More than 18,000 workers have benefitted from more than 200 job improvements since August 2010
NTUC Secretary-General, Lim Swee Say, together with fellow union leaders from the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), visited Sheraton Towers Singapore for one of NTUC’s Learning Journeys on Wednesday, 21 August 2013.
During the visit, Sheraton Towers’ showcased its projects and initiatives that have raised productivity and benefitted their workers. The hotel has been able to maintain a Singaporean Core and provide better jobs for all through progressive work practices such as raising productivity, job redesign, and implementing a Progressive Wage Model (PWM).
Since the launch of the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) by the Labour Movement in August 2010, there have been 238 job improvements in the hospitality and consumer business sectors which have impacted 18,378 workers. With productivity improvements, these companies have also been able to improve the wages of their workers by an average of 11.06%.
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Cluster Lead for the Hospitality and Consumer Business Cluster of NTUC, said, “It is heartening to note that more in the hotel industry is embarking on job enhancement efforts that result in better gain-sharing for its employees.Two-thirds of unionised hotels are committed to the Progressive Wage Model, nine of whom are already on board. I encourage more hotel employers in the industry to support the progressive wage model that provide for mutually beneficial outcomes for both employers and employees.”
Raising productivity with Easier, Smarter and Safer work
Sheraton Tower’s culture of productivity started in 2008. The hotel invested $110,000 to purchase a bed-lifting device (Ezi-Maid), resulting in their housekeepers’ jobs becoming easier. To make their work environment safer, the hotel pumped in $1.3million in April 2013 to upgrade their laundry machineries, reducing employees’ risks to potentially harmful chemicals.
In June this year, the hotel tapped on the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) and implemented the FCS E-housekeeping project – a streamlined process of room check-in involving reduced paperwork for room attendants. As a result, 52% of Room Attendants received 7% increase in their gross salaries with a monthly productivity bonus of $100. In addition, the minimum salary for Room Attendants was raised from $1,125.50 to $1,200.
Adopting Progressive Wage Modelto attract Singaporean talent
To attract young Singaporeans, the hotel has adopted the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) at the executive level, allowing for a structured path for career progression opportunities. Management Trainees can expect to be groomed to become Assistant Managers within two years, with their monthly salaries being raised gradually from a starting pay of $1,800 to up to $2,500 for Diploma holders.
In addition, employees are provided training to achieve mastery of skills and are given opportunities to take time off work to pursue a Diploma in Culinary Arts, which is fully sponsored by the hotel.
Implementing PWM is an addition to Sheraton Towers’ existing efforts to build a Singaporean Core.69% of Sheraton Towers’ full-time workforce comprises Singaporeans, which is above the industry’s estimated average of 55%. Almost 100% of the senior management team is made up of Singaporeans.
Better job, better pay through job redesign
By redesigning certain job functions, Sheraton Towers has been able to create new positions with higher salaries to attract more Singaporeans to join the hotel. For example, it has combined its front office and receptionist functions into a newly-formed “Rooms Division Executive” position, which offers a higher starting salary of $2,000. The hotel has since employed two Singaporeans for this position.
As a result of increased productivity, the hotel has been able to exercise gain sharing with its workers. This includes a “Go-the-Extra-Mile” bonus, where the top 30 performers for productivity improvement (out of 42 staff) are awarded an average of $340. For lower wage workers, the average gain sharing is 5%.
Valuing Every Worker by being inclusive and hiring People With Differences (PWDs)
Also employing handicapped people (People With Differences), the hotel currently has four PWDs across its F&B, Housekeeping and Engineering departments. They are all accorded the same salaries and benefits as regular employees and are also put on progressive training programmes to learn job tasks.
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