President, Gen Sec, All Executive Committee Members of CIEU
Management Partners,
Tripartite Partners from SNEF, MOM
My Fellow Co-Chair of the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices, Mr Bob Tan
Distinguished Guests
Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Afternoon.
I am very happy to join all of you at this event signaling the CIEU and NTUC’s support in the promotion of Fair Employment practices in Singapore workplaces.
1. They say many good things come in threes. We all know that one of the strengths of the Singapore economy is Tripartism – the strong relationship between the unions, employers and the government and how this allows difficult and sensitive issues to be tackled in a win-win fashion. Today let me also structure my remarks in terms of three “Rs”. The first R is in terms of Recognising some of the progressive organizations here. The second R is in terms of examining what Responsible behaviour entails in terms of Fair Employment and the third R, is the challenge before all organizations to Rise to the occasion in addressing discrimination at the workplace.
2. First I would like to recognise and commend all the employers in the Chemical industry here today for their support in pledging their commitment to adopt fair employment practices. I would like to commend the employers who are sharing on some of the practical ways in which they have implemented fair employment practices.
3. I would also like to recognize CIEU’s proactive contribution in promoting Fair Employment Practices. The support of CIEU, its branches and the employers represented here today demonstrates in a small way the growing support for the adoption of Fair Employment practices in Singapore. We need more unions, who have a strong and close relationship with employers, to follow CIEU’s example in working together in promoting fair employment practices.
4. Second, I would like to examine why some employers are more prepared to act responsibly in the adoption of fair employment practices. Such organizations, often the larger organizations have already found that being fair does bring business benefits. As Singapore’s population ages and as we encourage more women to enter the workforce, being fair and merit-based, widens the talent pool that employers can recruit from. Being fair and treating employees with respect also helps retain your valued employees and motivates them to give their best.
5. There are 18 employers today receiving their pledge certificates. Haw Par Healthcare Limited subscribes to the benefits that fair employment practices can bring. Haw Par Healthcare is a subsidiary of Haw Par Corporation Limited which manufactures and produces high-quality healthcare products such as the Tiger Brand of balm, medicated plasters etc. The company adopts a non-discriminatory and open hiring and recruitment practice. Recent female job seekers who have been hired at Haw Par Healthcare include 21 housewives who have been out of the workforce for some time. This approach benefits Haw Par in that it widens their pool of candidates, reduces their reliance on foreign workers and helps Haw Par overcome the current tight recruitment challenge of competing with other employers to find enough Singaporeans to hire. The mature mindset adopted by Haw Par’s management is very much in line with what the Tripartite Workgroup on Enhancing Employment Choices for Women wants more employers to adopt.
6. Pledging does not mean you are perfect but it does signal your commitment to try to be fair. Being fair is not one uniform standard practice that can be applied to all workplaces in a cookie-cutter fashion. Being fair involves reviewing what are the relevant criteria for jobs in your organisation and taking practical steps to be fair in the hiring and assessing of employees based on these relevant criteria. What is relevant will vary depending on the sector, the company and the type of work involved. So we are here today not just to recognise, commend and encourage each other but also to learn from others in the chemical industry on what works.
7. Third, let me challenge all employers to rise to the occasion in addressing the opportunities offered by the ageing of the Singapore population. With Singapore’s emphasis on meritocracy, implementing fair and merit-based employment practices is the right thing to do. Efforts to hire more older workers is also in line with the objectives of the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers. Every employee is entitled to a workplace free from discrimination and where assessment and rewards are based on merit and performance.
8. Promoting fair employment is a journey. Pledging is one of the first steps in this journey. If not already done, there are additional concrete practical steps to be taken to involve managers and supervisors in reviewing whether relevant criteria are being used to find the best person for the job. I encourage employers to check and question whether any stereotypes you may be currently using are keeping out previously untapped talent from benefiting your organisation. For example, if the job requires knowledge of certain chemical manufacturing processes and is located on Jurong Island examples of information which would be relevant in assessing an applicant’s suitability could be whether the applicant has the relevant years of experience, qualification, e.g. a Chemistry degree and whether the applicant is able and willing to commute to and from Jurong Island. Conversely, examples of information that might not be relevant would be the applicant’s gender or age. At Nippon Paint, funding through the WDA’s Advantage scheme of a new barcode system to identify the correct paint, helped Nippon Paint overcome their previous stereotype that the generally poorer eyesight of older workers limits their ability to do the work.
9. Fair Employment Practices is being promoted in Singapore as a Tripartite effort. We are at an early stage and the support of progressive employers such as those here today is important in showing what can be done in a win-win situation that benefits both employers and employees. Your feedback to TAFEP on what is practical is also important. So let me encourage employers to continue on this journey and partner TAFEP in telling your fellow employers why it is practical and makes sense to be fair.
10. So on this note, thank you once again for your support and partnership in the promotion of fair employment practices in Singapore.
