Cyrille Tan
Singapore
“Does the Minister agree that preventing workers of any grade from joining a union amounts to an infringement of human right, especially in the US and in Europe? Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, under our law, we do not prevent any workers, including executives, from forming or joining a union.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister, in the light of a recent High Court ruling on the overturning of an order by the Minister for Manpower that the business school owners should pay compensation to an employee for unjust dismissal, the High Court held that the Ministry has not given the business school sufficient opportunities to be he…”
“My question is whether the existing system provides sufficient opportunities for disputing parties to be sufficiently heard, including the case involving the business school, and how the current procedure can be improved to ensure that investigations into such disputes could be conducted fairly and that the rules of natural justice are ob…”
“This is particularly so when our workforce is becoming better educated and most of the new entrants in the labour movement join as junior and middle management personnel. We agree that this issue of allowing executives to join rank and file unions should be studied by an appropriate tripartite forum.”
“We can and we will emerge from the crisis stronger and more resilient. In conclusion, in the past, in good times when NWC announced the guidelines, food prices, especially cooked food, coffee prices and transport charges went up.”
“For example, members of a union worked overtime during the weekends to help an MNC meet an urgent order, thus paving the way for more new orders.”
The complete record
Every one of 39 lines we hold for Cyrille Tan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
“My question is whether the existing system provides sufficient opportunities for disputing parties to be sufficiently heard, including the case involving the business school, and how the current procedure can be improved to ensure that investigations into such disputes could be conducted fairly and that the rules of natural justice are observed by both employers and employees.”
“Sir, I would like to ask the Minister, in the light of a recent High Court ruling on the overturning of an order by the Minister for Manpower that the business school owners should pay compensation to an employee for unjust dismissal, the High Court held that the Ministry has not given the business school sufficient opportunities to be heard and the way the investigation was conducted was not in line with the rules of natural justice. Since the said High Court decision had affected the confidence of ---”
“Does the Minister agree that preventing workers of any grade from joining a union amounts to an infringement of human right, especially in the US and in Europe? Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, under our law, we do not prevent any workers, including executives, from forming or joining a union. They can, including executives, form their unions. What we have is a situation where the law does not allow executives to join a rank-and-file union of workers within a company because of this concern of a conflict of interest in the past. As to whether it is an infringement of human right, of course, our law states quite clearly that there is a right to form and join a union.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, does the Minister agree that preventing workers of any grade from joining a union amounts to an infringement of human right, especially in Europe and in the US?”
“Finally, Sir, human resource personnel should not be allowed to make a mockery of our plans for life-long learning. Sir, I support the motion.”
“I would like to give a scenario which is very common in Singapore, particularly now when restructuring exercises are conducted by companies adversely affected by the recent economic downturn. A skilled worker in the electronics industry was retrenched at the age of 45. Probably, he is the sole breadwinner of the family. He has the necessary skills and even the certificates. However, in job fairs conducted by recruiting companies, he is told, although he has what it takes to fit into some of the recruiting companies, that they are looking for young individuals who are below the age of 40. Sad, but true, that mid-career workers who are retrenched are facing such problems. Does it mean that if I am a skilled worker, but over 40 years old, and retrenched, I will have to settle for a low-paying cleaner's job, a packer's job, something that will not tap into the knowledge and skills that I had acquired over my 20 years of working life? We are facing a growing pool of older workers, and we, as a nation, must not see that as a problem, but to capitalise on it as an opportunity. Such older workers have a wealth of knowledge and skills that the nation can tap on, instead of facing premature redundancy in society. Statistics show that in the electronics industry, 61.2% of those still looking for a job said that they cannot meet with the minimum age requirement set by recruiting companies. Singapore must remain committed to developing the full potentials of its citizens, as stated in the report on "Opportunities for All". I think it is time for us to examine the next step. And after realising the potentials of our citizens, through training and upgrading, how can Singapore, as a nation, make use of these human resources to further push the country another step ahead?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to commend the Minister and his team for an excellent S21 Report. Many Members of this House have debated extensively on the Report. I will focus my speech on the "Opportunities for All". Sir, in the Report on "Opportunities for All", it was mentioned that as a society Singaporeans must give a second chance to those who want to try again, and Singaporeans of all ages will always have opportunities to upgrade and renew their knowledge and skills. The NTUC has always subscribed to this principle. Through various schemes, we have been encouraging our workers to upgrade their skills and be relevant to the workplace and society. Examples are the Skills Redevelopment Programme (SRP), the NTUC-Education and Training Fund and other funding schemes. Many workers have taken opportunities available to them and have benefited from the various schemes, getting for themselves trade certificates that are recognised nationwide. However, while the NTUC, together with the Government, is stressing the need to give the lower income Singaporeans a second chance, there are still many cases of older Singaporeans who have been denied such chances when it comes to a crunch. Age seems to be the main determining factor of entry into many companies, for example, those from the wafer fabrication and semi-conductor industries. Regardless of how skilful, flexible and adaptable an elderly Singaporean may be, he may still have very little opportunities in contributing in such companies. Many recruiting companies have specifically asked for younger workers, even though there are older workers with relevant skills. As a result, such good paying jobs go mainly to the younger job seekers. We must not forget that our older workers are willing and ready to try again.”
