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Mdm President
Importance of Worker 4.0 in the Future of Work
Thinkers have emphasised the need to shift and transform toward Industry 4.0 for the future of work. However, many workers shared with me their fear of technology and digital transformation. Why? Because they fear technology taking their jobs away.
While I understand their fear, actually, technology creates a bigger economic pie, and a bigger economic pie creates more jobs, and better jobs. But we must help to shift this fear mindset. The question is, how?
The Singapore National Trades Union Congress (SNTUC) is driving the concept of Worker 4.0. Industry 4.0 cannot do without Worker 4.0. Industry 4.0 can only succeed if workers see the benefits that they, too, can enjoy. Governments, businesses and unions all know this.
In Singapore, the Worker 4.0 is one who has a combination of Adaptive, Technology and Technical Skills. Equipped with these skills, they can be more productive, increase value to businesses, and in turn, earn better wages.
Company Training Committee as a Means to Achieving 3As and 3Ws
The NTUC is taking practical steps to realise these for our workers. At the company level, our unions are working hard with businesses to set up Company Training Committees (CTCs) where unions and management work together to help workers reskill and upskill. The receptiveness by companies has been encouraging. In only three months, we now have more than 50 CTCs formed. Our aim is to have 1,000 CTCs in companies within three years.
So what do CTCs do? I’ll summarise it into three As. First, accelerate the Acceptance of technology with a formalised two-way platform to discuss how technology can benefit both the businesses and our workers. It will help workers overcome the fear of technology.
Second, accelerate the Adoption of technology. Through the CTCs, there is better understanding of companies’ transformation plans and the training needs for workers to acquire relevant technology skills. To give this effort a boost, NTUC is helping companies access Government grants to adopt technology, up to 80% of the costs.
In fact, the Singapore Government recently announced changes to the Enterprise Development Grant at our May Day Rally. Companies must now commit to training workers and also sharing gains with workers in order to enjoy grants from the Government. This is indeed welcomed news.
Finally, the CTCs will help accelerate the Actualisation of transformation efforts, to help create and capture value for our businesses and more importantly, make our transformation efforts real for our workers in the form of better wages, better welfare and work prospects. This is also in alignment with ILO’s Global Commission on the Future of Work report to have a human-centred agenda and drive lifelong learning for a stable and just future of work.
Tripartite Efforts Key to Boosting Training Agenda
Key to this, of course, is strong tripartism that we have in Singapore. With the support of our employers and Government, we can further reinvigorate our social contract and strengthen our social dialogue further to bring the future of work into reality today and turn it into a strategic advantage for a small country like Singapore.
Because in Singapore, economic growth must be shared with our workers, otherwise, growth is meaningless. We know that when businesses Win, our economy Wins and when our economy wins, more importantly, our workers Win. This creates a sustainable Tripartite model to anchor economic success for country, businesses and workers.
Conclusion
I would like to conclude by welcoming the announcement by Singapore Minister of Manpower, Sister Josephine Teo, on the ratification of Convention 155. This shows the Singapore Government’s commitment to ensure better working conditions for our workers. Because, Every Worker Matters.
Thank you.
