The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) supports the passing of the Workplace Fairness Bill. The legislation will help to level the playing field and provide fair job opportunities for workers by strengthening protections against workplace discrimination.
On protecting workers against discrimination, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said, “NTUC believes that workers must be treated fairly, based on merit; and no form of discrimination against workers should be tolerated. Over the years, NTUC has pushed for stronger protection to tackle workplace discrimination, including age, sex and a level playing field for Professionals, Managers, and Executives (PMEs).”
On leveling the playing field for PMEs, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay said, “It is important to strengthen the Singaporean core in the workforce. The Workplace Fairness Legislation, a key recommendation from the Joint NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce, marks a significant milestone towards safeguarding the interests of our local workers, especially PMEs. NTUC, together with our unions will continue to do our part to ensure our workers are protected and given fair opportunities at work.”
For our older workers, NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How said “The legislation will strengthen our fight against ageism which is a significant issue that affects older workers in accessing fair opportunities. We encourage employers to implement age-friendly practices such as inclusive training and job redesign, and ensure proper use of AI-assisted tools to avoid inadvertent ageist biases.”
For more than a decade, the Labour Movement has consistently advocated for measures to ensure fairness for all workers at the workplace. NTUC, as co-chair of the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness, played a crucial role in raising the level of protections for our workers against the most common forms of discrimination. NTUC will continue to work with tripartite partners to ensure that the legislation will be reviewed to keep pace with our workers’ needs and evolving societal norms.
To complement the legislation, NTUC will continue working on upstream interventions to promote mindset change and tackle unfair practices holistically. NTUC and our unions have been working closely with HR professionals and management to flag out potentially unfair practices and mindsets upstream, to proactively address discrimination risks. NTUC is also working together with Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to uplift HR standards, and we are aiming to double the number of certified HR professionals to 12,000 by 2025.
NTUC and our unions are committed to supporting workers facing discrimination at the workplace, and will continue to champion fair treatment for all workers as work challenges evolve. Our affiliated unions will also continue to guide and assist our union members in addressing discrimination issues and achieving fair outcomes.