“This is particularly so when our workforce is becoming better educated and most of the new entrants in the labour movement join as junior and middle management personnel. We agree that this issue of allowing executives to join rank and file unions should be studied by an appropriate tripartite forum. This is in line with our tripartite approach in dealing with the important labour relations issues, with a view to arriving at a solution that can best serve the interests of the economy, employers and workers. I think with the proposals which we are considering, like having an annual tripartite summit or conference, these are issues which the forum could discuss. 2.15 pm”
“To support SILS' work and programmes, the Government had in the past given annual grants to SILS on the basis of deficit funding. However, to provide the necessary incentive for SILS to raise its own funds, the Government decided to give SILS a one-time matching grant of $2 million into the SILS Endowment Fund as from FY96 based on the Institute's own contribution of $2 million to this fund. Through this funding arrangement, it is hoped that SILS will operate on the basis of cost recovery in running its training programmes. This practice of annual funding was therefore discontinued. Nevertheless, we will monitor the funding arrangement and carry out a review if the need arises. Let me now turn to the issue of union representation which has been raised by Mrs Yu-Foo and Mr Cyrille Tan, in particular, the question of allowing executives to join rank and file unions to enlarge the talent pool for union leaders. While we appreciate the efforts of the unions to expand their membership, the concerns of the employers on union representation of the executives must not be overlooked. Employers have expressed concerns that allowing their executives to join rank and file unions would result in a conflict of interests. Executives who have to make critical decisions, which may affect their fellow union members, may find it difficult to effectively carry out their roles. Mr Cyrille Tan and Mrs Yu-Foo have also raised the concern that the current restriction of executives joining rank and file unions under section 16(3) of the Industrial Relations Act has deprived the labour movement of the ability to draw future leaders from among a growing number of employees who are in the executive positions.”
“Tripartite cooperation will become even more crucial in the present economic difficulties as companies restructure their organisation to become more cost-effective and to remain more competitive, and when workers face wage and CPF cuts. Tripartism has served us well in good times. It is even more important in times of economic adversities. A strong bond between the Government, employers and unions will help us to weather the economic storm. I agree with the Members that in a rapidly changing and competitive business environment, the three partners should continue to strengthen their working relationship and to jointly tackle difficulties ahead, particularly the emerging problems of structural unemployment. Through tripartite cooperation, we can also prepare our workforce to upgrade themselves and be globally competitive in the knowledge-based era. Tripartism has worked in many areas. For example, through the support of the employers and the NTUC, we have raised the compulsory retirement age from 60 to 62 years from January this year. The NWC has been able to reach consensus among the tripartite partners on the recommendation to reduce wage costs by between 5% and 8%, in addition to the cut in employers' CPF contribution by 10 percentage points. It is not easy to reach consensus on such a difficult measure. Our unions and workers should be commended for giving their unequivocal support to help companies reduce business costs so that we can regain our competitiveness in the global market. On the question of funding the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies (SILS) as raised by the Member for Bukit Timah GRC, my Ministry is aware that SILS has made significant contributions to the labour movement by providing training to union leaders and members.”
“The two above proposals can also have the right for executives to vote and hold office in the Union. This can be seen as a two-stage transition working towards full union rights for executives while pursuing issues like conflict of interests. The proposals can be first adopted on a pilot basis at the public sector. Unions and management can differentiate the extent of representation for different groups of workers. It may reserve the right to take up issues of grievance representation, retrenchment, etc. for some, while the majority can be covered by a more comprehensive collective agreement. In conclusion, the ability to extend the scope of union representation to executives is important to the labour movement. As each cohort of the population will be 60% tertiary trained (20% university trained and 40% polytechnic trained), our union membership can only be drawn from the remaining 40% of the workforce. Union membership is what the labour movement is all about. To reiterate, we need to arrest the shrinking bargainable base by extending our scope of representation in order to make our labour movement a strong and relevant one. Overall, the Singapore model of the trade union movement will benefit the workers, the companies and the country as a whole. The Minister of State for Manpower (Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe): Sir, the synergic relationships between the Government, employers and unions have worked well in Singapore. This tripartite alliance is the cornerstone of industrial peace for three decades. It has also brought an environment that is conducive to foreign investment and sustained economic growth. I fully agree with the Members for Bukit Timah GRC and Pasir Ris GRC that good industrial relations cannot be taken for granted.”
