This year, May Day Awards (MDA) 2020 takes place against an unprecedented backdrop of COVID-19. As Singapore focuses our efforts to keep the pandemic at bay, NTUC will continue to honour exemplary union leaders, workers and tripartite partners who make significant contributions in improving workers’ lives and livelihoods, in different ways.
29 organisations have been conferred the following MDA 2020 awards for their outstanding contributions in advancing workers’ wages, welfare and work prospects:
• Plaque of Commendation (Gold)
• Plaque of Commendation
• Partner of Labour Movement
Chye Thiam Maintenance Pte Ltd has paved the way for the industry by being the first cleaning company to set up a Company Training Committee (CTC) with the Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees' Union (BATU) on 25 April 2019. This is in line with the company’s core belief in constantly innovating, investing in technology and infrastructure whilst upskilling their workers in technical and technological skills. Founded on solid labour-management relations with BATU, the company remains invested in and cares for their workers, often paying their cleaners higher salaries than what is specified in the Progressive Wage Model for the cleaning industry, and has dedicated an entire level in their new multi-storey headquarters as a rest area for their workers. Chye Thiam takes a forward-looking approach amidst COVID-19 and continues to focus on workers’ training via the CTC.
Another deserving MDA 2020 recipient is SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP), who displays strong commitment to the welfare and development of their workers. SHP, together with tripartite partners such as the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the Public Healthcare Clusters, have been conducting regular reviews of the salaries of healthcare professionals within the industry across all job levels to ensure that they remain competitive yet fair to the workers. SHP pays close attention to employees’ welfare and looks after their well-being, ensuring a safe, supported and sustainable work environment whilst they tirelessly manage health for the community amidst COVID-19.
As a firm believer of productivity, Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore always strives to increase the value-add of jobs and workers and ensures workers are remunerated for their upskilling efforts. With close consultation with the Food, Drinks & Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), the hotel embarked on a job redesign project by merging the security and bell departments, cross-training employees in both areas. Upon successfully obtaining their security licenses, employees would receive a multi-skilling allowance of $150 per month. The hotel continues to work closely with FDAWU, embarking on several cost-saving measures in a bid to protect workers’ jobs and wages during this challenging period.
Showing his support for MDA 2020 awardees, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said, “In the spirit of May Day, we want to honour our May Day Awards 2020 recipients who have been working very hard behind the scenes to ensure our workers are protected and cared for. It is during such trying times that outstanding organisations should continue to do good and set a positive example for others to follow. I am confident that our awardees will do their utmost to better the lives of our workers especially as we ride out this storm together.”
Full citations of MDA 2020 institutional awardees are available at www.ntuc.org.sg/MayDayAwards2020. More awardees will be announced later in May.
Read our May Day Awards 2020 e-magazine here.
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Annex A: List of May Day Awards 2020 institutional awardees
Annex B: Citations of selected awardees
