May Day Rally 2014
MAY DAY MESSAGE
Call to honour pioneer generation of unionists
Singaporeans can do so by building on their achievements, says PM
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 1 May 2014
Call to honour pioneer generation of unionists
Singaporeans can do so by building on their achievements, says PM
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 1 May 2014
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged Singaporeans to honour the pioneer generation of unionists by building upon their achievements.
In his May Day message yesterday, he paid tribute to the unionists who fought the communists and worked with the Government to improve labour relations through the turbulent early years of Singapore.
Their courage allowed a young nation to build its economy and deliver better lives for the people, he added, stressing the generation overcame "long odds".
"Let us honour them by upholding their spirit, building on their achievements and creating an even better Singapore for our children," he said.
To do so, everyone, from the Government to employers and workers, must play their part.
In his message, he spelt out how the Government is growing the economy and creating jobs.
The economy grew 4.1 per cent last year and is expected to grow between 2 per cent and 4 per cent this year, "which is typical of a maturing economy", he said.
To create jobs for Singaporeans, the Government is giving generous incentives to help firms raise productivity and create opportunities for growth overseas. The projects abroad include those in Malaysia, government-to-government projects in China and industrial parks in Vietnam.
The free trade agreements that Singapore inked with the European Union and partners in the Trans-Pacific Partnership will also expand the export markets.
Training has also been given a boost, said Mr Lee, with two new Continuing Education and Training Centres in Jurong East and Paya Lebar.
But he reminded workers and bosses to chip in too. "Workers must make the effort to train and upgrade themselves," he said, adding: "Employers must invest in workers, develop their skills and make full use of their talents.
"Only then will the Government's programmes bear fruit," he noted.
Besides economic programmes, the social safety net is also being strengthened to give Singaporeans more peace of mind, the Prime Minister pointed out. Examples include expanding the scope of the Community Health Assist Scheme, permanent GST vouchers to help with the cost of living, and education and pre-school subsidies for the lower-income.
"The Pioneer Generation Package will honour and help the seniors who started us on this nation-building journey," he added.
The goal of these programmes, he said, is "to improve Singaporeans' lives".
The Prime Minister will officially open the new Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability and deliver his annual May Day speech to workers today.
Keeping the peace on the labour front
Editorial, The Straits Times, 1 May 2014
Editorial, The Straits Times, 1 May 2014
TRIPARTISM is an institution that has underpinned the Singapore economy and survived downturns through decades of change. Avoiding two extreme models - exploitation of workers in the name of growth, and adversarial trade unionism in the name of labour rights - tripartism brings in the state to hold the ring between capital and labour in a symbiotic system based on fairness and trust.
In invoking tripartism in his May Day message yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong drew attention to its abiding importance in building a vibrant economy characterised by equity. An economy in transition, which is upgrading qualitatively and expanding less quickly than before, demands that employers and employees work together even more closely to maximise opportunities. For workers, upgrading their skills holds the key not just to better jobs but also to job security. For employers, investing in workers and utilising their talent to raise productivity will determine the profitability and survivability of companies. Singapore enjoys a competitive advantage over countries where adversarial labour relations, spilling over into strikes and unrest, define the culture of work. By contrast, the tripartite ethos has become second nature here. It needs to be preserved so that Singapore can build on the economic success that has come to define it.
Within this tripartite framework, it is welcome that greater attention is being paid to the protection of labour rights. The labour tribunal for all local employees regardless of how much they earn, proposed by the Ministry of Manpower, is one initiative. Another is a mediation panel, handling disputes between professionals who are members of unions and their employers, which is under review. These mechanisms will extend the benefits of dispute resolution to employees as the employment landscape changes. Employers who treat workers fairly have nothing to fear from them. Employees who have reason to believe that they have been treated unfairly will have recourse to mechanisms that help make the tripartite framework meaningful. Labour relations as a whole will gain from the continued balancing of the interests of workers and employers.
A change of mindset, too, will help. Workers who demand respect, and rightly so, at their places of work sometimes forget, as customers, to extend the same courtesy to those who serve them. They, too, are workers. Hence the focus of the National Trades Union Congress on customers, who should not see those providing a service as servants. May Day is an occasion to celebrate the dignity of labour at home and abroad. That dignity, from the work of professionals to that of table-cleaners at hawker centres, applies to all.
