Singapore’s labour landscape is fast-evolving, and the number of Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs) in the workforce is growing. With the challenging economic climate and rising number of PME retrenchments, the Labour Movement finds it more crucial than before that PMEs receive the necessary protection and assurance.
Amendments to the Industrial Relations (IR) Act took effect in April 2015, following calls by the Labour Movement for an extended scope of representation to allow collective bargaining for PMEs by rank-and-file unions. Since then, NTUC-affiliated unions have leveraged the IR Act changes and worked with more unionised companies to better serve PMEs at the workplace.
As of today, some 370 unionised companies from 45 unions have embarked on some form of expansion in the scope of representation for PMEs. These arrangements could come in the form of a Collective Agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding.
In Employers’ Interest to make PMEs part of the Labour Movement
Through the Labour Movement’s twin engines of unions and U Associates, it has been adapting and adjusting its services to cater for the changing needs of the growing pool of PMEs.
An NTUC PME Resource Group comprising representatives from the industry clusters and NTUC was set up in 2015 to work closely with unions and help them build up capabilities, and provide expertise and guidance towards the recruitment, organising and engagement of PMEs at the workplaces.
“Through existing efforts, we have managed to achieve positive results. We have employers who are enlightened and have taken steps to work with unions to better enhance the services for our PMEs. However, we need more employers to understand that it is in their interest to let their PMEs be under the fold of the Labour Movement. As the economic and manpower landscape remain volatile, it is especially critical now that we garner greater support from employers to ensure that the growing pool of PMEs in our workforce is adequately protected,’ said Mr Patrick Tay, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Director of NTUC PME Unit.
Through efforts of the PME Resource Group, the Labour Movement has trained some 1,700 union leaders through PME-Organising workshops to help them better understand the diverse needs of PMEs and equip them with the necessary know-how on serving their needs. The resource group also distributed some 6,000 resource kits to union leaders, each comprising information from the Tripartite Guidelines on Extending the Scope of Union Representation for Executives.
Going forward: Labour Movement by the Side of Workers, Equipped to Better Serve PMEs
Going forward, the Labour Movement will continue to enhance its PME services through synergised efforts with unions, industry clusters and the U Associates. The PME Resource Group will work closely with the stakeholders to garner timely feedback and concerns from the ground, and keep the relevant parties abreast of manpower concerns and developments relating to PMEs.
The Labour Movement will also continue to work with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), NextU and NTUC’s U PME Centres, to enhance its services ranging from workplace advisory, to career and employment-related advice, and professional development opportunities, to better address the aspirations and concerns of PMEs.
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