By Fawwaz Baktee
NTUC is now doing more to help workers tide over the impact the Covid-19 situation has had on jobs.
In its latest move, NTUC is working with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability), affiliated unions and associations, and businesses to match taxi and private-hire drivers to alternative job options.
NTUC-affiliated associations, the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA), made the announcement on 31 March at a pop-up care centre for point-to-point drivers at Downtown East.
The initiative aims to support drivers in retaining their income. Since the outbreak, drivers have seen their income plummet by an average of 40 per cent.
To kick start the initiative, NTUC helped link F&B company Fei Siong Group with SMRT Taxis.
Fei Siong Group, which has seen a decline in customers at their outlets due to the Covid-19 situation, will ride on the demand for online food delivery in this tie-up.
Meanwhile, SMRT Taxis will help ferry food items from Feng Siong Group outlets to customers’ homes.
Fei Siong Group and SMRT Taxis will first launch the trial food delivery service from Fei Siong Group’s food outlet in Jurong Point. The initiative will be progressively extended to the other outlets located around Singapore.
SMRT Taxi Driver Vincent Lee said: “Our earnings have been greatly affected since COVID-19 started. This additional option will help me to supplement the loss of income. I hope that there can be more of such job opportunities made available to more drivers.”
Additionally, Fei Siong Group will also work with e2i and SMRT Taxis to train and redeploy its low-wage workers to take on delivery assistant roles to perform the food delivery services. According to the company, doing so allows Fei Siong Group to retain its excess manpower to do other jobs.
“We are heartened to work with NTUC and SMRT Taxis on this key initiative. It will enable us to continue serving our locals with quality hawker food at affordable pricing through the food delivery model amidst the COVID 19 situation. There will be no mark-up of prices for the food items and delivery charges are absorbed as well,” said Fei Sing Group Managing Director Tan Kim Siong.
NTA and NPHVA Adivsor Ang Hin Kee said that this tie-up is an example of how there are pockets of opportunities for drivers to supplement their income.
“One good example is the tie-up between SMRT Taxis and Fei Siong Group. We foresee more of such opportunities as more residents are staying home. This means that there will be growing demand for food delivery or even delivery of groceries. More operators can come in to augment such services, benefiting more drivers,” he said.
Pop-Up Care Centre for Cabbies
The pop-up care centre for drivers features a physical career fair by e2i with some 500 vacancies from several participating companies such as NTUC FairPrice, SBS Transit and SMRT.
Drivers can apply for temporary, contract or permanent positions that are essential during the Covid-19 situation. These jobs include temperature screening, dengue support, and bus captains.
Additionally, e2i will mobilise workers to fill roles needed by public agencies under the SGUnited Jobs initiative.
Taxi and private-hire drivers can also seek assistance at the pop-up centre for NTUC immediate relief assistance such as the NTUC Care Fund (Covid-19), and the NTUC Training Fund (SEPs).
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