A total of 36 awards were presented to cleaners, companies, as well as members of the public at the inaugural ‘Appreciating U – Our Cleaners’ Awards dinner held this evening. Organised by the NTUC U Care Centre and Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU), the awards is part of the Labour Movement’s recently-launched ‘Appreciating U’ movement, which aims to have more people involved in recognising the invaluable contributions of our working people to the economy and society.
Building on the momentum of the Labour Movement appreciation campaign for cleaners last year, the ‘Appreciating U – Our Cleaners’ Award aims to formally recognise and bring to light role models among cleaners and encourage more individuals and organisations to come forward and show their appreciation to these everyday warriors who keep our home and Singapore clean.
The idea of this award has received positive responses from the cleaning industry since the call for nominations were made in May 2014. A total of 285 nominations have been received from unions, cleaning companies and their service buyers, and in the case of the ‘Better Customer’ Award, from the cleaners themselves.
There are four award categories:
All awardees were presented with certificates at the awards dinner. In addition, ‘Better Leader’ and ‘Better Worker’ awardees were presented with $500 worth of NTUC FairPrice vouchers each. ‘Better Customers’ awardees and the cleaners who nominated them, also received $250 worth of vouchers each.
The awards dinner, which was a banquet treat for some 450 cleaners from all over Singapore, was attended by more than 600 guests comprising union leaders, company representatives, customers and cleaners. The event was hosted by Mr Lim Swee Say, Secretary-General, NTUC and Mr Zainal Sapari, Assistant Secretary-General, NTUC and Director of U Care Centre, NTUC.
The ‘Appreciating U – Our Cleaners’ movement is supported by the Singapore Labour Foundation.
Better Employers, Workers and Customers
Aligned with the Labour Movement’s message of Better Employers, Better Workers and Better Customers for the May Day celebrations this year, the first ‘Appreciating U – Our Cleaners’ Awards also honoured companies, workers and customers who have done well.
Recipients of the ‘Better Company’ Award were selected for having a heart for their workers and their good HR practices, including giving their cleaners the opportunity to upgrade and progress, as well as encouraging their cleaners via in-house awards, bonuses and incentives.
‘Better Worker’ Award recipients were singled-out for their honesty, friendly and helpful disposition, willingness to go beyond the call of duty, and demonstration of pride, initiative and commitment in their work. Amongst the ‘Better Leader’ Award recipients included those who gained the respect of co-workers by leading by example and always offering guidance to their staff.
Believing that customers also have a part to play in changing our economy, workforce and society for the better, the ‘Better Customer’ Award aims to recognise members of the public who have made showing appreciation to cleaners an everyday affair. Cleaners were encouraged to nominate members of the public who had shown kindness towards them.
Amongst the nominations for the ‘Better Customer’ Award, many cleaners spoke of how these individuals never failed to greet and say ‘thank you’ when they saw them, and those who were always friendly and respectful. Acts of kindness performed by some individuals included one who frequently helps consolidate rubbish from small bins to make collection by the cleaners easier; another who often buys dessert for the cleaners; and even one who accompanied a cleaner to see a doctor when she was unwell.
The ‘Appreciating U – Our Cleaners’ Awards also marks the close of this year’s appreciation campaign for cleaners as the NTUC U Care Centre, who spearheads the movement for low-wage workers, puts into action plans to extend the movement to other similar worker groups such as security officers and landscape technicians. As a ground-up initiative that has gained momentum, the Labour Movement hopes such appreciation efforts will continue.
“As the Labour Movement steps-up our efforts to get more people involved in showing appreciation to our workers, we are very encouraged by the heartwarming responses we have received from our management partners and members of the public, who have readily come on board to support the campaign. It is our hope that through such initiatives, we will inspire a spirit of self-improvement and nurture a culture of kindness towards our public service workers,” said Mr Zainal Sapari.
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