With Budget 2020 happening on 18 February 2020, our Labour Members of Parliament have set their sights on areas they believe will greatly help workers have better wages, welfare and work prospects.
Several of them tell us exactly what they will raise in Parliament at the Budget Debate and in the months to come.
I will be focusing on how workers are becoming more vulnerable in terms of their wages, welfare and work prospects due to changing business models and the labour landscape. Hence, during the Budget, I would like to push for legislative change or initiatives that could help workers in these areas. For instance, I think there is scope for us to expand the PWM [Progressive Wage Model] to more sectors; assisting workers who are at a disadvantage over non-payment of salary; encouraging business owners to provide better working conditions for outsourced workers; helping migrant workers in terms of better protection; and pushing for better workplace safety.
I wish for all workers to have better wages, better welfare and better work prospects in 2020 and the years ahead. NTUC will relentlessly work with our tripartite partners to ensure every worker matters and every job counts.
Facebook Page: @ZainalBinSapari
I have been speaking to various PME groups over the past year. Hence for Budget 2020, I will be focusing more on vulnerable PMEs - those who will be or are currently experiencing disruption in their current job, be it from company restructuring or downsizing. There are a few areas of concern, such as sustaining their employment, ensuring their employability and strengthening their ability to adapt.
These PMEs may not have the required skills to go into future jobs or they may find it hard to adapt and change to new ways of work due to digital disruption. There is a need for constant mindset change by the individuals, but at the same time, we need also to better support these vulnerable PMEs in skills upgrading and change management so that they can better embrace technology and take on new job opportunities.
Facebook Page: @Melvinyong.sg
I will continue to lobby in Parliament for the strengthening of the Singaporean core to level the playing field for local PMEs, top up of the SkillsFuture credit to encourage individual initiated training and reviewing our industrial relations laws and guidelines to better protect and represent the interests of workers of today and tomorrow.
Facebook Page: @PatrickTayTG
Our freelancers may have selected a career path that is less travelled, but they will find that we, in the Labour Movement, will continue to walk alongside them.
We will press on with our support to strengthen their job security by offering pathways to upgrade their skills, securing their interests through better contracts and payment assurance, and by generating more network opportunities for them to expand their businesses.
Freelancers have started to organise themselves, and it is gratifying to see more taking a lead in championing their interests and advocating better work conditions.
Facebook Page: @anghinkee
I will be focusing on having our government agencies and partners to examine ways to narrow the relative bargaining powers of platform operators and our self-employed persons. Platform businesses will expand in volume and reach, and our systems must be ready. Another area will be looking at ways to close the gender pay gap. There has been improvement over time and we can help to accelerate that progress.
Facebook Page: @DesmondChooPeyChing
In this rapidly advancing digital age, companies and employees are increasingly becoming more aware of the importance of training and the need to transform to stay competitive. Similarly, our group of NTUC Social Enterprises (SEs) are evolving to remain relevant in a challenging business landscape as well as to serve changing customers’ demographics and expectations. Amidst these changes, we recognize that a key factor to help us succeed is our workers. We are therefore committed to training and upskilling all our workers to keep pace with the advancements and opportunities presented by the digital economy. In this aspect, NTUC LearningHub is taking the lead to help operationalise the Labour Movement's Company Training Committees initiative by making learning more accessible.
Beyond our NTUC SEs, I hope that all employers will continue to engage and invest in our workforce. Through an empowered and engaged workforce, companies will not only be better equipped to weather challenging business climate but will also benefit from improved overall organisational performance and generate stronger stakeholder value.
Facebook Page: @SeahKianPeng
Watch this space and look out for more with our other Labour Members of Parliament such as NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, Deputy Secretary-General Koh Poh Koon, and Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How.
