K Karthikeyan
Singapore
“These companies considered the abundance of workers in these countries, Page: 41 amongst other factors, such as political stability. With the ongoing restructuring and retrenchments, we need to reskill our workers so that we can keep pace with restructuring and displaced workers can be gainfully employed.”
“(In English): Mdm Speaker, in summary, all four ladders – skills, career, productivity and wages – are integral and equally important components of the PWM and they must go hand in hand to ensure sustainable wage increases.”
“I had a recent case with my union member who went to a hospital to do a stomach operation. There is a range of painkillers. The nurse Page: 11 gave him Panadol. He said, "I just did a stomach operation.”
“For this reason, I urge the Government to continue to explore expansion of areas in which rank-and-file unions can represent executive employees and to consider ways to strengthen the capacity of responsible unions in engaging employers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill. 5.20 pm”
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Every one of 26 lines we hold for K Karthikeyan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account.
“These are impediments which can prevent workers from asserting sufficient control of their work environments in order to promote efficient work habits that can improve their productivity. In addition, the problem of challenging working environments with safety issues and bad practices actually extends beyond work sites. As an example, consider retail sector workers, such as sales assistants and department stores who perform heavy lifting. This is a natural part of the job and I agree it would be unreasonable to make the distinction which disallows sales assistants from performing such roles. But the concern comes when sales assistants without suitable equipment and body harnesses or support perform such work regularly. In addition to being a demotivating factor, inappropriate lifting that does not conform to guidelines set out in the Singapore Standards – specifically the Code of Practice for Manual Handling published by SPRING – may pose safety risks. In order to address such safety concerns, it is important for Ministry's workpIace safety programmes to be adequately resourced. In this regard, I would like to ask for an assurance that the reduction of 26.9% in the Budget for Manpower Development under the Progressive Workplaces Programme will not Page: 116 have an impact on its capacity to pursue continued improvements in the workplace issues highlighted.”
“As such, what can MOM do to help these workers tide over their recovery period and stay in the workforce? Singapore is known for implementing what we say we will do, Page: 115 therefore, we should be a shining example for workplace safety and health in the world. Safety at Workplaces Assoc Prof Randolph Tan: Mdm Chair, the difficulty in attracting locals to fill certain positions is a point often raised by employers in the current labour crunch. Locals are often seen as being too ready to avoid uncomfortable work. However, the real problem could be safety. It is worthwhile looking to see if there is a potential correlation between lack of safety at workplaces and the availability of Singapore residents as workers. The shortage of resident workers is evident not just at construction sites, but also in other workplaces where physical exertion is routine. Safe workplaces hold the promise of a career, so this goes to the core of our manpower issues. Hence, on-the-job training should emphasise safety and care for oneself as well as one's colleagues as priorities. I commend the Ministry for already taking a very proactive approach to this issue. My aim in proposing this amendment is to push for more resources to be invested into dealing with it. I would like to recognise the importance of the good work that Ministry officials do in visiting and performing checks at work sites. A lot of difficult work at ground level is necessary, and the Ministry's efforts show that good policies must go hand-in-hand with stringent monitoring in order to root out frequent violators. Poor safety could be symptomatic of wider problems with work practices.”
“Mdm Chair, every worker's dream is to come back home to their loved ones as how they left for work. I strongly believe that most workplace accidents can be prevented if prompt actions were taken. A strong safety culture is necessary. Many companies place safety as an important priority, but in reality, it is not at the top of the to-do list in many companies. Under the Demerit Points System, MOM could intervene by restricting companies' access to foreign manpower if they have poor safety records. MOM previously announced that the Demerit Points System will be reviewed to deter at-risk behaviours by contractors. Will MOM enhance the system to identify errant contractors earlier for timely intervention? Secondly, safety incidents in major hazard installations could potentially cause severe damage to properties and lives. There were some incidents of chemical leak in Jurong Island and if not handled properly can cause a domino effect. I also vividly recall that a fire broke out at Shell Bukom a few years ago. I remember that I remained stuck in traffic for three hours on Jurong Island as one of the companies had a gas leak. This was because there were only one entrance and exit to Jurong Island. That prompted JTC to look at another entrance and exit. What were the lessons learnt and what has the Government done on the safety front to manage these installations? 5.00 pm Lastly and most importantly, the livelihood of workers. The workers can be affected after sustaining an injury at work. For some workers, they are unable to carry out their work duties after the injury and face losing their jobs. The anxiety of losing their jobs coupled with the physical stress of recovery can be overwhelming.”
