Ardi Amir has a purpose on his site visits – to ensure security officers know their rights at the workplace and that they are also aware of opportunities available to better their lives through their jobs.
Just as security officers have day and night shifts, Ardi, who is an Operations Manager at Spear Security Force, has a busy schedule as he has to be on standby 24 hours a day to help with any problems that may arise.
Taking his own initiative, the 36-year-old branch official from the Union of Security Employees (USE) still makes time to regularly visit workers on the job.
“For other companies, it’s easy to gather the employees in a staff canteen and share with them the necessary information, but due to the different work shifts of an officer, the best approach is to go down and share with them this way. It’s also good for them to know who in the union they can approach should they require any assistance,” explained Ardi.
Site Visits
Armed with drinks for the officers, Ardi recently visited two condominiums – Estella Gardens at Floral Road and Astrid Meadows at Coronation Road – where he distributed the USE Security Officer Handbook.
A project by the union with support from the Ministry of Manpower and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, the handbook highlights everyday issues faced by these officers.
Apart from basic rights, the handbook contains information on employment rights and the Progressive Wage Model (PWM). With PWM, officers can go for courses to upgrade themselves, where the new skills can earn them a promotion and higher wages.
The gears of PWM have already been in set motion. It became mandatory in the cleaning sector in April 2014, with the landscape and security sectors to follow suit in June and September next year respectively.
“I was only vaguely aware of a potential salary increase, but previously had no idea what PWM was. But I’m now aware it’s not a one-time increase and that I can potentially earn more as I go for more courses to upgrade myself,” said Khor Yean Aik, a 47-year-old security officer.
A Unique Approach
The union has also given Ardi its full support since being aware of this unique approach, with an Industrial Relations Officer (IRO) accompanying him on his visits to help officers understand other matters like their basic rights.
“Despite the challenges of reaching out to our members as they are deployed all over Singapore, we think it is important to give our members the latest information, especially when these have an impact on their livelihoods,” said USE Executive Secretary Steve Tan.
Source: NTUC This Week
