Sir, Singapore has done well in fostering industrial peace over the years. This has added to our attractiveness to investments, and has helped create the overall conditions that promoted job growth and retention.
Compared to many other countries where industrial disruption makes regular news, I am sure that investors and companies appreciate the constructive and productive labour-management relations that prevail at enterprise level, and the strong tripartite ties at the national level.
Now I must say that such peace and harmony cannot and must not be taken for granted. The fact that Singapore has not experienced a strike since 19( ) is not the result of repression of labour rights. Nor does it mean that there are no problems or issues between employees and employers at the company level.
What has happened is that the overall relationship and the structure of problem-solving has enabled unions and employers to deal with, and resolve problems at the earliest possible opportunity. As a result, most issues are effectively tackled to mutual satisfaction at the company level, and do not even show up in the MOM statistics by way of conciliation and arbitration. That said, the conciliation and arbitration processes themselves further add to the effectiveness of fair problem-resolution.
This overall structure has held up well over the years, and has allowed Singapore to avoid the detrimental effects of industrial disruption. The end result is one of high employment and rising living standards for Singaporeans, and a stable conducive operating environment for businesses.
Sir, going forward, I see that more must be done to foster trust and relationship between labour and management at the company level. I say this because the overall environment has become more uncertain. It is precisely in recognition of this that instruments such as flexible wage systems and portable medical benefits have to be put in place. In such an environment, much more emphasis has to be placed on company level decision-making and consultation, because adjustments must happen and be made at company rather than economy-wide level. Trust and a viable working relationship are the glue and lubricant that allow for quick and frequent adaptation. Without strength in these critical areas, companies and their unions or workers will find it harder to make quick-enough adjustments to fast-changing circumstances. If that happens, then bottlenecks will form and our ability to maintain industrial peace undermined. Ultimately, we will suffer as a country and people. Conversely, if we are able to build strength in these critical areas, our economy will enjoy a degree of resilience and flexibility that can be an enduring competitive advantage.
I would like to ask the Minister what plans his Ministry has to further promote the building of trust and relationship building between employers, unions and employees at the company level, so as to sustain industrial peace in Singapore.
