Labour Movement Workplan Seminar 2007
26 January 2007
MEDIA RELEASE
1 Riding the momentum of strong economic growth and job creation in 2006, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) called on union leaders and tripartite partners to bridge the widening social gaps by joining forces in reaching out to all levels and ages of workers.
2 2006 saw companies doing well and workers receiving good wages and bonuses. Despite these, NTUC recognises that many challenges lie ahead, including widening income gap; ageing population; and maximising employment rate among Singaporeans. Thus, in 2007, NTUC will strengthen the alignment within the Labour Movement and widen its collaboration with economic and social partners in the private and public sectors.
A) Worker-Centric: Higher Employment, Lower Unemployment
3 NTUC will strive to raise employment and reduce unemployment further in 2007 as jobs are workers’ best welfare and full employment, their best protection:
a) For Mature Workers – Longer Employment: NTUC will help mature workers find employment and re-employment by retraining them, changing employers’ mindsets towards them, promoting healthy lifestyle among them and making workplace more elderly-friendly.
b) For Low-Wage Workers – Better Pay, Better Jobs: NTUC will work with tripartite partners to help low-wage workers learn better skills and enhance their productivity through the Job Re-creation Programme, so that they can secure better jobs, better career paths and better pay. NTUC will also look after low-wage workers’ welfare with its Care and Share programme and NTUC Workfare Initiatives.
c) For Contract Workers – Better Protection: NTUC will push for basic benefits and skills upgrading opportunities for the growing number of contract workers, and encourage companies to go on the “Best Sourcing Initiative” instead of cheap outsourcing.
d) For “Retrenched” Workers – More Secured Jobs: As companies restructure to remain competitive, retrenchments would always take place, even in full employment. Thus, NTUC will help workers, including those who are retrenched, up-skill and re-skill to adapt to changing industry and economic requirements and be redeployed to other jobs.
e) For Small and Medium Enterprise Workers (SME) – More Employable: In Singapore, 90% of companies are SMEs, hiring more than 50% of workers, some of whom lacked training and skills. To help SME workers move forward faster and not be left behind, NTUC will provide individual-based training and enhance their employability skills.
f) For Professionals, Managers, Executives, Technicians (PMET) – New Sectors, New Career: New growth sectors like manufacturing, infocomm and new media, and integrated resorts, will create many new jobs over the next 10 years. Thus, NTUC will work with the tripartite partners to facilitate and encourage more PMETs who are affected by restructuring to pursue new careers in the new growth sectors.
B) Member-Centric: One Movement, All Workers
4 Widening income gap; ageing population; and maximising employment rate among Singaporeans, are three social challenges facing workers. As an inclusive Labour Movement, NTUC will first bring workers on both sides of these social divides – high and low income; young and mature; and local and foreign – into the Labour Movement. Thereafter, NTUC will enhance interaction among these workers by creating more platforms and opportunities for them to work, live and play together as one family.
C) Union-Centric: A Growing, Responsive and United Labour Movement
5 As a Labour Movement for all, NTUC and its affiliated unions will be more proactive, pioneering, determined, caring and up-to-date in order to have more members, more branches and bigger unions. Through this, the Labour Movement will remain relevant, dynamic and strong in speaking up for workers and have the capability and capacity to help workers and their families at work, live and play.
D) Global-Centric: Active Engagement with Global Unions
6 As NTUC shares similar concerns with global unions on issues like decent work, widening income gap and trade union rights, it will continue to actively engage them and share with them Singapore’s tripartism model and NTUC’s approach to providing workers with better skills and jobs, bridging social divides and being an inclusive Labour Movement.
E) Tripartism-Centric: Broadening Scope, Expanding Tripartite Community
7 The tripartite partners – employers, government and unions – have worked closely in the last 30 years to address labour issues like wage structures, productivity and employment of low-wage workers and mature workers. As the pace of globalisation hastens, there is a greater need to broaden the scope of tripartism and expand the tripartite community. With a stronger tripartism movement, Singapore can better build an inclusive society for all, respond quickly to challenges and compete strongly in the global economy, so that workers can earn a better living and live a better life.
8 Looking forward, 2007 will be a year in which NTUC builds on its competencies and aligns its efforts to be one movement for all workers towards a brighter future.
Lim Swee Say
Secretary-General
National Trades Union Congress
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For media queries, please contact:
Goy Kae Lip
Consultant
Corporate Communications Department
National Trades Union Congress
DID 6213 8184
HP 9792 0650
Email goykl@ntuc.org.sg
Chung Sang Pok
Principal Executive
Corporate Communications Department
National Trades Union Congress
DID 6213 8189
HP 9672 4112
Email chungsp@ntuc.org.sg
