To remain a relevant voice for all working people, the Labour Movement has to evolve with the changing economic and social landscape. Besides ensuring our unions remain strong and continue to add value to industrial relations and help our workers in their skills upgrading and lifelong learning, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is also reaching out to professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) through the U Associate Programme. We have also cast our focus on non-unionised workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as a growing number of freelancers and the self-employed.
Reaching Out to SMEs
With 70 per cent of Singapore’s workforce working in SMEs, the Labour Movement has set up U SME initiative to reach out to this large pool of workers. Given the uncertainties in the global economic outlook, it is especially vital for NTUC to work closely with SME bosses and their Human Resource (HR) managers to value add to their businesses and take care of their workers.
Since its inception in June 2014, U SME inked 42 MOUs with various associations and companies , covering a total of covering a total of 3,099 SMEs and 70,640 workers. Some of them include Association of Catering Professionals Singapore, Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore, and local homegrown brand names such as Home-Fix, Chang Cheng, Corlison, and Decks. With the signing of MOUs, we provide assistance to SMEs in their business developments and employment practices and by doing so, we hope to in turn look after the growing number of workers working in SMEs.
Through the collaborations, our SME partners can leverage NTUC’s network of unions and U Associate partners for a range of services and resources. Events such as today’s symposium gives management and HR practitioners valuable learning and networking opportunities.
Workshops will be conducted periodically throughout the year for U SME partners to get updates on and enhance their employment practices. Some topics covered in the workshops include the Employment Act, Workplace Injury & Compensation Act, Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, and Workplace Safety & Health Act. It is through these workshops that NTUC hopes to partner companies to help elevate their employment practices and standards, and reach out to workers in the SMEs.
NTUC U SME Symposium
Following the successful inaugural event in 2015, NTUC SME Symposium 2016 was held today in the NTUC Auditorium at One Marina Boulevard. The Symposium, which was attended by some 300 SME bosses and HR managers including our U SME partners, explored the macroeconomics landscape in Singapore, and how local enterprises can build a future-ready workforce to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.
NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing engaged participants in a closed-door dialogue in the morning session while Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State for Manpower was part of two dialogue sessions in the afternoon. Other notable plenary speakers included Mr Loh Lik Peng, Director, Unlisted Collection; Mr Daniel Ang, Chairman & CEO, Elsie's Kitchen Catering Services and Ms Sherine Toh, Senior Vice President (HR & Training), Tung Lok Group.
Moving forward, U SME has plans in place to reach out to more SMEs through the use of mobile technology to keep them abreast of the latest information and updates in labour laws. U SME is also looking into an accreditation system – a structured progressive growth model – that supports SMEs to build strong brand values to attract good talents.
“Ultimately, the collaborations and partnerships between the Labour Movement and SMEs aim to benefit the enterprises so that together we can take better care of our workers,” said Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Director of U SME.
