NTUC will continue to pay close attention to vulnerable worker groups who have been more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those who will more likely face future pressures in the new economy.
Uplifting the wages of lower-wage workers and pushing for greater coverage of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) will remain one of NTUC’s top priorities in 2021.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng unveiled NTUC’s plans and priorities for the year on 18 February 2021.
“In the last year, NTUC’s priority has really been to help workers affected by COVID-19. But looking ahead, especially in this Budget season, one of our priorities is to expedite the pace of PWM implementation,” Mr Ng revealed.
He also shared that the congress has identified six sectors that could potentially benefit from the implementation of the PWM, possibly benefitting some 80,000 workers.
“We want to ensure that we put in place effective policies that address the various intricacies in the PWM areas that we are interested in, to benefit workers without unintended outcomes. We will do right by our workers and ensure that they continue to have better wages welfare and prospects,” he said.
Following the media session, Mr Ng took to Facebook to reiterate his stance.
He said: “We must do right by our workers, but it takes a whole-of-society effort to do so … This has been our raison d'etre since NTUC was established 60 years ago – by the side of our members and workers, protecting and caring for them.”
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NTUC initiated various efforts such as the NTUC Job Security Council and Fair Retrenchment Framework, working with management to cut costs and save jobs, as well as training and redeployment of workers.
The vulnerable groups that NTUC has identified to assist in 2021 include the self-employed, PMEs in their 40s to 60s, older workers in general, workers in the lower-wage group.
Self-Employed Persons (SEPs)
To better represent and advance the interests of SEPs, NTUC formed the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) (VICPA) and the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA) in December 2020, to represent SEPs in the respective sectors.
The congress is currently in touch with several overseas unions, studying their models and looking to innovate itself to better represent SEPs and improve grievance handling.
PMEs
In October 2020, together with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), NTUC formed a PME Taskforce to help vulnerable PMEs, particularly those who are aged between 40 to 60.
Through their focus group discussions, the task force found that job security, training and career progression are the top few concerns amongst PMEs.
The PME Taskforce is currently working on its recommendations and will provide more details around the third quarter of 2021.
Older Workers
A group that is particularly vulnerable during times of uncertainty, NTUC stated that its union leaders have been encouraging older workers, particularly those in distressed sectors, to diversify their skills to remain relevant.
In the longer-term, NTUC said there is a growing need to ensure older workers plan for their careers later in life so that they will have the chance and choice to work in a job that makes them happy.
Lower-Wage Workers
NTUC will also ramp up its efforts to expand the implementation of the PWM in other sectors.
So far, it has identified six sectors that could potentially benefit from the PWM, namely the waste management, food services, retail trade, strata management, pest management and solar technology sectors.
Having already mooted for a PWM for the waste management sector in 2020, NTUC has also begun pushing for its implementation in the food services sector, and the congress also sees potential in introducing the model to the retail trade sector.
While strata management and solar technology may not fall under the lower-wage category, Mr Ng said that there is still potential for these sectors to implement a PWM.
Citing the solar technology sector as an example, Mr Ng explained: “At the onset of a worker’s introduction to this new industry, a career development plan is put in place that is matched with skills that would bring workers to the next higher level of pay.
“In that way, the PWM is essentially a career plan that is for the workers, yet matched with the necessary productive, level gains that employers feel comfortable to pay our workers. If we are able to do this successfully, it will mean that PWM can get into [other] industries, other than low wage workers.”