“Sir, I will focus on the extension of the scope of union representation. With the decline of the manufacturing sector, the expansion of the service sector and the spread of IT, more white-collar and professional jobs are created. This change in the profile of our workforce will continue unabated and this will mean a shrinking bargainable base for the labour movement. While the Ministry of Manpower has expressed that there was nothing to prevent companies from voluntarily allowing their executives to be unionised, NTUC has adopted the persuasive approach to encourage employers to widen the scope of union representation. To date, only 23 companies have initiated such union representation extension. However, it has not been easy for employers to adopt a magnanimous approach to allow executive staff to join unions with open arms. How do we achieve such extension of union representation? A Tripartite Committee can be formed at the national level to review section 16(3) of the Industrial Relations Act. Firstly, amend section 16(3) of the Industrial Relations Act to allow partial representation rights over executives. Here, we accord union partial representation rights in respect of executives. The latter will not enjoy the benefits of the collective agreements obtained for its rank and file colleagues but unions can represent them in grievances and other specific problems such as dismissals, unfair treatments and retrenchments. This will help achieve some welfare protection for executives. Secondly, amend section 16(3) of the Industrial Relations Act to admit executives as ordinary members. This proposal would mean that executives could enjoy the benefits of the collective agreement.”
“Then there are also computer screens where all you need is to touch. You point to what you want to see, and bingo, you get to see what you want to see! The NTUC is working with a company to develop IT kiosks, with computer screens, operating also on the touch system. Soon, you will find the i-ONE kiosks all over Singapore, providing information about our labour movement, among other things. In due course, many things which now seem so complicated will be made simpler. In a sense, it would be like the development of the telephone. Initially, the vast majority of Singaporeans did not have a telephone at home. Now there is hardly a home without a phone. Today, mobile phones are used by many Singaporeans. Mr Speaker, Sir, the labour movement is committed to playing its part in moving Singapore into a knowledge economy. We will spare no effort to look after and enhance the interests of our workers. We believe that we can do this by working as a social partner with Government and employers. Together, we can create even better paying jobs in the economy so that we will have enough opportunities for all Singaporeans to pursue. Together, we can create new and better skills in our workforce so that every Singaporean can participate in a knowledge economy, and live a better life in the 21st century. Mr Speaker, Sir, I support the motion in the name of the Minister for Finance.”
“I read with amusement a report that people in high position in Hong Kong think that we have been able to cut wages in Singapore because our unions are under the control of the Government. Our unions do not dance to the tune of the Government or management. We play an active part in identifying problems, and in suggesting solutions. We face daunting challenges. Our economy has been affected by the regional crisis. Close to 30,000 workers were retrenched in 1998. How many more will be laid off this year? Workers are concerned about job security. So our labour movement has initiated training programmes. And we are encouraged by workers' response to training and retraining. We are working with Government and management to find jobs for those who are retrenched. We know that some workers would have problems in paying for their children's textbooks and uniforms. So we provide education grants to them. Our cooperatives also help by lowering cost of basic items. Other traders followed suit. We also got the bus companies and the MRT to lower costs. Our aim is to get workers to acquire skills so that they can remain employable for life. Our workers must have the ability to operate in a knowledge economy. Of course, IT is what will drive the knowledge economy. We must find imaginative ways to tell our workers what a knowledge economy is all about. We need to make them feel comfortable. Not everyone can become computer literate. But this does not mean that they cannot access knowledge through computers. There are computer screens that operate on the touch system. There is no need to key in the secret codes. People not familiar with the computer system should go to the URA Gallery. As you walk across the room, a big cinema screen comes alive. There is no need to touch anything.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, recently I represented the NTUC at a conference of trade unions in Seoul. What struck me was the passion in which many fellow unionists in South Korea called for a move to bring the labour movement into the mainstream of activity. Obviously, they are very unhappy with the present lot. It is the Government and the major employer groups that are calling the shots. All the unions could do now is to react. They expressed their frustration by calling for massive demonstrations and even strikes. What the Korean trade unionists want is to influence events, and not just to respond to decisions already taken. As the hall reverberated with slogans, I counted myself as fortunate that we have a system in Singapore where trade unions are a partner with Government and management in nation-building. How did we get to where we are today? It was because of a critical decision taken by political and trade union leaders in the 1960s. SM Lee Kuan Yew was then Prime Minister. The labour movement was headed by Mr C V Devan Nair. At that time, our labour movement was already linked in a symbiotic relationship with the PAP. But SM Lee felt that it was not enough that unions worked in harmony with Government. He wanted to see unions develop equally close relations with management. Singapore's separation from Malaysia and the British withdrawal were events that made our union leaders sit up and realise that the old-fashioned confrontationist policies would be suicidal. And so the groundwork was laid for the kind of industrial harmony we enjoy today. The trouble is that our style of industrial relations is often seen totally in a different light in some other countries.”
“The crux of the problem is to create employment, and keep people employable. So I support the Bill on the extension of the retirement age.”
