Seventy-eight model workers and companies took to the spotlight at Downtown East this morning to receive the May Day Model Partnership Awards for their contributions towards the Labour Movement 2015 vision of “Better Jobs for All”.
More than 250 awardees, together with tripartite partners who played a significant role in supporting them, were honoured as role models for their exemplary partnerships.
Awardees were recognised for their efforts in three main categories: Raising productivity and gains sharing; increased job worth through skills upgrading; and developing a resilient and adaptive workforce.
In the Institutional category, one of the awardees, Park Hotel Group was recognised for its efforts in working together with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union (FDAWU) and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) for a job re-design scheme.
This led the way to increased productivity with workers being trained across three job functions, with a corresponding monthly salary increase of approximately 50 per cent for the workers.
Another award winner, manufacturing company LHT Holdings Limited overcame its challenges of having a shortage of manpower by taking up the NTUC Advantage! Scheme, which incorporates a comprehensive re-employment policy.
This allowed the company to re-employ workers at the age of 62 way before the Re-employment Act kicked in. Workers were also able to enjoy the same employment benefits after being re-employed.
Working with e2i and the Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees’ Union (BATU), the company also purchased new automated equipment to expand its current production capacity and implemented a ‘Business Processing Management System’ where data can be captured accurately leading to better overall company performance. Workers were paid an average of one month additional bonus this year in January.
A social enterprise providing training and sewing opportunities to women in need, A-Changin Private Limited partnered with the NTUC Women’s Development Secretariat (WDS) to provide flexible work arrangements and better remunerations for its staff. Today the company has 25 employees and they are better off financially, with more time for their families.
Another winner in the Individual category was Johari Bin Jamal from Keppel Employees Union (KEU), in partnership with Keppel Shipyard Limited and Mohammad Hafif Bin Othman from Keppel Shipyard Limited.
Mr Johari joined Keppel Shipyard as a Safety Coordinator and was unfamiliar with the shipyard environment, and lacked relevant experience and knowledge about fire-fighting and rescue operations.
With on-the-job training and courses, Mr Johari was promoted to several positions in two years and he now holds the position of a Safety Supervisor. He was received the Best Employee Award for two consecutive years.
