Singapore’s workforce has evolved. The number of Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) continues to grow and the Labour Movement is adapting and adjusting its offerings accordingly, to cater for the changing needs and aspirations of the growing PME community.
Enhancing Union Capabilities to Better Serve PMEs
The amendments in the Industrial Relations (IR) Act took effect in April 2015, following calls by the Labour Movement for an extended scope of representation to allow collective bargaining for PMEs by rank-and-file unions and for the scope of limited representation to be expanded to include re-employment.
Prior to that, the Labour Movement started training union leaders through PME-Organising workshops to help them better understand the diverse needs of PMEs and equip them with the necessary know-how on serving their needs. Since 2014, some 1,600 union leaders have undergone the training. Another 1,500 union leaders are expected to go through the next phase of enhanced training by 2016.
As such, unions were able to leverage the IR Act changes and started working with their unionised companies to better serve the PMEs at the workplace. It has been 100 days since the legislative changes took effect. Currently, some 150 union branches from 20 unions have indicated that they have embarked on some form of expansion in the scope of representation to PMEs or have committed to do so in the near future.
“It is extremely encouraging that we are able to witness some initial success amongst unions as it has only been three months since the IR Act changes took effect. We will continue to ensure that our union leaders are kept abreast of the latest legislative and policy changes and are well-equipped to better serve PMEs. An NTUC PME Resource Group has also been set up to provide any other additional support to the unions and unionised companies,” said Mr Patrick Tay, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Director of NTUC PME Unit.
The NTUC PME Resource Group, comprising representatives from the industry clusters and NTUC, will work closely with unions to build up capabilities, and provide expertise and guidance towards the recruitment, organising and engagement of PMEs at the workplace.
Encouraging efforts in Protection, Placement and Progression since 2011
The Labour Movement pledged its commitment to deepen its focus on representing the needs of PMEs at the last National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) National Delegates’ Conference in 2011.
Through the synergised efforts with NTUC’ e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), NextU, NTUC U Associate programme and NTUC’s U PME Centres, the Labour Movement was able to provide PME-focused services, which range from workplace advisory, to career and employment-related advice, and professional development opportunities. Results have been encouraging.
In the area of “Protection”, the Labour Movement has assisted more than 6,500 PMEs through its workplace advisory service since 2011. The U PME Centres, which were set up in 2014, serves as a first stop and one-stop centre for PMEs. The centres’ services include legal primers and legal clinics which educate PMEs on workplace rights, and a workplace advisory mobile app which answer PMEs’ queries via the online channel.
Under “Placement”, the Labour Movement helped more than 18,000 PMEs secure jobs through e2i and the U PME Centres. This was done through various career fairs, direct and back-end referrals, place-and-train programmes, as well as the Jobs Bank Connect programme.
The Labour Movement also extended training and development opportunities under its “Progression” initiatives, to help ensure PMEs are future-ready and future-proof. Since 2011, some 170,000 PMEs have received training through courses provided by e2i, NextU and the U Associate Programme. The Labour Movement also engaged some 30,000 PMEs through U Associate Programme, Future Leader Programme, PME Unit’s Expert Series and networking sessions, etc.
Going forward: Labour Movement Poised to Better Serve PMEs
Following the championing by the Labour Movement, more than 300,000 PMEs are set to benefit from various policy changes including that of the Employment Act, Industrial Relations Act, Employment Claims Tribunal, Tripartite Mediation Framework, the Fair Consideration Framework and National Jobs Bank.
Moving forward, the Labour Movement will continue to gear itself towards better representation of PMEs and enhance its offerings in the areas of “Protection”, “Placement” and “Progression”. “We recognise that PMEs at different career stages require different forms of assistance. In order to keep up and to serve the PMEs well, our offerings have to be holistic. As part of a multi-pronged approach, we will also continue to reach out via various channels like the unions, U Associate Programme, Human Resource community, e2i, and NextU to beef up our efforts to better serve PMEs so that they remain future-ready and future-proof,” concluded ASG Patrick Tay.
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