The Labour Movement wants to renew its compact with workers and understand their concerns surrounding work on a deeper level.
With that intent, NTUC launched the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations (#EWMC) at a dialogue session with over 100 union leaders on 11 August 2022 at NTUC Centre.
The launch marked a year-long public exercise to engage at least 20,000 individuals of different ages, collars, and sectors.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said that NTUC has long championed the interests of workers. But amid the fast-changing circumstances and uncertainties facing the world and Singapore, NTUC needs to do more for workers.
“We will dive deeper to see how we can champion the interests of our working people. Be it white or blue collared, employed or freelance, young or old, man or woman,” he said.
The conversations will allow NTUC to understand workers’ concerns, priorities and aspirations across a broad spectrum of life stages and socio-economic statuses.
The conversations will take on a variety of formats, including dialogues, focus group discussions and surveys.
Through its findings, NTUC will examine the tools and support workers need to succeed in their careers, the different assurances that workers need at different stages of their careers, and what protections must be in place for more vulnerable workers.
NTUC will also examine how it can support workers and how its affiliated unions, associations and social enterprises must evolve to cater to workers’ needs.
NTUC will conduct the conversations in three phases.
In the first phase, which will run to the end of 2022, NTUC will engage the public to hear concerns and their views on the compact between the Labour Movement and workers.
In the second phase, NTUC will organise policy workshops with stakeholders to develop its recommendations. The stakeholders include the Government, employers, institutes of higher learning, and civic society organisations.
By mid-2023, NTUC said it hopes to release its findings and recommendations. NTUC will achieve this by working with 4G leaders and policymakers through the Government’s Forward Singapore exercise.
NTUC President Mary Liew and the labour chief hosted the first dialogue session with union leaders. The 100 over union leaders who attended the session spanned across several industries, including those from healthcare, transport, built environment, financial services and manufacturing.
Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) Deputy General Secretary Lim Wen Sheng shared that the conversations are critical to understand what workers want moving forward.
He said: “Over the years that we have been with the members of NTUC, we really wanted to strive to ensure that the workers’ compact is adhered to. So, what we want to do this time round is to really review what more can we do,” he said.
He added that he hopes the conversations will also bring together the collaboration of tripartite partners and HR practitioners to see how all parties can work towards a better tomorrow.
“It takes two to clap. At the end of the day, we want it to be a collaborative approach with the employees, as well as our management partners who we are working with,” he said.
Beyond union leaders and workers, NTUC is also inviting employers, government and partner organisations to be part of the conversation.
Mr Ng said that congress is calling on all working people in Singapore to come forward to share their desired future of work in Singapore.
“This will not be an easy conversation. It will require discussions on trade-offs and sacrifices.
“But NTUC is committing to walking this journey with every working person and championing their interests. Through #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations, NTUC will ensure that our workers’ voices are heard,” he said.
More details on the conversations can be found at conversations.ntuc.sg.
