- Progressive Wage Model for One-in-Four Workers in the Sector -
Since the formation of the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster in March 2012, the cluster has been engaging various management partners and government agencies on a multitude of manpower-related matters such as productivity improvement and workplace-related issues etc. To further strengthen tripartism within the sector, a sectoral tripartite committee, called the Aerospace and Aviation Sectoral Tripartite Committee (A&A Sectoral Tricom), is formally established today. Initiated by the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster, A&A Sectoral Tricom members include the clusters’ group of nine unions, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), key government agencies namely the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Singapore Workforce Development Agency, and 20 employers who collectively account for more than half of the sector’s workforce. The tripartite committee will be co-chaired by CAAS and NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster.
The A&A Sectoral Tricom’s main goal is to build a strong, stable and future-ready workforce for the aerospace and aviation sector to further bolster Singapore’s position as an international air hub, through committed and unified efforts by the tripartite partners. Two key areas of focus for the committee are inclusive manpower development and workplace safety and health.
INCLUSIVE MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT WITH PROGRESSIVE WAGE MODEL IN THE PIPELINE
To ensure that all 60,000 workers in the sector will benefit from the slew of initiatives that aim to improve productivity and skill sets, leading to better salaries and enhanced career prospects, the A&A Sectoral Tricom is adopting an inclusive manpower development approach, covering both outsourced and direct workers.
For a start, the committee identified key jobs whereby Progressive Wage Model (PWM) will be developed: Baggage Handlers, Equipment Operators, Trolley Retrievers, Passenger Service Agents, Aircraft Technicians, and Licensed Aircraft Engineers. About 17,750 workers in these jobs will have structured training pathway and clear career progression developed for them. With concerted effort from unions, employers and government agencies, they will be able to advance up the PWM’s four ladders of skill, productivity, job and wage.
To further ensure that outsourced workers will benefit, an Outsourced Workers’ Workgroup will be formed to look into common issues and challenges faced by both service buyers and service providers; as well as explore tapping on the Progressive Wage Incentive for low-wage outsourced workers to achieve progressive and sustainable wages.
Whilst the PWMs are being developed, NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster and management partners have been working closely to explore ways to make workers better workers and jobs, better jobs for below positions:
Baggage Handlers: utilising mechanisation whereby ergonomics lifting and/or connecting equipment may be affixed to baggage handling system so that large-sized and heavy baggage can be handled with ease by baggage handlers, thus making work easier, smarter and safer. This will result in improved productivity and reduced workplace injury such as muscle strains or back injury. More than 1,500 baggage handlers will benefit from this.
Ramp Service team: foods, luggage and cargo are unloaded and loaded from/to aircrafts by the Ramp Service team, comprising Ramp Assistants, Equipment Operators, Ramp Serviceman and Ramp Officer. The team members undergo training to drive different types of vehicles and obtain the necessary driving license. With a multi-skilled team, there is greater flexibility in manpower deployment, leading to an increase in productivity. Team members who are able to handle more types of vehicles and multi-task will have higher opportunities of promotion. To-date, 57 have undergone multi-skill training.
Trolley Retrievers: about 240 outsourced trolley retrievers were converted from daily-rated to monthly-rated workers with a 40 per cent increase in monthly base salary in August last year. By the third quarter this year, they will also undergo a multi-skilling programme and job re-design cum job enlargement process, which will lead to improved productivity and enhanced wages.
Licensed Aircraft Engineers (LAEs): with a fast expanding business aviation industry, there is an impending need to build a Singaporean Core of LAEs who have the relevant expertise and certified qualifications. To retain local talents, a structured training pathway and clear career route are in place. And to attract locals to join the profession, a new job placement programme will be launched in the second half of this year.
WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Safety in the aviation and aerospace sector is paramount. Several focus groups have been set up between unions and management to discuss and explore workplace practice or infrastructure improvements that will address workplace safety and health concerns such as reduction in air pollutants and carbon emission, enhancing airside safety and minimising lightning risks. With the formation of the Aerospace and Aviation Sectoral Tripartite Committee, there will be better and more coordinated tripartite efforts to tackle workplace safety and health hazards, including inculcating a safety culture amongst the airport community, enhancing safety awareness and developing a holistic safety risk management system.
LAUNCH CEREMONY OF AEROSPACE AND AVIATION SECTORAL TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE
The Aerospace and Aviation Sectoral Tripartite Committee was officially launched this afternoon at the Changi Airport Auditorium before an audience of about 100 tripartite guests. Mr Lim Kuang Beng, Chairman of the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster and Co-Chairman of the tripartite committee delivered the welcome speech at the event. After the official launch of the tripartite committee, Mr Daniel Ang, Division Head (Aviation Industry) of CAAS and Co-Chairman of the tripartite committee also delivered a speech, followed by Ms Cham Hui Fong, Lead for the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster and Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC.
Mr Lim Kuang Beng, Chairman of the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster, and Co-Chairman of the Aerospace and Aviation Sectoral Tripartite Committee said, “Today marks a significant milestone for the aerospace and aviation sector with the formalisation of the tripartite committee. The unions have always been in close consultation with management to discuss a myriad of manpower issues, and sometimes involving the relevant government agencies.” He continued, “The setup of this tricom cements the tripartite relationship and moving forward, we will be adopting a whole-of-sector approach to address manpower-related issues for this sector. By end of this year, a national forum for the sector will be organised for all parties to discuss and deliberate on a wide-range of issues so that unified actions may be taken to tackle challenges and ride on opportunities ahead.”
Mr Daniel Ng, Division Head (Aviation Industry) of CAAS and Co-Chairman of the Aerospace and Aviation Sectoral Tripartite Committee said, “We must put in every effort together to make "every aviation job, a good job", working in partnership to prepare our companies, agencies, unions and workers for the expected changes ahead. CAAS is pleased to be part of the Aerospace and Aviation Sectoral Tripartite Committee to bring all stakeholders together to bring about change that benefits all of us. As a community, we need to come together to drive innovation and productivity, and create good jobs for workers in the aviation sector.”
“There are exciting times ahead with the further expansion of the Seletar Aerospace Park and Changi Airport,” said Ms Cham Hui Fong, Lead for NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster, also NTUC Assistant Secretary-General. She added, “These are employment hubs with working community, either outsourced workers or direct employees, in tens of thousands. With our tripartite partners, we want to create not just world-class airport for travellers, world-class air hub for aviation companies, but world-class workers and world-class workplaces.”
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