By Shukry Rashid
To prune bushes – that was my first task of the day. I was told this is how most landscape workers start out as it requires minimal skills. But that does not mean it is an easy job.
“Cut the branches just before the last leaf. This way, the plant can continue growing,” said my ‘supervisor’, 55-year-old Landscape Technician Goh Keng Lian in a mixture of broken English and Malay.
These words have stuck with me ever since. To put things into perspective, what I gathered from him was to do away what you must in life, but leave behind enough for life to continue.
Appreciation For The Job
While I felt that anyone could have easily pruned bushes, my next task with the leaf blower proved to be tougher.
I had to blow dried leaves on the ground into piles so that the other landscape workers could collect them in plastic gunny sacks.
While carrying the heavy leaf blower on my back, I also had to tolerate the overwhelming smell of burning diesel and work under the scorching heat. Blowing leaves is much harder than it looks.
It took me a while to get the hang of it, but it made me appreciate the physically straining work these landscape workers do every day to keep the environment clean and green.
Upskill To Move Up
For the work that I just did, I would have received a starting salary of about $750 to $850 a month. But thanks to the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) that was introduced to the landscape industry on 24 April 2015, landscape workers can now look forward to upskilling and a higher starting salary. The move will certainly attract more Singaporeans into the industry.
Properly Trained
Inspired, I decided to move on to my next task – cut thick branches off a three-storey high tree using a chainsaw atop a crane. Not certified to operate the chainsaw, I decided to get on the work platform to get a feel of what it was like to be up there near the tree top.
Properly equipped with a harness and helmet, I was briefed on safety procedures – something I would not be familiar with if I were not properly trained.
To be properly trained to handle equipment safely, companies can send its landscape workers to upgrading courses conducted by learning institutes such as NTUC LearningHub and Centre For Urban Greenery and Ecology.
Once equipped with the additional certifications, landscape workers will be able to enjoy a better salary as their work roles and responsibilities would have widened.
Source: NTUC This Week
