Good morning,
Mr Foo Hee Jug, CEO Jurong Health Services
A/P Cheah Wei Keat, CMB
Brother Mahmood Idrose, President, HSEU
Sister Diana Chia, General Secretary, HSEU
Fellow Comrades from the Healthcare Cluster of Unions including our JHS Branch Committee
Management partners, Staff, Brothers and Sisters.
I am very pleased to be here with you today for several reasons.
Firstly, this is the first time JHS is hosting a National Day Observance Ceremony in collaboration with the unions and I am appreciative of the support from the management and staff that have made this gathering possible. I hear that we have a treat lined up for us with special performances by JHS’s home-grown talents and I cannot wait to see what they have prepared for us.
Secondly, Jurong Health Services has just formed its first HSEU Branch Committee, headed by Sister Habibah, which is a step to ensure that the concerns and voices of staff in this organisation will be heard and addressed. In fact, the Committee has already started work with the recent bonus and service increment negotiations which I hear has been greeted positively on the ground. The formation of the new Branch Committee has shown us the graciousness of the JHS management who has not only welcomed them but also provided a union office for the Committee to carry out its day to day business. I applaud this good labour management relations and urge us all to continue to work closely together for the benefit of all JHS staff.
Healthcare Staff are special. This is one of the professions where passion is a pre-requisite. Most healthcarers I meet including nurses, admin, allied & ancillary health professionals, and doctors talk about their jobs in qualitative terms, sharing with me the satisfaction they receive from their jobs.
In return, the institutions often take care of their staff by providing upgrading opportunities and additional incentives. This is especially the case for both nursing and non-nursing staff at all levels. There is a variety of training opportunities available for nursing staff such the post-basic certificate and nursing degree programmes. Nurses who have a passion in clinical work and teaching are supported to develop as Nurse Clinicians where they can further their professional interests. The Admin, Allied and Ancillary Professionals are also offered upgrading and training opportunities. In the same vein, doctors are also supported in their various continuous upgrading and education including research work.
The Healthcare Cluster has been striving to better the lives of nurses through representation to resolve their workplace issues and negotiations for better salary packages. In 2007, a review of nurses’ salaries led to a 7% increase to their salaries. In 2010, the Union forged an agreeement with the restructured healthcare institutions to increase entry level nurses’ salaries from $1,500 to $1,700. Last year, I know HSEU also concluded and secured a revised collective agreeement across the restructured hospitals revising the salary ranges of both nursing and non-nursing staff. I encourage staff to move up the career ladder by tapping on the opportunities presented.
In the past 5 years, remuneration and benefits for our healthcare employees have been enhanced as both union and management negotiate and work towards rewarding and safeguarding the interests of our healthcare employees. We assure that the union will continue to work closely with management for the best possible outcomes. We want our healthcare employees to enjoy better pay, better jobs and better lives. Minister and MOH recently mentioned about a review of both the salaries of doctors and nurses. I applaud the move as we need to attract and keep healthcare staff who are a vital asset for our country. Healthcare staff play an even added role with our ageing population and amidst uncertainties. As the entire healthcare system includes admin, allied and ancillary staff, I hope their welfare and benefits will also be examined and reviewed.
On this note, I thank you for having me here today and I wish you all a Happy 46th National Day! Majulah…the Singapore Spirit!