“From what I gather, some employers are reluctant to train their older workers because they perceive that these workers are either too old to learn or not cost-effective to be trained because they are due for retirement soon. This perception is wrong. Speaking from my experience, older workers are every bit as keen to learn as their younger counterparts. They take pride in their work and are prepared to upgrade their skills so that they can continue to remain an asset not only to the company but also contribute to its growth. Older workers are also less likely to job-hop so it does make economic sense for employers to continue to provide them with the necessary training. On the whole, I am glad that the Government has taken a long-term perspective on the issue of raising the retirement age and has proceeded to raise the retirement age despite the economic downturn. I am positive that we have moved in the right direction and this policy will benefit not only our workers, but also our employers and the economy in the long run. Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe that we have moved in the right direction by raising retirement age, even though in Germany, the new government is considering reducing it from 65 to 60. What would be the effect if we lower our retirement age? If we do so, we will merely be shifting employment from the old to the young. There is no additional employment created. What would the `young retirees' do? How would they live? In the case of Germany, the unions expect the state to pay pensions. If not, the `young retirees' would have to fend for themselves. Surely, this is not the way we should go. People need money to live on. Extending retirement age has helped the more senior amongst us to be independent.”
“But, nevertheless, there is concern among some employees that employers might abuse the right to initiate a wage cut. They fear that employers might insist on introducing a wage cut even where the older workers' job worth and performance could justify their salary. It is reassuring earlier on that the Minister has in his speech highlighted the Tripartite Committee's call for employers to be judicious in implementing the wage cut. I certainly hope that employers could heed the Tripartite Committee's call and carefully consider various factors such as the companies' minimum-maximum ratio and the employees' skills, experience and job responsibilities before deciding on wage cut. It is also heartening to note that the proposed Bill requires that the older employees be given reasonable prior notice on the intended wage cut, and also the opportunity to consider and respond to the proposed cut. I would urge both employers and employees to be open-minded and accommodating in their discussion of the wage cut and be prepared to listen to each other's views. If there is any disagreement on the wage cut, both parties should adopt a flexible attitude and strive to come to a compromise. I hope that the proposed section 4A(4) of the Bill would only be used as a last resort and employers would as far as possible avoid exercising the right to retire their employees under this section. Next, I would like to touch on the issue of training. With the extension of the retirement age, older workers are expected to remain longer in the workforce. It is therefore important that they should continue to be given the necessary training to enable them to remain relevant on the job. Training would be especially essential in situations where the older workers are deployed to other jobs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, today, we face economic difficulties. The number of retrenchments has risen beyond 20,000, more than double the figure for the whole of last year. The unemployment rate has shot up to 4.5% in September, more than double what it was in July. So when the number of jobless rises, we can expect some people to call for a lowering of the retirement age. Yet, we are today meeting to raise our retirement age from 60 to 62, from 1st January 1999, as scheduled. Why are we doing this? The Minister has cited some statistics to show the very rapid rate which our population and workforce are ageing. Faced with this trend, I share the Minister's view that there is an urgent need to raise the retirement age. With rising life expectancy, we should allow our older workers to remain longer in the workforce. This would enable them to continue to contribute to the economy and remain financially independent. The Minister has provided convincing arguments on the need to cut the wages of older workers by up to 10%. This issue has been thoroughly discussed and agreed at the Tripartite Committee on the Extension of the Retirement Age. Unions and employees are aware of the rationale behind the cut and agreed it is justifiable under the seniority-based wage system. But from what I know, most older employees are prepared to accept a wage cut in return for the opportunity to continue working beyond the age of 60. They find this a reasonable trade-off in return for the opportunity to earn a steady income for another two years. In any case, most of them would have discharged the bulk of their financial obligations. They can also tap on their CPF savings to meet their expenses.”
“We can and we will emerge from the crisis stronger and more resilient. In conclusion, in the past, in good times when NWC announced the guidelines, food prices, especially cooked food, coffee prices and transport charges went up. I hope today in this difficult situation, when NWC has already announced a wage cost reduction, the hawkers, the coffeeshop owners and the bus operators are sympathetic enough to reduce their prices. ADJOURNMENT OF DEBATE Resolved, "That the Debate be now adjourned." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng].”
“So even if 20,000 or 30,000 Singaporeans lose their jobs, we should not have any problems finding jobs for them. No, we are not asking for every retrenched Singaporean we should get a foreigner to make way for a Singaporean. This is not the way things work and this is not the way we do it. Foreign workers are here because we need them. Just because we run into a serious economic crisis does not mean that we have to send them back just like that. The point I am making is that there are jobs for those who are retrenched and they can apply for them. But these may not be the kind of job that they want. That is why our retrenched workers should reconsider the options. Is it the pay that is a deterrent? Is it the distance from home? Is it the conditions of work? Whatever it is, we must solve this problem, otherwise we will be stuck with structural unemployment. Of course, employers can help by not turning people down for work simply on account of age. Allow me to raise the case of a man. He is 52 years old and who used to work as a storekeeper in a fashion house. He was retrenched. He applied for many jobs but was turned down. He thinks it was because of his age. Even when he applied for a job in a Government Ministry, the first question he was asked was to state his age. The man could not understand why his age was so critical when he was applying for the post of an office attendant. By the way, the man remains jobless, worried sick and he has to support his family. We are no longer an economy with full employment. The unemployment rate has risen to 4.5% in September, but I am confident that we can have what it takes to overcome our present difficulties. Tripartism in Singapore is not a slogan. It is a reality. So there is no need for us to be despondent.”
