The Labour Movement will strengthen the role of union clusters to help industry clusters to be more productive, innovative and competitive, thus leading to a sustainable growth in real wage for our workers.
This was revealed by NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say at the Labour Movement's International Women's Day Celebration on 10 March 2012.
SG Lim explained that this clustering approach will enable the Labour Movement to lend its fullest support to the workers, economy and companies in the major sectors and at the same time strengthen its cooperation with its tripartite partners.
He said: "We recognise that the issues of strengthening competitiveness, Singaporean core and inclusive growth do vary across sectors because every sector's situation is quite different. Therefore, we have decided to focus our action at the cluster level.
"It could be from manufacturing to services, from domestic bound to export oriented sectors. What we want to do is to focus on each of these sectors and to ask ourselves and our tripartite partners what can be done to make sure that these sectors will become even more competitive as we go through this restructuring."
To pursue its goal of better jobs, better pay, and better prospects for workers, the Labour Movement will also be looking at a closer partnership with its tripartite partners at the cluster level.
Said SG Lim: "Under our cluster approach, we would need to have the active participation not only of the unions but also industry leaders, industry associations as well as the relevant ministries and departments.
"In this regard, we are very encouraged by the positive tones of the various ministries and departments in this years' Committee Of Supply.
"We hope we can turn this greater awareness into concrete action and partnership on the ground because at the end of the day, only action will produce outcome."
While the restructuring process may be painful for some, SG Lim assures that the Labour Movement will be with the workers and companies on this.
He said: "We will support whatever initiatives that the management partners may have to enhance our productivity and strengthen innovation.
"We will do our part to help mobilise the workers and address their anxieties. Some may lack confidence in their ability to upgrade to keep up with the pace of change, we could find a way to reach out to them, to assure them."
SG Lim added that at the end of the day, we must all understand that if we can go through this process of change successfully together, the outcome will be a win-win-win.
"It will be a win outcome for the Singapore economy… it will be a win for our businesses… but, most importantly, it will be a win for our workers. Not only will we be able to continue to strengthen our Singaporean Core, but, more importantly, we will be able to remain productive, innovative, competitive and thereby able to enjoy sustainable growth in real wage.”
