Story by Jonathan Tan
The launch of the Energy and Chemicals Industry Transformation Map (ITM) may be more than a month away, but NTUC’s Oil, Petrochemical, Energy and Chemicals (OPEC) Cluster has already engaged members on what to expect in the upcoming ITM.
“We are serious about the welfare of our workers which is why we are doing this. We want to bring the information to our workers so they know what’s going on,” said NTUC’s OPEC Cluster Chairman and NTUC Vice-President K Karthikeyan.
He was speaking at the sidelines of the Energy & Chemicals ITM Seminar organised with Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCi) on 13 September 2017. The day-long seminar at the NTUC Centre was attended by more than 90 union leaders and management partners from the OPEC cluster.
Agents of Change
Presentations by partners such as the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), Institute of Engineers Singapore, and NTUC LearningHub detailed how the ITM will be relevant to workers and their companies. Jobs will change with the introduction of new technology, and new opportunities will present itself despite disruptions and challenges.
“With this first-hand information, our union leaders will know how to prepare their members for the changes that will come. Done at the sector level, we can help them understand how things are changing in the industry, how to bridge the skills gaps and ultimately, help them see the value of training and upgrading themselves in the long-term and keeping their jobs,” said Mr Karthikeyan.
Takeaways
“The information shared is like a refresher for us as we are already moving towards the new direction where some of our companies are already implementing the changes. Presentations such as Accenture’s live demonstrations helped open up our minds to how technology can be applied and used to make our jobs easier.” - ExxonMobil Singapore Employees Union First Assistant General Secretary Wang Dong
“One of the key things brought up is the human factor, which is still very important. As we see how we can make technology relevant for ourselves, we should not forget that our workers are still people with feelings. There are concerns about whether these changes will affect their jobs. Change has to be done in a phased manner so that we can still take care of the human element and safety, which is the paramount fundamental of the job.” - Oiltanking Asia Pacific Vice-President of Human Resources Paul Chung
“Besides engaging with the companies, I have to engage my own union leaders first. Because if we can’t convince them, we have an even bigger barrier. We really need to come out and take ownership of changes. If we look at the big picture, it is beyond just adapting to Industry 4.0, but about changing our lifestyle to take ownership of training, upgrading and keeping up with changes.” - United Workers of Petroleum Industry President Benedict Chan
Good to Know
NTUC’s OPEC Cluster consists of seven unions:
• Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees
• Chemical Industries Employees’ Union
• ExxonMobil Singapore Employees Union
• Singapore Refining Company Employees' Union
• Singapore Shell Employees' Union
• United Workers of Petroleum Industry
• Union of Power and Gas Employees
