Job security today must be complemented by future job mobility: NTUC president
NTUC president K. Thanaletchimi spoke about the need to reskill workers for emerging sectors at the International Labour Conference. PHOTO: INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION LIVESTREAM
SINGAPORE – To help workers adapt and thrive amid global economic uncertainty, the labour movement must aim to not only secure today's jobs, but also help workers ride on future opportunities.
To this end, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will push on with reskilling initiatives so workers can improve their chances of landing roles in emerging sectors, its president K. Thanaletchimi said in a plenary speech on June 9.
'We believe that job security today must be complemented by job mobility tomorrow,' she said, while addressing a mostly foreign audience at the 113th session of the annual International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, held from June 2 to 13.
The Singapore delegation attending the conference, organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) , comprises representatives from the Government – including Manpower Minister Tan See Leng – NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation.
In her speech, Ms Thanaletchimi said providing jobs, labour rights and economic growth have been key to Singapore's peace and progress over the last 60 years of independence.
She said Singapore, like many other nations, is navigating the challenges of global economic uncertainty – an issue that came to the fore after US President Donald Trump announced unilateral 'Liberation Day' tariffs on most trading partners on April 2.
This poses risks to the supply chains that Singapore is part of in key industries such as electronics and maritime – and the job security of those who work in these and other related sectors.
To tackle the risks, the Government, employers and the labour movement have come together to set up the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, she noted.
She added that NTUC has also set up some 3,000 Company Training Committees (CTCs), with 400 transformation projects benefiting more than 7,400 workers to date.
Under the CTC programme, employers form committees with unions and industry experts to map out the skills workers need to stay relevant.
As for workers' rights, Ms Thanaletchimi highlighted two new laws passed in Singapore to shore up protections for platform workers as well as stamp out workplace discrimination, as she addressed delegates from the ILO's 187 member states.
Under the Platform Workers Act, for instance, platform operators are now required to provide work injury compensation insurance for platform workers, as well as pay more in Central Provident Fund contributions.
She also expressed hopes that the ILO and its constituent members will be able to come together to develop one or more international agreements to safeguard the rights of platform workers, who often 'face challenges such as poor working conditions, misclassification and exclusion from existing labour laws and social protections'.
In his earlier speech, Manpower Minister Tan cited the two new laws as examples of how patient, honest dialogues between the Government, employers and unions could lead to 'win-win-win solutions'.
Another example he cited was the Progressive Wage Model, which sets out sector-specific minimum salaries tied to a worker's skills and productivity improvements, with the Government stepping in to boost lower-wage workers' income through the Workfare Income Supplement scheme.
Over the last five years, wages at the 20th percentile rose faster than the median, indicating that wage gaps have been narrowing, Mr Tan said.
'The trust, painstakingly built over decades, is what allows us to have difficult conversations, find common ground, and move forward in a way that is good for workers, employers and Singapore,' he said.
The minister added that Singapore hopes to extend this same spirit of partnership to support efforts in creating decent work regionally and globally.
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