By Ramesh Subbaraman
Thanks to the efforts of the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU), nearly 50,000 public healthcare sector employees are going to benefit from updated Collective Agreements (CAs) across six healthcare clusters.
This after the HSEU signed Memorandum of Understandings with the individual healthcare clusters on some common provisions in an effort to harmonise the CAs.
It took about one a half year to complete the discussions and exercise and the signing ceremony took place on 3 June 2016.
HSEU President K Thanaletchimi said the move helps to level-up some of the benefits. They will also lead to greater productivity and efficiency, added MOH Holdings.
The process started in February 2015 and involved discussions with both the Health Ministry and the various healthcare clusters comprising National University Health System, National Healthcare Group, Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), Alexandra Health System, Jurong Health Services and Eastern Health Alliance.
The Benefits
Some of the key benefits from the harmonised CAs include:
• Salary ranges for administrative, ancillary, allied health and pharmacist job groups have been revised upwards from 1 July 2016.
• The re-employment age for older employees has gone up to 67 from 1 July this year, one year ahead of the legislation and implementation in July 2017.
• The CAs include career development opportunities, flexible work arrangements and adoption of the Progressive Wage Model.
“We are extremely delighted that the six clusters have agreed to extend the re-employment age to 67 as well as adopt the revised Employment Assistance Payment before the national implementation date.
“This will surely benefit many of our mature employees reaching retirement and re-employment age. They will continue to enjoy annual increment and performance bonus too,” said Ms Thanaletchimi.
Benefitting Workers
Sixty-four-year-old Senior Patient Associate P Nilaveni from Tan Tock Seng Hospitalis happy to hear the re-employment age at 67 policy will take effect immediately on 1 July 2016.
“The union has done a good job. We have the experience and this sector needs it. We are on the ground and we can also multitask by doing both administration and clinic duties.
“I continue to serve my patients with care. You must have the heart when you work in a hospital environment,” said Madam Nilaveni, who has been in the healthcare sector for 24 years.
Another worker who is benefiting is 55-year-old Sandra Chia Kuan Kuan who started off as a ward assistant at Changi General Hospital, providing limited administrative support.
The hospital realised that the role overlapped with that of the patient service associate.
The harmonised CA now provides for the ward assistant’s job scope to be expanded and she was promoted to become a patient service associate.
“As a patient service associate, I can now understand the needs of the patient better. I now also help to sort out the patient’s case notes, print out the appointment details and help with the bills,” said Madam Chia.
Working with Management
Ms Thanaletchimi adds that bipartism between union and management has been key towards a win-win outcome
The National Healthcare Group’s, Chief Human Resource Officer Olivia Tay explained that during the negotiations, both sides were willing to see each other’s point of view.
Source: NTUC This Week
