This year’s U Safe Forum and Awards saw NTUC recognise 11 unions, unionised companies and NTUC U SME partners for their role in championing progressive workplace practices and creating safer and healthier workplaces for workers.
This year was the highest number of awards given out to date.
The event was held on 11 November 2019 at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability. Senior Minister of State for Manpower and National Development Zaqy Mohamad was the event’s guest of honour.
Addressing 500 guests comprising award winners, Labour Movement leaders and tripartite partners, Mr Zaqy said: “I encourage the unions to continue championing progressive workplace safety and health [WSH] practices among employers. This can take the form of adopting systematic reporting of near misses, empowering workers to stop work when they detect risky situations and appointing WSH representatives to identify and mitigate risks. Strong union activism on WSH will create even safer and healthier workplaces for our brothers and sisters.”
In all, three unions won the U Safe Award (Advocate Category), five unionised companies received the U Safe Award (Champion Category), and three U SME partners won the U Safe Award (U SME Partner Category).
The Advocate Category recognises unions that had advocated and promoted WSH guidelines and best practices to management partners and members, which resulted in building a progressive and pervasive WSH culture.
A new category introduced this year, the Champion Category acknowledges the efforts of unionised companies that have worked with unions to drive WSH workplace initiatives and improve WSH performance through technology.
The U SME Partner Category recognises U SME Partners that work with NTUC to drive and support WSH initiatives. The partners also advance workers’ WSH training and upgrading to enhance safety, health well-being of all workers in the company.
“It is very heartening to gather today to honour these 11 awardees who are committed to WSH. The well-being of our workers is a top priority for all in the Labour Movement. Regardless of whether you are a worker, a union leader or an employer, we must take responsibility for our own safety and the safety of fellow workers.
“The Labour Movement will continue to rally our workers to take greater ownership of safety; improve their WSH competencies and push for greater adoption of technology to make every workplace a safer and healthier workplace,” said NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Policy Division Director Desmond Choo.
U Safe Award (Advocate Category)
U Safe Award (Champion Category)
U Safe Award (U SME Partner Category)