“To their credit, some managements have gone all the way out to work with unions to help these workers marked for retrenchment. They give us advance notice so that we can do two things: to arrange for training of these workers and find alternative jobs for them. Other companies have also been just as helpful. They take these retrenched workers on board, send them for training under the Skills Redevelopment Programme and give them every encouragement to do well, sometimes entirely in the new work environment. Without such caring employers, our workers would have to face even more trying times. But this is not to say that all managements are reasonable. Some have behaved disgracefully and treated workers with little or no compassion. But by and large, our managements are an enlightened lot. Let me now address the problems faced by retrenched workers. Those with families to look after and housing loans to service are the ones who need to get jobs quickly. But what kind of jobs are available in the market? Sometimes these retrenched workers, especially the older ones, face particular difficulties. It is not because they want to pick and choose. Please let me explain. A factory operator may have a low education. But if he is laid off, can he find another similar post? In the past, yes. Today, it is not that easy. His low education, his low level of skills, his age - these all become barriers. Of course, we can tell him to go for training to acquire new skills but this is easier said than done. If he cannot upgrade his skills, does it mean that he will face structural unemployment? The answer is yes, unless he can change his mindset and accept any job open to him. Again, this is easier said than done. Yes, we have 600,000 foreign workers in our midst.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, today we meet under difficult circumstances. Our economy is technically in recession. Many of my fellow workers have been retrenched. More will lose their jobs, not because they are incompetent or because the companies are badly run. It is because we are victims of the regional economic crisis. But we will fight to regain our competitiveness. That is why we have accepted an overall wage reduction. We in the labour movement fully support the measures recommended by the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness. The CSC has not only proposed wage cuts, but it has charted a more durable future for Singapore. It is a future where the fortunes of one sector of the economy will not have too great an impact on the development of our economy as a whole. Yes, diversification is the in-thing. Over the years, our unions have secured better wages and more fringe benefits for our members. Despite this, we have been able to attract more foreign investments. Why? Because we have shown to be capable and productive workers. Regrettably, the currency of our neighbours depreciated to a larger extent than ours in relation to the US dollar. This has eroded our competitiveness. As an employee in the electronics industry, I can sense the sharp downturn. It is difficult to have to tell workers, "Sorry, you have to go on shorter work week or you have to stay away from work for a while." This means not only the disappearance of overtime, but also a pay cut in basic salary. It is even more heart-rending when you have to tell the workers, "Very sorry, you are retrenched." Many of those retrenched workers have given the best years of their lives to the company. I must acknowledge here that it is equally painful for management to part with loyal and hardworking employees.”
“For example, members of a union worked overtime during the weekends to help an MNC meet an urgent order, thus paving the way for more new orders. Realising that its workers need to have their skills upgraded, the company signed up for the Skills Redevelopment Programme, a scheme initiated by the NTUC with support from Government and employers. With certificates that the workers will get at the end of the course, they can look forward to lifelong employability. Armed with such certificates, they can get jobs much easier should they be retrenched. In another case, union and management are working together to retrain workers, re-engineer the production process and inculcate a new mindset so that the company could realise its Vision of Excellence 2000 in quality, productivity and innovation. Sir, in difficult times, unions and workers are willing to make sacrifices and moderate expectations. When the economy recovers, I am confident that employers will reward workers for their commitments and sacrifices.”
“Employers need to accept that with the right to employ staff goes the responsibility to deal with them collectively if that is their staff's wish. Employees and their unions know that with the right to negotiate goes the responsibility to work for the good of the enterprise in partnership.' In New Zealand and Australia too, there have been changes in dealings between unions and management. For quite some time, American unions have, under extenuating circumstances, accepted wage cuts so as to preserve jobs. If the developed countries get their tripartite act together, they could siphon off a huge chunk of investments now heading for countries like ours. We must do everything possible to maintain industrial harmony. One good way is for unionists and management personnel to attend the same courses, as they do at the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies. Then each will be able to better appreciate the problems faced by the other. Perhaps, it is time we allowed management personnel from the non-unionised sector to join in such courses so that they can better understand what trade unionism is all about in Singapore. The state of industrial relations will be severely tested during an economic downturn. While retrenchment is management's prerogative, I would like to repeat a call made by Mr Lim Boon Heng, NTUC's Secretary-General. Mr Lim said that employers should not cut back on training during an economic downturn. Instead, we should not stop training and upgrading so as to strengthen our competitiveness. Then we will be in a position to benefit when there is an upturn. Let me assure this House that our unions have been working with management to solve company problems, and make them more competitive.”
