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Since the formation of the NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce in October 2020, NTUC has been surveying and engaging Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) across different age groups to have a better and deeper understanding of their aspirations, concerns and needs. Through a variety of surveys, engagement sessions and focus group discussions, NTUC has reached out to close to 8,000 PMEs to hear them out so that we can better address their concerns and needs at the workplace.
Many PMEs perceive the role of trade unions as important
In our engagements and surveys, many PMEs view the role of trade unions as important but many do not understand or have a misperception about what NTUC and unions do or are unaware that the unions can represent them.
Based on a Milieu Survey done in March 2021 on 1,000 PMEs (75% are non-union members), 88% of them perceive the role of trade unions as being important or becoming more important and 88% of them want an organisation to speak up for PMEs and the problems they face. However, some 58% are not familiar with what NTUC does and 43.2% of them did not think they can or are unsure that they can join unions.
In particular, the level of awareness seemed lower amongst non-union members as compared to union members. Of the 750 non-union members, 65.5% of non-union members are not familiar with what NTUC does, compared to 34% of union members, and 51% of non-union members did not think they can or are unsure that they can join unions as compared to 19% of union members.
Top concerns of PMEs were on Job Security and Lack of Employment Opportunities
Through these extensive ground engagement and feedback sessions, NTUC discovered that our PMEs’ top concerns have somewhat shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Where PMEs used to be more concerned with career progression and skills upskilling in the recent past, their top concerns now revolved around the lack of job security and employment opportunities, and career progression. In particular, these top concerns seemed more dire for our mature PMEs, aged 40 and above, as they attribute higher age as the key reason or main disadvantage for their plight.
More PMEs need to join the unions to be better represented and protected
There is so much more that NTUC hopes and wants to do for our PMEs, especially the mature PMEs, in terms of speaking up for them and helping them in their employment and employability, and we need to act fast and act now.
However, truth be told, we need more PMEs to join the unions for a stronger and more representative voice. And yes, PMEs can join our 59 unions and 5 associations in the industrial, services and even public sectors. We need to further grow our PME base so that the unions can effectively represent and protect these PMEs and address the concerns and resolve the issues close to their heart at the workplace.
For example, stemming from the PMEs’ key concerns, our unions can work closer with HR practitioners to improve HR standards to ensure fair employment and job security for our mature PMEs. We can try to ear mark certain jobs or jobs in certain sectors to secure more employment opportunities for mature PMEs. We can even explore ways to provide a safety net in some form of a transitionary support for those who are involuntarily unemployed as the sudden loss of jobs seem to impact mature PMEs more, and as they found it harder and took longer to find employment.
NTUC has been a champion for workers for 60 years and it remains as our key priority that we better the wages, welfare and work prospects of workers through our work. In particular, we want to do more for the vulnerable and underserved groups of workers like mature PMEs. We will continue to work with tripartite partners to help more workers, especially the mature PMEs, to understand the work that we do. However, we cannot be an effective voice unless more PMEs join us. More must join us so that it is possible for us to champion their issues, represent them and help them in areas that matter the most.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng shared these during a media sharing session held in conjunction with NTUC’s May Day celebrations this year.
