Lead Special Representative, NTUC International Affairs Department
The 15th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) planned for April 2011 but postponed following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, finally took place from 4-7 December 2011 in Kyoto.
Held once every four years, it was attended by tripartite delegations from more than 40 Asian member states, the Pacific and the Arab states of West Asia. Singapore dispatched a nine-member tripartite delegation with Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Mr Hawazi Daipi; Divisional Director of the MOM Workplace Policy & Strategy Division Ms Jacqueline Poh; NTUC then-Assistant Secretary-General Mr Seng Han Thong; and SNEF Deputy Honorary Secretary Mr Steven Goh as the two Singapore Government delegates, workers’ delegate and employers’ delegate respectively.
The meeting noted that while the region, as a whole, grew over the last few years, the growth benefits have not been distributed evenly, resulting in pockets of poverty. In addition, the region is plagued with hardship caused by natural disasters, climate change and the global financial crisis.
Limited social security coverage in most countries left people to fend for themselves. The region is also witnessing widening income inequality caused by huge informal economies and increasing atypical and casual work often offering poor wages and working conditions.
Like many countries in Europe, youth unemployment and underemployment are also issues the region has to deal with. Developed countries like Japan and Singapore grapple with the challenges of an aging and shrinking workforce whereas developing countries like India and China deal with the opposite.
Delivering his plenary speech at the discussion of the ILO Director-General’s Report, Mr Seng said he agreed that Decent Work is critical for the region’s future prospects. Created in 1999, the ILO Decent Work Agenda is a very sound and ever-green concept which would continue to be relevant in the 21st century and beyond.
Without decent work, there cannot be a bright future for any individual or country. All countries must therefore work tirelessly towards the goal of decent work with cooperation from all social partners. Both Mr Seng and Mr Daipi also shared on the challenges ahead facing Singapore and tripartite efforts to resolve issues such as an ageing population, better work-life balance, skills training and better employment.
The importance of tripartism was re-emphasised by Mr Seng when he spoke at the panel on “Productive Employment, Sustainable Enterprises and Skills Development” as the nominated speaker for the Workers’ Group.
Mr Seng said: “It is clear that social dialogue has to be the starting point if the region is to build a sustainable future with decent work. At the national level, the government, employers and workers must engage in social dialogue to agree on the need to invest in better technology and skills training to improve productivity.
“Workers would only buy in the idea if they knew that they would receive a fair share of the productivity gains. Therefore, at the company level, unions must be able to engage freely in collective bargaining on behalf of its members so that workers can receive better wages and working conditions.”
Indeed, making decent work a reality in Singapore is a task that must be taken collectively by the social partners through social dialogue. Much work lies ahead for all of us, as dark clouds once again loom ahead of us. For many years, the Singapore Labour Movement has said that “the best welfare that we can give a worker is a job”. That remains true.
However, moving forward, as we strive to build a sustainable future with decent work, we must aim to secure better jobs for all workers.