“Sir, we have come a long way from the days of industrial strife, of strikes and riots, of economic stagnation. Today, in a workplace dispute, our union leaders try to settle them through negotiation. But if there is a deadlock, the disputes would be referred to the Ministry of Labour for conciliation. And if no settlement is reached, they are sent to the Industrial Arbitration Court. I hope that when it is set up, the Ministry of Manpower will continue to play an active conciliatory role. With experienced conciliation officers, handling of disputes will be smoother. In my view, we need more experienced hands to serve as conciliation officers. Officers posted to the conciliation department need time to become familiar with labour laws and industrial relations practices. More importantly, they need to get to know industrial relations practitioners on both the management and the union sides. All this knowledge goes to waste if they are transferred out of the conciliation department too frequently. The present system of settling disputes was put in place by the older generation of PAP leaders who did not want to see the trade unions put in a disadvantageous position. This symbiosis between the PAP and the NTUC has since developed into a tripartite relationship among the Government, the unions and employers. Tripartism has helped Singapore to forge ahead. Let us not be complacent simply because we have a tripartite relationship that works. Other countries are also moving in this direction. In the 17th February 1998 issue of the Financial Times, Mr John Monks, General Secretary of British Trades Union Congress said, and I quote: `In the 1970s and 1980s, everyone talked just about rights. Now we know that with rights go responsibilities.”
“It is now up to the third party of the Tripartite Committee to do its part. Lastly, the Government has Edusave for those in schools. Sir, may I propose that in the long term, Government should have "Skillsave", so that the future workers will not be caught in the same web of circumstances as the current workforce.”
“But with SRP, what can be guaranteed is life long employment. If no significant effort and funding is provided for the retraining and skills upgrading of these workers, what we may face is the very difficult problem of structural unemployment. This upgrading will in time increase the productivity of these workers who will bring back the increases and other relevant skills back to the respective companies. Thus, unions do have a part in adding value to these companies. This new partnership direction gives an added new dimension to the labour-management relation that is developing in Singapore. MTI's increased spending will create jobs. But if we do not train these workers now, when these higher-paying jobs become available, our workers will not have the necessary skills and qualifications available to take them up. If no significant effort and funding is provided to the training and upgrading of these workers, there will be a mismatch between these new jobs and the current workforce. SRP has the ability to confer skills certification upon completion of its programmes. This was made possible through the development of the national skills certification and recognition in Singapore. It is also progressive, because as existing industries continue to innovate and new industries develop, new skills upgrading syllabus can be produced and the new skills can be certified to meet the needs of the industries. I see skills upgrading of our workforce as critical. It is necessary because of the 5,000 workers currently in the SRP, 71% have Secondary Two qualification and 50% of them are 40 years old. If their skills are not upgraded, they will find themselves left behind. Employers have done their part, so have the unions and workers.”
“Sir, the spending of the Ministry of Trade and Industry for its economic development programme is reported to be 1.8% of GDP for this year. I am also happy to note that, as reported in this House, a total of 76 companies participated in the Skills Redevelopment Programme (SRP) initiated and launched by the NTUC. These 76 companies, together with NTUC, EDB, ITE and polytechnics have committed to retrain and upgrade the skills of over 5,000 workers. An estimated $20 million is needed to complete the training of these 5,000 workers. In the next phase, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 workers will be targeted to participate in the SRP. To train such a large number of workers is no small task. But I think the commitment of the various organisations, as well as the participants, is not to be doubted. But what is lacking, however, is the funding required to carry out this skills upgrading programme. With the next phase of participants targeted at 20,000, the SRP will require at least $80 million to successfully carry out all its intended programmes. Of the total number of retrenchment exercises carried out in the electronics industry in the last fiscal year, more than 60% were carried out in the last three months. The prospects for these workers in finding alternative employment are tough as more companies are restructuring and downsizing. Without a proper education and nation-wide recognition of their skills and experience they have acquired over the last years in the previous company, it is unlikely they are able to gain alternative employment. Moreover, if they are able to find alternative employment, even in the best situation, who is to say that they will not be retrenched two to three years down the road? No one can guarantee life employment.”
“Mr Gerard Ee asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether, in granting licences for amusement arcades, he will ban games which promote violence and reckless road usage in view of the large number of juveniles frequenting such places.”
“So we welcome the proposed formation of a tripartite force that will help retrenched workers get alternative employment as soon as possible. I hope employers will also heed Mr Lim Boon Heng's call on training. Mr Lim told the employers that they should not cut back on training just because they face a period of uncertainty. I also hope that employers will see money spent on training as an investment for their well-being. Because we have tripartism in place, we have the mechanism to deal with the problems confronting us today, we need to face them in the same way as we did in the past. Now is the time for all parties to reaffirm their commitment to tripartism. Our job as a labour movement is to safeguard workers' interest. We know we can do this job well if we can work only in tandem with the Government and employers. So I hope the House will support my motion. We have seen how tripartism helps us in all fields. What we are asking the House to do is to recognise tripartism as a key competitive advantage of Singapore. It will be a vote of confidence for a better Singapore in the 21st century. Resolved, That this House recognises tripartism as a key competitive advantage of Singapore, and calls on Government, employers and unions to further strengthen tripartite partnership in Singapore so as to enhance Singapore's competitiveness as we face new and greater economic and social challenges in the 21st century. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Adjourned accordingly at Twelve Minutes past Six o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER NOT ANSWERED BY 1.30 PM VIDEO GAMES WHICH PROMOTE VIOLENCE AND RECKLESS ROAD USAGE 10.”