“These companies considered the abundance of workers in these countries, Page: 41 amongst other factors, such as political stability. With the ongoing restructuring and retrenchments, we need to reskill our workers so that we can keep pace with restructuring and displaced workers can be gainfully employed. The Productivity & Innovation Credit (PIC) extended till the year of assessment 2018 will support the companies to improve productivity. I urge all companies to take advantage of this. If companies are not more forthcoming to identify gaps, redesign work and review work processes, then we are not very hopeful that we can have any quantum leap improvement in productivity. Ultimately, wages are linked to productivity. So, this is important to us, the Labour Movement. Will MOM monitor the initiatives implemented by companies before approving the quota of foreign workers in their organisations? Linking Skills and Education with Industry Needs”
“To ensure that our workers can continue to receive wage increases, productivity must improve and more needs to be done in this area. As I said in my speech in the Budget Debate, the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) is a known way of improving wages and productivity in the Oil, Petrochemical, Energy and Chemicals (OPEC) cluster of unions and many others. It is a more sustainable approach to achieving long-term wage growth. Will MOM monitor the situation and license the PWM to more industries? If the situation does not improve after a certain time, can MOM form a sectoral tripartite workgroup to spearhead PWM with SkillsFuture and sectoral and manpower planning? Skilling and Reskilling for Workers On my second cut, I used to frequent a retail outlet near my office. There, one cashier will tap the total amount of my purchases, another one will put the goods into the bag and four others are standing around and talking. I do not think the workers want to complain as they will be out of a job. Companies do not want to introduce any technologies as workers are cheap and many are foreign workers, too, and the replacement cost of technology is expensive. Companies can take advantage of programmes like Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) and many others, but will they? If you look at the manufacturing sector, there is also a risk of job loss and we need to urgently reskill our workers. Workers in the manufacturing sector are at risk of losing their jobs because the sector is gradually hollowing out. Last year, eight manufacturing companies within the unionised sector shifted out of Singapore to Thailand, Malaysia and China, due to rising costs, weak business and ongoing restructuring.”
“Mdm Chair, I am reflecting the voice of the workers. If you ask anyone whether their pay or wage is high, the answer is a firm no. Therefore, what are the key things that are worrying? We live in Singapore with only CPF savings and no personal savings. We need at least a disposable income of $900 a month. Statistics in MOM show that many Singaporeans are earning below $1,000 a month in basic wages. I am concerned with wage and bonus growth with the slowdown of Singapore's economic growth, especially for low-wage workers. Mdm Chair, within the unionised sector, wages and bonuses shrank last year to three months' bonus and 4.1% wage increase versus 3.16 months' bonus and 4.63% wage increase in 2013. The recent MOM Employment Situation Report 2014 also shows that median income growth has moderated, that is, median gross monthly income increased from $3,250 in 2013 to $3,276 in 2014, an increase of 0.8%, as compared to an average of 4.8% from 2009 to Page: 40 2012. This is excluding CPF. I laud the Deputy Prime Minister for the extension of the Wage Credit Scheme for another two years and all companies should take this opportunity to improve the wage situation of their workers. In the 2011 Budget Statement, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman stated that real wages would grow by 30% in 10 years' time and, to achieve this, every company should innovate and improve their productivity. This wage growth should go to the low- to middle-income workers. Many of our workers are concerned that wages might stagnate or even deteriorate if nothing is done. With the Government's support in this Budget for labour cost and CPF changes through Enhanced Temporary Employment Credit, organisations can tap on it to improve our wage situation.”
