It takes many hands to keep Changi Airport flying high as the Best Airport in the world. One group of workers responsible for that belong to the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS). They handle your bags, work on the airside and prepare and deliver the in-flight food.
Its union, Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers’ Union (SATSWU), welcomed its new General Secretary, 47-year-old Govinden Sathasivam, on 1 December 2016.
Mr Govinden was the Assistant General Secretary (ASG) since 2010.
NTUC This Week: How did you prepare for the General Secretary of SATSWU post?
Govinden Sathasivam: It is a heavy responsibility. I have been helping my predecessor Brother S Gunasekaran since 2010 and along the way he has given me a lot of exposure in some of the key areas of union work. I have been handling matters pertaining to the collective agreement. I have also been serving on the disciplinary inquiry committee and this covers 10 divisions of the union within SATS. All these have helped me understand the work that is involved for the General Secretary and the concerns and grievances workers face. As the new GS of SATSWU, I want to instil the importance of unity, where no one is left behind.
Q: What are the immediate challenges and priorities in this ever-changing work environment?
There are three key challenges facing SATSWU. First is the problem of manpower shortage and dealing with an ageing workforce. To deal with the ageing workforce, we have been redesigning jobs to help them cope. I must say they have been adapting well. The second area is something we have often talked about in the airport family and that is safety issues at the airside for our workers. We are in regular communications with the Changi Airport Group on the issue of lightning safety and one thing which we hope they will consider introducing is a central alarm system to alert all workers in the event of lightning. The third challenge is meeting the expectations of customers. We have key performance indicators for our divisions. For example, at the baggage area, we have to ensure that the first bag is on the belt within a certain time and likewise the last bag too. The ground handlers are very tied down. All this is very much dependant on manpower and so that is the big challenge, rising up to customer expectations in a tight manpower situation. Both the union and management are involved in recruitment exercises and we hope to attract Singaporeans to join SATS.
Q: How would you describe SATSWU’s relations with SATS management?
Our relationship with SATS is good. We meet on a monthly basis to discuss issues with senior management. In the area of communications however, we can make some improvements. Sometimes there is a delay in communicating matters to the union and we can both work together to improve this process.
Q: What is your daily wish at work?
For the commitment they all show and the risks they face at work, my wish for every worker is that they reach home safely. I am most concerned about safety at work and this is very important.
