NTUC Ordinary Delegates’ Conference 2009
15 October 2009
Media Release
Labour Chief Calls on Companies to Work with the Unions to Adopt the CBF Strategy with an All CAN Workforce
Re-skilling, Up-skilling and Multi-skilling of workers will be key to meeting the needs of CBF-driven companies
1. Union leaders gave the thumbs-up to NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say’s call on all companies and all workers to be part of a cheaper, better, faster economy powered by an All CAN workforce. At the delegates’ debate on day two of the Labour Movement’s biennial gathering to chart its directions for the future, union leaders endorsed the Cheaper, Better, Faster strategy for Singapore companies and workers to stay ahead in the new economic order. Indeed, some union leaders even shared how companies in their sectors were already adopting CBF measures to transform themselves and their workers for the economy of the future.
2. Even as they pledged their support, union leaders nevertheless raised concerns over how the CBF strategy would translate on the ground and impact workers. Among the concerns raised were that management should not interpret “cheaper” to mean cutting wages and benefits, downsizing and retrenchments, and employing more foreign workers or shunning older workers to keep labour costs low. In addition, management should not interpret “better” and “faster” to mean shedding older workers and low-skilled workers in favour of their younger or more skilled counterparts. Union leaders also pointed out that workplace safety should not be compromised in the race to be cheaper, better, faster. Employers should not be turning to foreign workers at the expense of hiring locals because they think foreign workers are more amenable to working under unreasonable conditions and hence are “better” and “faster”.
3. Secretary-General Lim addressed these concerns by re-iterating the key principles of the CBF strategy. To be “cheaper” means to improve our productivity by producing better-quality products and services more cost-effectively. To be “better” means to broaden our capabilities through the development and enhancement of technology, innovation of new products and services, and nurturing of new markets. To be “faster” means to be more flexible, adaptable and responsive in order to capitalize on new opportunities. Taken in this context, “Cheaper, Better, Faster” is about companies “Doing more with the same, Not doing the same with less”.
4. Secretary-General Lim drove home the message that “Cheaper, Better, Faster” should be taken as a total approach concept, an overarching macro-strategy that embraces both companies and workers in a paradigm shift towards a more competitive economy. As companies, on the one hand, become cheaper, better, faster, workers will, on the other hand, be up-skilled, re-skilled and multi-skilled so that they can reap better jobs, better pay and better lives in the restructured economy. Secretary-General Lim gave the assurance that a pro-business, pro-worker approach remained at the heart of everything the Labour Movement does.
5. Union leaders expressed the hope that the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) will take the lead and urge companies and employers to adopt the CBF strategy quickly. On their part, union leaders pledged to work in partnership with their management to upgrade the workforce to meet the needs of economic restructuring in the new economy.
6. Secretary-General Lim thanked the union leaders for their unflinching effort to help their members cope with the economic downturn and for their unwavering support of the Labour Movement’s ‘Upturn the Downturn’ KPIs of ‘Avoiding Record Retrenchment’ and ‘Preventing a Rapid Rise in Unemployment’. He was heartened by the union leaders’ committing to press ahead with the CBF strategy that will drive the third KPI of ‘More Up When Up’.
