By Ramesh Subbaraman
Mediacorp Private Limited and Mediacorp TV Singapore Pte Ltd and the Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employee... signed a new collective agreement (CA) on 2 September 2016 that will benefit 2500 employees at the company. Some 1000 of them are union members.
CEO of both companies Shaun Seow said that with the CA, relations between management and the union will only get better to navigate the changes in the broadcasting industry.
THE PROVISIONS
Negotiations to complete the CA have been going on for the past five months.
“It was a spirit of give and take, knowing that neither party would always get exactly what they felt was appropriate. But in the process, both sides saw each other’s point of view. Some compromises on both sides had to be made to arrive at a win-win outcome,” said Mediacorp’s Chief Human Resources Officer
Kenneth Soh.
Among the provisions are a retrenchment clause which now provides for one month of retrenchment benefit per year of service capped at 25 months. Previously, this was “negotiable”.
There is also an increase of $200 in the quantum of the long service awards given out to staff who have worked between 25 and 45 years in the company.
Enhancements have also been made to medical and shift allowances, and prolonged illness leave.
SUBE’s Executive Secretary Desmond Choo said: “Within the context of falling profits from all broadcasters globally, Mediacorp has affirmed its commitment to its workers by doing two things.
“First, they have revised some of the allowances to the workers. This reflects they are willing to go above the market. Secondly, we finally came to an agreement on the retrenchment benefits, and the workers are assured they have better security now.”
RECOGNISING MEDIACORP PRESS
Separately, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed to bring in the employees of Mediacorp Press into the CA eventually.
The MOU is the first step as details to incorporate employees of Mediacorp Press could not be completed in time for the signing ceremony. This is expected to be completed within the next 18 months.
“So from now onwards we will be looking after them, as we would the staff in Mediacorp,” said Mr Choo.
Source: NTUC This Week