“Because we have this symbiotic relation, we have been able to forge a tripartite relationship with the Government, employers and unions working together to make Singapore a better place. As Dr Lee Boon Yang, the Labour Minister, says, "For tripartism to work effectively, we must have a strong labour movement." This means a strong NTUC receiving full support from workers, employers and Government. A strong labour movement is one of the five pillars of NTUC 21, our blueprint for the 21st century. Without a strong labour movement, we cannot achieve the other four objectives, which are to enhance workers' employability for life, to help make companies more competitive, to build a healthy body and a healthy mind, and to care more and share more. A strong NTUC needs constant infusion of leaders from the rank and file as well as from other sources, a point made by Mr Lim Boon Heng, Secretary-General of NTUC. For tripartism to succeed, there must also be strong government and strong employers as well. As a trade unionist, I know what it means to deal with strong as well as weak management. With a strong management, you strike a deal and that is it. With a weak management, you can never come to a satisfactory arrangement. Likewise, if union leaders are not strong and cohesive, then we cannot serve our workers' needs. If we bicker for power, we will not have time to plan for the future. Then we can forget scenario planning. Dr Lee has mentioned many projects of the labour movement that have received strong support from the Government. I am sure my fellow unionists would want me to thank the PAP Government for this strong support. We face a difficult year ahead because of the regional financial crisis. There will be more retrenchments.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank all the Members who have spoken in support of the motion. Please let me state again clearly. Mr Lim Boon Heng was elected as the Secretary-General of the NTUC by the grassroots leaders, ie, by myself and others. Also, he has been appointed as the Minister because he was elected as a Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister finds him fit to be a Minister. MPs who are advisors to unions, to put it bluntly, have a tough job. Sometimes, when they have dialogues with our union leaders and members, they were scolded for explaining unpopular policies. And our leaders are very blunt because some of them from the ground can be very rough. But they are doing a good job and I think we should thank them for continuing to do a good job. This is because of the PAP and the NTUC symbiotic relationship. Nowhere in the world have unions taken the initiative to visit developed countries to study unemployment problems. It is because 40% of our workforce today are 40 years and above with low education and they have contributed significantly to the economy for the past years. It would be a waste if they are caught in structural unemployment. That is why Mr Lim Swee Say said that we need action now and it is very serious because we know the problems of structural unemployment. The NTUC-PAP symbiotic relationship has been an important factor in Singapore's progress. With the support of the trade unions, the PAP Government has been able to create conditions for wealth creation. This has benefited employers and workers. The Government has helped workers in many other ways, ie, through home ownership schemes, savings in the CPF, good medical and social programmes. As a result, workers have seen their assets enhanced.”
“We will strengthen methods which have worked to our advantage and discard old mindsets and methods which are no longer relevant. The tripartite framework has served us well. Our objective as trade unions is to safeguard the interests of workers. We can do so effectively only if companies become more productive and competitive. Government must continue to provide good infrastructure, transparent regulations and stable conditions to attract investors. Then workers can continue to have good jobs and look forward to fair wage increases. This is the basis of our tripartite relationship. Singapore has succeeded so far because Government, employers and workers have worked together. Where there is industrial harmony, there is social and economic development; where there is constant strife, it is difficult for businessmen, local or foreign, to make long-term plans. A strong tripartite relationship is not just critical in maintaining this industrial harmony. It is also a key competitive advantage to help us become a developed economy early in the 21st century. Question proposed.”
“For example, the PAP Government has helped workers to enjoy similar leisure facilities as their employers, management and professionals. Union members, in turn, have supported the PAP in implementing its programmes." To underline this symbiosis, he has asked the PAP and the NTUC to jointly organise a seminar to discuss the impact of the regional currency and economic turmoil. During our scenario planning sessions, we did consider various joint efforts by the NTUC and the PAP. The symbiotic ties will be maintained, only if the young in both the unions and the PAP forge a close understanding. The young have not had the kind of shared experiences the older generation had - in working together to overcome crisis. We have a difficult year ahead of us. It would be useful for the trade unionists and PAP activists to work together to overcome problems. The PAP-NTUC symbiosis has led to Singapore making good progress. This symbiosis is based on trust, on mutual benefit. Membership of the two organisations will remain and depend on personal choice, as it has been all along. There is no law that says that the NTUC and the PAP must work together. For example, if the Government were to ignore workers' interests, there will be calls from the labour movement to review the relationship with the Party. Also, if unions act irrationally, there is no reason for Government to offer a helping hand. So we must continue to nurture the PAP-NTUC symbiosis, and not take chances with it. Without this symbiosis, it is not possible for us to operate the tripartite system. Towards Stronger Tripartite Links Sir, to meet the challenges ahead, we have to review our current approaches.”
