Keeping workers healthy and employers competitive
8 October 2007
Media Release
1. The Unit for Contract and Casual Workers (UCCW) was setup in June 2006 to assist lower income contract and casual workers in areas relating to employability, medical benefits and fair employment terms. UCCW has since its inception embarked on the route of putting workers on the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme, medical coverage and employability training.
2. To date, through engagement and/or intervention, UCCW has successfully put about 5,600 workers onto the CPF Scheme. It is now concurrently looking into the medical and healthcare needs of the contract and casual workers by adopting a multi-pronged approach with the development of a suite of healthcare benefits and schemes for them:
3. As an all-inclusive labour movement, UCCW’s comprehensive medical package covers both local and foreign workers. These new initiatives also help employers stay competitive as the labour movement plays its role in the tripartism relationship.
Basic-Level Benefits: Economical Out-patient Medical Service
4. Under UCCW’s comprehensive medical package, the unit’s members who visit the medical clinics of NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Limited enjoy special rates for out-patient medical services with savings of about 30% to 50%.
5. This savings benefits both the workers and employers. To workers, they get to enjoy a highly affordable out-patient medical care services. To employers, healthy workers are productive workers; and lower medical cost reduces their business operating costs and enhances their competitiveness.
Mid-Level Supplements: $150,000 Worth of Healthcare Vouchers
6. NTUC Healthcare, in conjunction with their 15th Anniversary celebration last month, pledged $150,000 as a gift to UCCW. UCCW is distributing the fund to its members as Healthcare Vouchers.
7. These vouchers are open to all contract and casual workers who are Singaporeans, earning less than $1,000 gross monthly income, and have registered with UCCW as members. Quantum of the vouchers depends on age: $20 for those less than 55 years old, and $30 for those 55 and above. It is expected that at least 5,000 contract and casual workers will benefit from the fund[1] .
8. Application starts on 8 October 2007 and will close on 31 October 2007, 6pm[2]. Eligible members may use the vouchers on purchases of products and/or services at all NTUC Unity Pharmacy outlets, and NTUC Healthcare medical, dental and Traditional Chinese Medicine clinics, with no minimum spending requirement.
High-level Assurance: Affordable In-patient Medical Insurance
9. From 1 Jan 2008, it is mandatory that employers purchase and maintain in-patient insurance policies for all foreign workers working in Singapore. UCCW tied up with NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative Limited to develop a comprehensive yet affordable medical insurance package[3] for both local and foreign contract workers, and a special rate is offered to employers if they provide the same medical coverage to their local contract workers.
10. To complement the scheme, UCCW has also worked with NTUC Healthcare to develop a one-stop health check package for both local and foreign workers where pre-employment health screening, work permit applications processing, as well as permits renewals are performed under one roof[4].
About Today’s Event: BSI Workshops for the Service Providers
11. In a continuous effort to push for the adoption and implementation of Best Sourcing Initiatives (BSI) that enhance workers’ value, optimise buyers’ returns and increase service providers’ service quality, UCCW is organising a series of workshops to engage service providers to form strategic partnership with buyers as they provide human capital resources to buyers.
12. During the workshops that will be held over five days in October 2007 (8, 12, 22, 23 and 24 October), service providers who have successfully adopted BSI will share with fellow service providers experiences and benefits gained through practicing BSI.
13. The inaugural workshop held on 8 October at the British Club was attended by about 60 service providers. NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Mr Heng Chee How was the Guest-of-Honour.
Upcoming BSI Engagement: Outreach Road Shows for Workers
14. For the business eco-system of BSI to work, it is pertinent that all parties of the system – buyers, service providers and workers work in tandem. A BSI Seminar for buyers was held in August 2007. After organising the series of BSI workshops for service providers in October, UCCW will be mounting a series of outreach road shows to reach out to the workers. The first outreach road show is targeted to commence in November 2007.
Conclusion
15. The labour movement will continue its efforts to engage all stakeholders of the business eco-system to pursue best sourcing as the win-win-win formulae for everyone (buyers, service providers and workers). In addition, UCCW continues to explore ways to better the social and economic well-being of the contract and casual workers. And in line with NTUC’s Labour Movement 2011 Vision, its efforts will include every one of all collars, all ages and all nationalities.
Mr Mah Cheong Fatt
Head, Unit for Contract and Casual Workers
National Trades Union Congress
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About National Trades Union Congress
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is a national confederation of trade unions in the industrial, service and public sectors representing 500,000 workers in Singapore. NTUC comprises 63 affiliated unions, 6 affiliated taxi associations, 9 co-operatives and 6 related organisations. NTUC’s objectives are to help Singapore stay competitive and workers remain employable for life; to enhance the social status and well-being of workers; and to build a strong, responsible and caring labour movement. NTUC's vision is to be an inclusive labour movement for all collars, all ages and all nationalities. For more details on NTUC, please visit our website at www.ntuc.org.sg
About Unit for Contract and Casual Workers
Setup in June 2006, it was then called Unit for Contract Workers with the objective to assist lower income contract workers in areas relating to employability, medical benefits and fair employment terms. With an increasing trend of more contract and casual workers in the labour scene, it was renamed to Unit for Contract and Casual Workers in August 2007 to enhance the economic and social well-being of the low-wage contract and casual workforce by communicating and advocating the adoption of Best Sourcing Initiatives by all stakeholders, enhancing the workers’ welfare in areas of medical needs and insurance needs, as well as ensuring that workers remain gainfully employable for life with skills upgrading, re-training or job expansion and re-design.
About NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Limited
NTUC Healthcare Co-operative Limited was set up in 1992 to help moderate the cost of healthcare in Singapore through promoting and providing quality healthcare services at affordable rates. Currently, the Co-operative operates 40 Unity Healthcare Pharmacies, 13 dental clinics, 7 medical clinics and 2 Traditional Chinese Medicine clinics.
About NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative Limited
Established in 1970 in response to the growing needs for affordable insurance, NTUC Income has become a leading life, health and general insurer, earning the trust of 1.8 million customers. The $19 billion company has been rated “AA” by independent credit ratings agency, Standard & Poor's since 1999, the highest accolades to be given to a domestic insurer in Asia, reflecting a strong financial profile, flexibility and capacity to meet new challenges. NTUC Income's insurance plans benefit large numbers of Singaporeans from all strata of society, from the professionals and executives, to those with a more limited budget. It helps Singaporeans in difficult times by creating job opportunities and supports the community through financial contributions to charities and other worthy causes.
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[1] In the event that qualified applicants exceed the total amount of $150,000, a closed-door ballot exercise will be conducted on 8 November 2007 to allocate the vouchers.
[2] Refer to Annex A for application details.
[3] Refer to Annex B Table 1 for details on the insurance.
[4] Refer to Annex B Table 2 for details of the health check package
