Riding the recent waves of ground-up activities whereby employers, union leaders and customers show their appreciation to working people like taxi drivers and cleaners, the Labour Movement is rolling out its nationwide “Appreciating U” movement to encourage more of us to step up in showing our appreciation to all working people.
Building on last year’s appreciation campaign for cleaners, which drew positive responses and participation from many organisations and individuals, this year’s “Appreciating U” movement will once again up the momentum to have more people involved in recognising the invaluable contributions of our working people to society, and in cultivating a spirit of kindness towards our unsung heroes.
Appreciating U – Our Cleaners
This year’s “Appreciating U” movement will see the Labour Movement thanking working people from all walks of life in various ways, starting with a special group of workers – our cleaners. Supported by the Singapore Labour Foundation and the Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU), the “Appreciating U – Our Cleaners” sub-movement was marked by an appreciation lunch organised by NTUC U Care Centre and the Housing and Development Board Staff Union (HDBSU) today, especially for some 115 cleaners working in the area.
At the event, NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say presented recognition certificates to about 30 HDB Hub cleaners, public street cleaners and town council cleaners working in the precinct. These cleaners were nominated by the respective organisations for their outstanding work performance. SG Lim and Mr Zainal Sapari, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Director of NTUC’s U Care Centre, together with members of the NTUC Central Committee and HDBSU Executive Council, were also present to serve lunch and mingle with the cleaners.
Already, more than 200 organisations, including private companies, government agencies, town councils and educational institutions have pledged to show their appreciation to their cleaners since June this year, in the form of high tea and lunch treats; presentation of recognition certificates and vouchers; and even outings and movie screenings specially organised for them. In total, more than 10,000 cleaners will enjoy these special treats, with more organisations slated to come on board in the coming months. This is more than the 150 organisations who pledged their support last year, which impacted some 7,000 cleaners.
Following the “Appreciating U” movement for cleaners, the Labour Movement has plans to see it being rolled out to other segments of Singapore’s workforce. In the pipeline are appreciation events for security officers, landscape technicians, nurses, mature workers and migrant workers. The Labour Movement’s youth wing – Young NTUC – also plans to mobilise more young people and get them involved in showing appreciation to workers.
Tribute To Cleaners Selfie Contest
In an effort to get more of the general public involved, the NTUC U Care Centre also launched its first ‘Tribute To Cleaners’ selfie contest, whereby individuals can submit photographs taken with their cleaners together with a description of how their cleaners have made a positive impact in their work and living environments. The best submissions of each week win $100 worth of NTUC FairPrice vouchers for their featured cleaner. Submissions can be made on Facebook, with the hashtags #TributeToCleaners2014 #SelfieContest.
Since the contest was launched on 19 May 2014, response from the public has been very heartwarming. Amongst the descriptions are those thanking their cleaners for their hard work and dedication, commending their positive and cheerful work attitude, and expressing appreciation for always going beyond the call of duty. These entries can be viewed at the NTUC U Care Centre’s ‘I Care For My Cleaners’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/icareformycleaners). Contest ends 30 June 2014.
“Appreciating U – Our Cleaners” Awards
A national-level “Appreciating U – Our Cleaners” Awards has also been introduced to recognise exemplary cleaners, cleaning companies and their service buyers who treat their cleaners well, as well as customers who have gone the extra mile to make the cleaners around them feel appreciated. Through this, the Labour Movement hopes to bring to light more role models and encourage more individuals and organisations to follow suit.
Award recipients, including the cleaners themselves, will be invited to the “Appreciating U – Our Cleaners” Awards Dinner on 27 June 2014.
“As we continue to push for better jobs for our low-wage workers to better their lives, we must remember that nurturing a culture of kindness towards them also contributes to more meaningful lives for them and their families. Through this slew of initiatives, we hope that more people will recognise that higher value should be placed on what these workers do. It is this mindset change that will better enable us to push for progressive wages, job security, and safer workplaces for our low-wage workers,” said Mr Zainal Sapari.
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