You could say that Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) CEO Mike Barclay is a pro at dealing with unions. After all, he has worked with unions in five different countries in the span of his career.
It is no surprise then that he enjoys a close working relationship with two unions — the Attractions, Resorts and Entertainment Union (AREU), which represents workers from Jurong Bird Park, and the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU), which looks after workers from Singapore Zoological Gardens.
“We aim to build a relationship with both unions that is founded on the principles of trust and open communication. When issues are aired early and honestly, it is much easier for management and union representatives to deal with them in a constructive and fair manner,” said Mike, a recipient of the Medal of Commendation award at May Day Awards 2021.
Mike’s extensive experience with unions has also given him ample opportunities to see how tripartism works here and abroad.
“Singapore’s brand of tripartism is the best approach I have come across … It not only helps us to converge the expectations of workers and employers, but also reminds us to consider Singapore’s wider economic and social context,” he noted.
He went on to explain that tripartite initiatives involving NTUC, the Singapore National Employers Federation and the Government have helped organisations like WRS to adapt to changing circumstances and implement solutions in a timely manner.
Implementing flexible work arrangements are tough enough without having to worry about doing so in a challenging operating environment.
For the record, both the zoo and bird park operate 365 days a year, from 8.30am to midnight every day, and employ workers on different shifts in varying roles ranging from administrative to animal care.
Undeterred, Mike pushed for WRS to implement flexible work arrangements for all staff, becoming the first company in the local attractions industry to do so.
“We studied existing models and decided to introduce three [types of] flexible work arrangements — staggered work hours, telecommuting and more staff-friendly rostering. We fine-tuned our thinking after conducting a number of internal stakeholder engagements sessions with our colleagues from different parts of the organisation.
“The outcomes included phasing out our remaining five-and-a-half-day work week rosters, and empowering departments to work with their teams to adjust their rosters for optimal outcomes,” he detailed.
The initiative was a hit. Staff gave an average satisfaction score of 4.8 out of 5, adding that the arrangements helped them to ensure business continuity amidst the trying COVID-19 situation.
With the advent of Industry 4.0, many companies have had to evolve and upgrade the skills of their workers in tandem with business transformation.
To this end, Mike partnered AREU and SMMWU to set up a joint company training committee (CTC). This supports WRS’ plans for the upcoming Mandai rejuvenation project, which will require staff to develop new skills and competencies to operate the new wildlife parks, nature-themed indoor attractions, eco-friendly resort and public green spaces in the coming years.
“Nurturing a culture of lifelong learning is critical not only for the success of the organisation, but also boosts the prospects of every individual employee. Our people are our most precious asset, and we want to develop a workforce that is constantly increasing its knowledge and strengthening its capabilities.
“In this digital age, we are proactively driving our digital transformation and cultivating an innovation culture to keep our workforce relevant.
“The CTC is a good platform for us to work with our union partners to teach new skills and capabilities to prepare our colleagues for the exciting years ahead,” he explained.
For a start, Mike looked at two important, yet unique roles in the organisation – the zookeepers and the animal presenters.
Mike partnered NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and the unions to pioneer the Zookeeper Development Programme (ZDP) and Animal Presenter Development Programme (APDP) to professionalise roles and enhance workers’ skillsets. Both programmes are structured with five levels of competencies and on-job training blueprints.
It was challenging at first as he had to persuade the workers to believe in the benefits of the programmes, while having to develop a competency framework which had no precedence.
“The ZDP and APDP programmes provide structure to our workers’ learning and career development, while preparing them for promotion opportunities. It also offers a nurturing community of coaches who can offer mentorship and guidance to younger colleagues,” said the CEO, who aims to eventually have both programmes accredited by SkillsFuture Singapore and shared with zoos around the world.
When the health pandemic hit Singapore in 2020, Mike’s priority was to safeguard workers’ jobs and keep them safe from harm.
About half of the workforce was designated to look after the animals, while other excess staff were seconded to other agencies during the circuit breaker with the help of the unions. Meanwhile, safe management measures were put in place to ensure a safe working environment.
In collaboration with the unions, Mike was able to quickly roll out several initiatives that include implementing new shift rosters for working in split teams, providing allowances and accommodation options to staff where necessary, as well as allowing staff to use the downtime to attend e-learning courses.
Cost management was another focus, and management took the lead to take voluntary pay cuts while staff accepted pay freezes.
Despite the uncertain times, Mike continued to press on with staff welfare. Earlier this year, the organisation inked new three-year collective agreements with the two unions to raise the retirement and re-employment ages to 63 and 68 respectively, ahead of legislation. Separately, WRS incorporated a clause in its policy to maintain a harassment-free workplace for all employees, initiated a hardship fund to support workers in need, as well as offered free counselling services to staff through authorised third-party providers to ensure their mental well-being.
“It has been a tough year, but also a good year. [This is] thanks in a large part to the excellent support from our two unions, AREU and SMMWU, [who have been] giving assurance to our staff,” he said.
