Make the local worker your employee of choice – that was the message Labour Nominated Member of Parliament Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab had for employers in his maiden parliamentary speech on 24 February 2021.
Mr Samad, who is also the general secretary of the Union of Power and Gas Employees, was participating in the Budget Debate 2021.
He also urged employers to ensure that the skills of foreign workers are eventually transferred to the local workers. Doing so will help moderate Singapore’s reliance on foreign labour, he said.
“While we keep our economy open and have foreign workers to augment our local workforce, we must create more employment opportunities for our locals and continue to strengthen our Singaporean core at both the sectoral and company level,” said Mr Samad.
Mr Samad added that he hopes the Government will continue to recognise companies who build a stronger Singaporean core and develop their local workforce across all levels, through positive differentiation among companies who do not.
To have a strong Singaporean core also means to have local workers whose skills are relevant, believes Mr Samad.
“The importance of training has shifted from equipping workers with today’s skills to preparing the workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Unions are committed to working with employers to help our workers build their capabilities, upgrade their skills and transform by setting up company training committees,” he said.
Additionally, he called on employers to take the lead and take advantage of the economic slowdown by equipping their workers with future skills and transforming them to meet the evolving needs of respective industries.
Meanwhile, Mr Samad joined the call of his parliamentary peers to expand the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) to other sectors.
Mr Samad said that the PWM can be applied not only to the lower-wage outsourced sectors but also to those that employ workers not typically seen as low-wage.
“PWM's philosophy also applies to middle-wage workers. In fact, many of the unionised companies in the oil, petrochemicals, energy and chemical industries have a structured career development plan for their employees that is mapped to skills and salary ladder. This is akin to the PWM's value proposition and has allowed many workers to achieve sustainable wage growth through upskilling and career progression,” he explained.
He also urged sectoral agencies to work with employers, unions and professional associations to implement the PWM, beyond the existing sectors.
“The sectoral level PWM will allow workers to have the visibility of the career pathways and salary progression in tandem with the skill upgrading and productivity improvements. Workers will have sight of the career and salaries that the sector has to offer them as well as the required skills and training. This will provide a useful roadmap to attract fresh graduates, mid-career switchers, develop and retain locals in the sector.
“During downturns, the visibility of the sectoral PWM’s skills ladder will facilitate cross-function, cross-company and cross-sector mobility for workers from restructuring companies to companies that are hiring,” said Mr Samad.
One of the non-low-wage sectors Mr Samad said that has great potential for the PWM to be implemented in was the solar energy sector.
“With Singapore aiming to achieve almost five times the current solar usage by 2030 and together with the industry career development plan for solar technologists … [implementing the PWM in the sector] would provide a clearer career development and wage progression plan for middle-wage workers entering this promising sunrise industry,” he said.