“So workers can look forward to even more systematic training programmes. Last year, I was in an NTUC team that made a study tour of three highly developed countries - Switzerland, France and Germany. What did we find? We found a high level of unemployment: 5.3% in Switzerland, 12.6% in France, and 11.1% in Germany. Seven out of 10 unemployed in these three countries will remain unemployed or without a job for a long, long time. They are caught in structural unemployment. They do not have skills to take on high-paying jobs that are being created. Can we upgrade our workers' skills fast enough to avoid structural unemployment? Another critical uncertainty: Can we continue to attract quality investments? Practically all countries in the world are now pursuing the market economy, with slight variations. And many have two factors which potential investors find attractive: a large domestic market and an abundant natural resources. We do not have such advantages. Business and wage costs are also higher in Singapore. Of course, we have many plus points in Singapore going for us. We have political stability and industrial harmony. Our workers are more skilful than those in developing countries. But these countries are improving their capability. We are also competing with developing countries for quality investments. Can we continue to get such investments? Our third concern is whether NTUC's symbiotic ties with the PAP will remain strong. PM Goh touched on the symbiotic ties when he addressed the PAP Convention. He said, and I quote: "We should strengthen our symbiotic relationship with the NTUC and the unions. Union members and workers have benefited from the policies and the attitude of the PAP towards them.”
“How can we help them? Some workers may remain unemployed, not because there are no jobs, but because they do not have the skills for these jobs. This is what we call structural unemployment. We need to improve our workers' skills. But this is something that unions cannot do on their own. It requires the combined efforts of government, employers and unions. Our third concern is how to cope with foreign labour. We have had foreign workers for many years. So far, they are found only in certain industries, and at certain levels. But, in his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong spoke of the need to bring in more foreign talents to supplement our limited local talent pool. We in the labour movement support this move, as long as Government and employers work with us to retrain and upgrade our workers. We will make these foreign talents feel at home in Singapore. If the better ones want to stay and make Singapore their home, so much the better. Critical uncertainties Sir, we face critical uncertainties which can affect our future development. Firstly, will our workers stay employable? In 1996, NTUC launched the Skills Redevelopment Programme (SRP) to help our workers upgrade their skill levels. We are encouraged by the response of our workers and are grateful for the support given by Government and some employers. We must do more. We need to make SRP a national programme. It is not enough to run such programmes only for the unionised sector. Government must be prepared to invest more in worker training. So, too, employers. Workers must accept lifelong learning. At the PAP Convention on 11th January, Prime Minister Goh said he thought it was a good idea to have a new ministry that could focus on manpower development.”
“In many parts of the world, where trade unions operate in traditional ways, membership has declined sharply. Companies, too, have to cope with rapid changes. They have to become more productive, innovative and nimble. If we as trade unions hamper their efforts to restructure, to become competitive, then they will resent our presence. But if we can work with them to move ahead of competition, they will accept us as partners. Indeed, there are some employers who have openly described unions as useful partners. Our unions have helped make Singapore a better place to live in and do business. Because we prefer negotiations to strikes, our streets are no longer battlegrounds. Indeed, each year brings in more investments - to create more, and better-paying jobs. Our cooperatives help moderate the cost of living. Our NTUC Club has several outlets. We have resorts and country clubs. So workers can now spend their leisure in style, and at prices well within their reach. We must continue to help workers stretch their hard-earned dollars, where it matters most. Our second key concern is whether workers can stay employable through their working lives. Some 40% of our workers have low education, only up to lower secondary. They are older, many above 40 years. They do low-skilled jobs which create low value. It is hard for them to upgrade. But Singapore is restructuring. It is becoming a knowledge-based economy. So the low-skilled jobs will go. Yes, EDB has been working very hard. It brings in new investments. But the new factories require workers with high skills. Look at the wafer fab, petrochemicals, and the pharmaceuticals. They need workers with at least `A' levels. So when workers are retrenched from low-skilled jobs, can they find work in wafer fabs? If not, what can they do?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That this House recognises tripartism as a key competitive advantage of Singapore, and calls on Government, employers and unions to further strengthen tripartite partnership in Singapore so as to enhance Singapore's competitiveness as we face new and greater economic and social challenges in the 21st century. Trade unions affiliated to the NTUC have always looked after the interests of the workers. We make sure we know what the workers want and what they are worried about. As our economy is closely linked to the world economy, we have to pay close attention to outside forces. We must anticipate changes and not be overtaken by events. Two months ago, the NTUC used scenario planning tools to plan for the next few years. We have identified a number of key concerns. I will share with this House today our top three concerns, and how we propose to deal with them. Key concerns Sir, our first key concern is how to make our trade unions more useful to our members, to companies and to society. To stay relevant, we must have programmes that workers find interesting and of practical value. We must mobilise workers to make their companies more competitive. We must always consider national interests before taking any action. In other words, we must add value - to workers, to companies and to society. Our workers are better-educated and many have travelled quite a bit. They are more sophisticated, more discerning, and even more demanding. And they have different needs which we must cater to. We must find new ways to recruit members, and deal with workplace problems. That is why we must respond well to the changes. That is why our membership has been going up.”