Two years have passed since the last National Delegates’ Conference in 2011, yet the Labour Movement remains steadfast in its commitment and progression towards "Better Jobs For All".
This was the key message at the National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) Ordinary Delegates’ Conference Opening Ceremony held on 29 October 2013 at the Orchid Country Club.
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Speaking to almost 1,100 attendees comprising delegates, representatives from the LM family and tripartite partners and guests, including Guest of Honour Brother Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, NTUC President Diana Chia hailed the conference as an important platform for delegates to exchange knowledge and feedback.
“At this ODC, we will be championing for changes for more workers to have better job, better pay and better life. We will discuss how to sustain increases in real wages; make jobs Easier, Smarter, and Safer; and serve more workers by reaching out to them to join as union members,” shared NTUC President Diana Chia.
These discussions come at a time as Singapore prepares to enter a critical period in economic transition. To better help our workers and businesses turn the pain of economic restructuring into quality gains, the LM is prepared to ramp up efforts across various initiatives through a stronger and more pervasive tripartism.
To achieve this, the LM plans to ensure and promote effective tripartism, not only at the government level but also at the sectoral level. This will enable workers and businesses to participate in open and constructive dialogue, and to join hands in creating a better Singapore for all.
At the same time, the LM will also deepen its support for our workers through initiatives such as the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) as well as the setting up of two new professionals, managers and executives (PME) centres.
To further champion the adoption of PWM across sectors, an NTUC PWM Expert Group will be formed to better assist and engage LM’s affiliates and unionised companies to embark on the four ladders of wage, career, skills and productivity.
Low-wage workers will also stand to benefit from PWM, as the LM strives towards real wage gains and enhanced career paths for our low-wage workers through a multi-pronged approach of using PWM, licensing and National Wages Council guidelines.
And as Singapore continues to keep pace with the changing workforce profile, the LM will also intensify its efforts for our PMEs in terms of protection, progression, placement and privileges (4Ps). Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Secretary-General Lim Swee Say shared that the LM will achieve this on three levels:
1) Setting up of two new PME Centres
2) Expanding the role of rank-and-file unions to include PMEs
3) Forming partnerships with professional bodies to meet other needs of PMEs
Further discussions on how to do more and do better will take place over the next two days.
Click here to download the PDF version of the NTUC Secretary-General's report 2013
