Enhancing Productivity
FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGE: Enhanced incentives should be given to companies that pilot emerging technology and business concepts that have the potential to transform businesses in the respective clusters.
CONSULTANCY SUPPORT: More resources and funding support for companies to access consultancy expertise on job redesign, skills structure and competency building.
SHARED SERVICES FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs): Promote and scale-up strategies and avenues for SMEs to tap on shared infrastructure and services to reduce fixed overheads.
Assisting Specific Groups of Workers
ENCOURAGE EMPLOYMENT OF OLDER WORKERS: For workers above 65, the Labour Movement recommends –
► Enhancing the Special Employment Credit.
► Enhancing incentives for job redesign initiatives towards age universality of jobs, including incentives for engaging consultants.
► Enhancing incentives for workplace health initiatives targetted at older workers, as health is integral to the continued employment and employability of older workers.
ENHANCEMENTS TO WORKFARE INCOME SUPPLEMENT (WIS) SCHEME:
Beneficial to low-wage workers –
► Calculate entitlements based on basic wages instead of gross wages.
► Maximum WIS payout should be adjusted from $1,000 to $1,200.
Skills Upgrading
EXPEDITE CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING (CET) 2020 MASTERPLAN
► Development process of the Masterplan has to be expedited and at a faster rate as Singapore’s productivity gain remains negative.
► Ensure more upgrading pathways for workers’ upskilling, with more support given to first-movers who adopt the sectorial-endorsed career progression pathways and training competency frameworks.
PROFESSIONAL CONVERSION PROGRAMMES: Enhanced incentives and funding support to encourage more workers to take on these programmes.
► Enhanced Funding for skills upgrading to attract and retain local talent
► Strengthening the Singaporean core: More funding to help employers better invest in their staff and reduce reliance on foreign manpower.
► Building a skilled workforce for the future: Additional funding to incentivise and encourage employers to actively identify and sponsor employees for higher skills upgrading to undertake higher job roles. The courses could include nationally-recognised courses or in-house courses which are accredited by relevant bodies. The funding could be in the form of absentee payroll.
GREATER FUNDING FLEXIBILITY FOR IN-HOUSE TRAINING PROGRAMME: More funding and greater flexibility with funding programmes could be provided for in-house skills conversions, as companies undergo restructuring and more value-added jobs are created.
ENHANCED FUNDING FOR PME-RELATED PROGRAMMES
► Enhance the level of funding for the Skills Development Fund and CET for PME-related programmes.
► Better support for PMEs for non-WSQ (Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications) industry-recognised programmes or in-house training, and to support PMEs in gaining international work exposure.
► Current percentage or training hour claims cap for funding programmes should be increased to encourage employers to support CET programmes for PMEs.
Helping Families
SANDWICHED CLASS: Provide a Personal Income Tax Rebate as it will mean some extra cash flow for them and their families. Government to review the qualifying income ceiling to relieve more working families of increasing financial burdens.
CARING FOR OUR ELDERS: More incentives for companies to provide paid eldercare leave.
SUPPORTING MOTHERS: Provision of Common Lactation Rooms in Office Buildings.
Government to consider some flexibility like providing a waiver under the design guidelines for property developers who are keen to provide lactation facilities for employees and visitors of tenants in their buildings.
► Single Mothers to Receive Same Benefits as Married Mothers: Single mothers should be accorded the same maternity and childcare benefits as married mothers, as long as they are able to fulfill the other criteria set by the Child Development Co-Savings Act and Income Tax Act.
► Protection of Stay At Home Mothers or Work At Home Mothers (WAHM): More support could be given to help them save up for family contingencies as they are not earning a regular income.
► Change WIS scheme’s eligibility criteria to include WAHM: NTUC recommends lowering the qualifying age from 35 to 30 years old, the median age of mothers giving birth for the first time.
Source: NTUC This Week
