14 Feb 2010
The Chinese New Year Visit has been a long-held tradition for the Labour Movement. The NTUC Central Committee members and key union leaders have been visiting workers during the Chinese New Year period since 1999 to show our appreciation to workers for putting their duties at work ahead of their holidays and personal celebrations.
This year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, together with key union leaders, visited about 150 workers at Swissôtel The Stamford and Fairmont Singapore on the first day of Chinese New Year.
As Singapore repositions itself to raise productivity for the next stage of economic growth through a broad-based and inclusive approach, the Labour Movement has also set a target of 3% productivity growth for all sectors, enterprises and workers as it pushes for a Cheaper, Better, Faster economy powered by an all inclusive workforce. Both Swissôtel The Stamford and Fairmont Singapore are committed to work closely with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union (FDAWU) and the Union of Security Employees (USE) on various initiatives to help the staff increase their productivity level as they face new challenges in the hospitality sector.
The Prime Minister and key union leaders had the opportunity to view a demonstration on the use of an innovative device, the Ezi-Maid, which helps housekeeping staff in the hotel to increase their efficiency and productivity level. Ezi-Maid is a device that allows the room attendant to make guestroom beds, change bed sheets and vacuum under the bed without the need for the worker to bend down or do any back-breaking lifting of the bed. Ezi-Maid helps to raise the bed to waist level so that the room attendant need not have to lift the bed physically to change the bed sheet or vacuum the guestroom floor under the bed. Through the use of Ezi-Maid, mature room attendants not only will benefit physically, but their time and productivity are also managed to an optimum and more efficient level.
Swissôtel The Stamford and Fairmont Singapore employ about 350 mature workers aged 50 years and above. Both hotels are constantly on the look out for new technologies and resources to make the working environment more staff friendly so that it helps to increase the productivity and efficiency level of all staff.
The guests also took the opportunity to meet staff working at the front desk at both the hotels and the Szechuan Court Restaurant at Fairmont Singapore to better understand the Customer Centric Initiatives that were implemented in the pursuit of Service Excellence.
The Prime Minister, union leaders and guests also joined the workers for an auspicious tossing of the traditional Yu Sheng at the staff cafeteria.
