support Scheme as announced at the Resilience Budget.
NTUC, affiliated unions and associations, and the Government came together to offer aid to union members facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 situation.
Together, they committed $25 million as part of the NTUC Care Fund, where each affected union member twice benefitted from cash relief of up to $300 each time. More than 45,000 members benefitted from the fund.
When the Government announced the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS), NTUC volunteered itself to help with the programme. To date, NTUC has processed more than 100,000 applications and appeals for the scheme.
Since launching the LHUB Go in April, more than 80,000 users benefitted from the training platform.
LHUB GO offers 100 free courses to the public and 200 free courses to NTUC union members until February 2021.
The platform allows learners to have the freedom to choose their courses and learn at their own pace. They can also track their progress and get feedback.
When Singapore went to the polls earlier this year, eight individuals who represent the Labour Movement were elected to Parliament.
To help with ensuring the right of workers are protected during the period of retrenchment, NTUC came up with a Fair Retrenchment Framework (FRF) to guide companies on responsible retrenchment practices.
The FRF sets out three guiding principles for companies – protecting the Singaporean Core, preserving jobs and providing job support.
The framework was eventually adopted to the Tripartite Advisory and Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment.
PMEs who are more vulnerable to economic transformation and technological disruption are now better protected with the formation of the PME Taskforce by NTUC and the SNEF.
The taskforce engages PMEs, employers and various stakeholders to identify areas of support and methods to strengthen PMEs’ employment and employability.
It also works to ensure that PMEs have fair access to jobs in the immediate and longer-term, while concurrently balancing companies’ manpower needs.
NTUC formed in December the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) (VICPA) and the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA) to represent and advance the interests of freelancers and self-employed persons in the respective sectors.
Both associations will work closely with various stakeholders to address issues faced by these groups of workers, strengthen their support structures, as well as improve their work prospects.
