~ HSEU formalises first-ever partnership with professional associations ~
~ Collaboration will support training, development and welfare for more healthcare workers, such as optometrists and oral health therapists ~
The Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU), an affiliated union under the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), announced the formation of the Healthcare Professionals Community (HPC) today. As members of the HPC, workers and companies within the healthcare professional associations will be able to gain better support for training, development and welfare through HSEU’s and NTUC’s network and resources.
HSEU also signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with nine healthcare professional associations representing over 9,000 members, to collaborate under the HPC. This marks the first time that HSEU is formally partnering with professional associations representing healthcare workers. The nine MOUs were signed between Ms K Thanaletchimi, NTUC President and HSEU President, and representatives of the nine associations:
i. Ms Janelle Joy Foo, Vice President, Association for Oral Health Therapists (AOHT);
ii. Mr Clement Ng, President, Singapore Acupuncture Association (SAA);
iii. Asst Prof Yeh I-Ling, Vice President (Honorary Secretary), Singapore Association of Occupational Therapists (SAOT);
iv. Dr Teo Eng Kiat, President, Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association (SCPA);
v. Ms Samantha Ong, President, Singapore Nurses Association (SNA);
vi. Mr Lee Kang Lian, President, Singapore Optometric Association (SOA);
vii. Mr Clayton Chua, Vice President, Singapore Physiotherapy Association (SPA);
viii. Mr Adrian Toh, President, Singapore Psychological Society (SPS); and
ix. Ms Elizabeth Teo, President, Speech and Language Therapy Singapore (SALTS)
The MOU signing ceremony took place at NTUC Centre, and was witnessed by Guest-of-Honour (GOH) Mr Ng Chee Meng, NTUC Secretary-General; Mr Bernard Menon, NTUC Director of U PME; and HSEU’s Council of Advisors .
NTUC Secretary-General Mr Ng Chee Meng said, "This partnership marks HSEU's first-ever formal collaboration with such professional associations. This enables NTUC and the Healthcare Academy to better support training, development and welfare for a wider pool of healthcare workers, especially those in the private sector and specialised fields. NTUC is committed to the growth of every worker, and this is at the heart of what we do. We will continue to take action for our workers so they can achieve better wages, welfare and work prospects.”
Training and transformation for healthcare workers for better wages, welfare and work prospects
Under the MOUs, HSEU and the nine associations will co-create and facilitate relevant training opportunities for healthcare workers by leveraging the Healthcare Academy (HCA). This would enable workers in the private healthcare space and specialised fields, like optometrists, oral health therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists, to have access to similar training opportunities as their counterparts in the public healthcare institutions.
The MOUs will also deepen the existing collaboration between HSEU and the nine associations, paving the way for sectoral Operation and Technology Roadmaps (OTRs) and Company Training Committees (CTCs) to further transform the healthcare sector.
With training and transformation, workers in the healthcare sector can look forward to better wages, welfare and work prospects. HSEU will also assist and support workers that could be affected in the midst of the healthcare sector transformation, to ensure that no worker is left behind. Please refer to the Annex below for examples on HSEU’s efforts to support the associations.
NTUC and HSEU President Ms K Thanaletchimi said, “The Healthcare Professionals Community (HPC) is a step forward in HSEU's outreach to both private healthcare providers and healthcare professional associations, beyond public healthcare institutions. Through our engagements, we saw value in creating a community to bring together like-minded associations to share best practices and cross-pollinate ideas to move their respective fields forward. Our hope is that the HPC will promote public-private partnership, so the public and private healthcare sector can play a greater role in complementing and supporting each other to uplift the industry. We welcome more associations and societies interested in leveraging HSEU and NTUC’s network and resources to join our community.”
New mentorship programme to strengthen collaboration for workers’ representation
Under the MOUs, HSEU and the healthcare professional associations will also collaborate on outreach and recruitment efforts in their respective fields, to better represent the interests and concerns of workers in the healthcare sector.
HSEU will launch the Healthcare Mentorship Programme (HCMP) to build deeper understanding and more effective collaboration between HSEU and the nine associations. This will be conducted in collaboration with Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCi) in the first quarter of 2025.
Through two-way mentorship, the HCMP will achieve a win-win outcome, with select leaders from the associations being mentored on industrial relations by union leaders from HSEU, while HSEU leaders are, in turn, mentored on field-specific knowledge by the select association leaders. The leaders selected will be able to effectively advocate for and raise workplace issues on behalf of their colleagues, to enhance their workplace environment and prospects.
1 Advisors present at the MOU signing include Ms Diana Chia, Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Charles Ng and HSEU Executive Secretary Steven Goh.
2The Healthcare Academy (HCA) is a collaboration between HSEU, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and NTUC LearningHub to support continuous learning for healthcare workers, provide employment opportunities for displaced workers from other sectors to work in the healthcare sector, and equip healthcare workers with relevant future-ready skills.
3Sectoral Operation and Technology Roadmaps (OTRs) are conducted with the help of NTUC Industry Training and Transformation team to identify common challenges faced by the industry sector, as well as the necessary resources and enablers needed to help businesses within the sector uplift standards and prepare their workers for industry transformation.