May Day awards for two ministers
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2014
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2014
In Singapore, however, companies worked with unions to send their workers for training.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who has been chief adviser to the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries since 2004, recalled the episode yesterday.
"Subsequently, when the rebound came, the companies were well positioned to take up new business opportunities and orders, which contributed to the sharp rebound in Singapore's economy," said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister.
He gave the example to show how the three-way partnership between unions, companies and the Government benefits workers.
Mr Teo has also been adviser to the largest union here, the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers Union, since 2000.
Yesterday, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) presented him with its highest honour, the Medal of Honour.
It credits him with "bringing to the unions a wealth of experience" and supporting their drive to upgrade the skills of workers.
NTUC also singled out his role in leading the productivity drive as chairman of the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council. And as Minister in Charge of the Civil Service, he changed policies to the benefit of older civil servants, it added.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who also received the Medal of Honour, was hailed as "a man with a heart for workers".
He is "committed to championing their rights", NTUC added in its citation.
Mr Gan is chairman of statutory board Singapore Labour Foundation and chief adviser to the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees Union, Singapore's largest service sector union.
He also heads a national committee to improve the employability of older workers and is an adviser to anti-discrimination watchdog Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices.
NTUC described how as manpower minister from 2008 to 2011, he played a vital role in building up the national Continuing Education and Training system.
Mr Gan said he was "deeply honoured" by the award.
"To me, it is a recognition of the close relationship among the tripartite partners and an affirmation of the good trust and understanding we have," he added.
More PMEs may get help in disputes with employers
Mediation panel under review, higher salary ceiling being considered
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2014
Mediation panel under review, higher salary ceiling being considered
By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2014
MORE professionals who join unions may soon get help when they have problems with their employers, whether or not their companies are unionised or recognise their unions.
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin pointed at this possibility yesterday, when he revealed that a mediation panel handling such disputes is under review.
Under consideration, he said, is the raising of the monthly salary ceiling of people who can seek mediation beyond the current $4,500. Such a move would benefit more professionals, executives and managers (PMEs).
Rank-and-file workers may also take their disputes to the panel - something that they are not able to do now.
Another area under study is expanding the scope of the panel to cover more issues.
"The expanded scope... will strengthen the employment dispute resolution landscape in Singapore," said Mr Tan.
The details will be announced when the review is completed, he added.
Currently, the panel, called the Tripartite Mediation Framework, handles only disputes on salary arrears, payment of retrenchment benefits and breach of contract by an employer.
It was formed in 2011 by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Although it is a voluntary conciliation process, employers can be ordered by the MOM to turn up or risk a fine of up to $5,000.
Mr Tan said the panel has resolved many of the disputes it handled in the past three years. It has heard 12 cases since it was set up, the MOM told The Straits Times.
News of the review came barely a week after the MOM proposed setting up a labour tribunal.
The tribunal will open its doors to all local employees who have salary disputes with their employers, regardless of how much they earn and whether or not they are union members.
It is unclear if the labour tribunal and mediation panel will overlap in their roles, as both are still being discussed by NTUC, SNEF and MOM.
The strong role unions play in improving workers' well-being was underlined by Mr Tan.
The strong role unions play in improving workers' well-being was underlined by Mr Tan.
The three-way partnership of unions, companies and the Government, he said, "has played a very important role and a very significant part" in Singapore's economic and social progress.
"As long as we keep working together as one, despite the differences, despite the inherent tensions that will arise, I am confident that we will continue to make Singapore a land of opportunities," he added.
The May Day dinner at Orchid Country Club was attended by about 1,600 guests, including union leaders, company bosses and civil servants.
At the dinner, NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say presented NTUC's highest award, the Medal of Honour, to Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
Rarely given, the award was last presented in 2004 to then Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo.
It was given in recognition of Mr Yeo's key role in crafting free trade agreements for Singapore that had created thousands of jobs here.
There were five other Medal of Honour recipients in the past 20 years: Mr Lee Yock Suan (2002), Mr Lee Hsien Loong (1999), Mr Wong Kan Seng (1998), Mr Lee Boon Yang (1996) and Mr Mah Bow Tan (1993).
NTUC president Diana Chia said of the award recipients: "We could not have achieved such positive outcomes for workers and union members without their strong support."
NTUC will hold its May Day Rally tomorrow at the new Devan Nair Institute of Employment and Employability in Jurong East, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong giving his annual address to workers.