Within the backbone of each of the thousands of buildings that make Singapore’s landscape, are lifts that transport people up, down and in-between floors.
According to statistics from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA), there are some 67,000 lifts in operation throughout the country, and these numbers are set to grow with each new construction project.
Obviously, lifts play an important part in our daily routines. Less obvious are the 2,100 men and women working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that they’re working faultlessly.
Looking after the interests of these workers, the Lift and Escalator Sectoral Tripartite Committee (L&E STC) announced a series of recommendations on 18 September 2018.
The committee hopes that the recommendations will give workers a well-defined career and training pathway, enjoy better opportunities to take on value-added jobs with technology and do so in a better work environment. Coupled with training and improved skills, these workers in the lift industry can also see a corresponding increase in their salaries.
“The formation of the L&E STC, along with the support and active participation from all committee members have allowed us to gain a better understanding of the concerns this industry is facing. With that, we were able to formulate recommendations with every stakeholder’s considerations in mind.
“As a union representative, I am also looking forward to see our workers benefitting in the area of skills development and career progression within lift companies, as well as better jobs and salaries. NTUC will work with all stakeholders to translate these recommendations into action,” said L&E STC Co-chairman and NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Melvin Yong.
The Recommendations
Collectively, the recommendations aim to provide better jobs to make a career in the lift industry more attractive to Singaporeans.
The key to achieving this is through the introduction of a mandatory progressive wage model (PWM) that will give workers the option of two progression pathways – supervisory or specialist. Skills will be used as a benchmark for progression, with their salaries increasing correspondingly.
This push for the PWM will be supported by a training and certification framework that will be aligned with the proposed PWM. This will be tailored to the needs of the different groups of workers in the lift industry.
Beyond this, the committee is also looking to improve the working conditions of workers with safety as a priority. The adoption and use of technology, such as sensors, were shared as some ways how lift companies and their workers can make work safer and more efficient while increasing productivity.
Concurrently, efforts will be taken to improve the perception of a career in the lift industry through better awareness, more progressive human resource practices and better management.
“These recommendations bring us one step closer to a more competent, technically advanced and sustainable industry, which will play a significant role in ensuring that our lifts and escalators continue to be safe and reliable for everyone,” added L&E STC Co-chairman Chin Chi Leong.
The L&E STC recommendations were formally accepted by the Government on 19 September 2018. Minister of State for National Development Zaqy Mohamad said that the Government will work towards mandating adoption of the PWM as a registration requirement for lift maintenance firms, and continue to work closely with tripartite partners to implement the STC recommendations.
Read more about what NTUC ASG Melvin Yong has to say about the lift industry here.