“(In English): Mdm Speaker, in summary, all four ladders – skills, career, productivity and wages – are integral and equally important components of the PWM and they must go hand in hand to ensure sustainable wage increases. If wages go up without any rise in productivity, there will be an erosion of business competitiveness and a loss of jobs if the business downsizes itself. It is not a sustainable solution either for businesses to maintain competitiveness and profits by keeping wages Page: 41 down. To uplift the broad-based business growth of companies and to help Singaporeans develop their careers across our economy, we need new forms of industry collaboration. With Budget 2015, I hope that all tripartite partners, companies and economic agencies can work together for the benefit of all. I borrow my fellow Nominated Member of Parliament Chia Yong Yong's guideline: if we lean too much to the right tool, then we are not doing the right thing. So, I applaud the Deputy Prime Minister for his balanced Budget. Madam, I support the Budget. 1.34 pm”
“The ongoing productivity culture, such as RFID – readings of equipment captured in pass card automatically, also for safety reasons; or the redesigning of pump reading, lowering down meter, so that the worker need not climb up the ladder to see the reading and time-saving and age-friendly measures were also put in, also resulted in a significant increase of production over the last decade. Mdm Speaker, allow me to say a few words in Tamil. (In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mdm Speaker, there are some Indians in Singapore who hold high positions. Nevertheless, there are many who find it difficult to progress in their jobs. Rather than find reasons for that, they should upgrade their skills. They should make use of the SkillsFuture Credit announced by the Government in this Budget to their advantage. They should come forward to take several efforts to upgrade their skills. They should approach their companies and apply to have them sent for skills upgrading training. Such training will be of great help to them in future. We all remember hearing the Tamil movie song in the 1960s: "Learn a craft and you will certainly agree that there shall be no worries", which is important even today. In keeping with the Tamil proverb that "what we have learnt is but a handful and what we have not learnt is as wide as the world", we should come forward to continue learning regardless of our age. We should make use of the Government's assistance scheme and educate our children as far as possible. Do not put a halt to their studies because of a shortage of money. Approach the Government agencies for assistance.”
“However, we need companies to be more forthcoming in identifying gaps, redesigning work, reviewing work processes, innovating and developing new products and services. Only then can we be more hopeful that we can have quantum-leap improvements in productivity and sustained real wage increases. So, this is important and more needs to be done in this area. Mdm Speaker, I applaud the Government in coming up with incentives and grants to encourage and support companies as they transform and innovate. I hope that companies can tap on the various Budget 2015 initiatives, for example, new tax incentives, Capability Page: 40 Development Grant, Productivity and Innovation Credit, and do more to improve productivity through innovation, optimise available manpower and value every worker. Within the OPEC cluster, we have unionised companies like Infineum who has been increasing its effort on automation and the redesign of its work processes. The company also put in place an enhanced training and progression programme, which included modular courses and on-the-job training under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM). Technicians could be crossed-trained to upskill and move up the career pathways. A stable and reliable workforce, with average service of the technician pool at 15 years with the company and flawless performance in the company's operation translates to certainty in bottom line for the company.”
“The incentives include subsidising companies' training costs and providing new hires with training allowances during their traineeships for a period of up to the first 12 months of employment with functional skills and also gain a good overview of the company's operations. One such beneficiary is Ms Regina Tan, who joined Singapore Power after graduating with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering. She shared that under e2i's Place and Train initiative, "We had the chance to attend structured training comprising several WSQ programmes and on-the-job training. This allowed us to be well equipped before the start of the job." Mdm Speaker, while it has been quite successful in the OPEC cluster, I hope that the WSQ framework will be more inclusive, to cover more areas across industries and, hence, set standards within the different sectors. Such skills certification and progression ladders should be recognised by the industry as a whole and this requires industry collaboration. More can be done if all parties work together. It is important for us to continue to build upon a skills ladder, so that companies are supported by future-ready talent and capabilities, so that our workers are better trained, agile and adaptable to future requirements. Mdm Speaker, under the PWM model, we encourage companies to improve productivity so that workers can carry out their jobs more effectively and efficiently. We believe that companies which can reinvent themselves through technology solutions and innovation will be more prepared to deal with future challenges. And, more importantly, our workers will have sustained real wage increases.”
“Together, with e2i and WDA, the $13 million funding, aimed to benefit at least 1,000 technical professionals in the OPEC sectors to achieve higher wages progressively by 2015 by (a) attracting locals with skills upgrading to uphold the Singaporean Core; (b) strengthening training and development frameworks; and (c) enhancing career pathways from technical to engineering professions. To date, I am happy to note that more than 900 technical professionals have enjoyed better progression in the four areas of skills, productivity, career and wages. Mdm Speaker, this would not be possible without industry collaboration and close tripartite partnership with the companies and industry partners and funding support from the various economic agencies, such as e2i and WDA. Economic agencies like EDB also shared on the future skills set required in this industry. As a cluster, our unionised companies and economic agencies came together to put in place relevant WSQ trainings, for example, WSQ Apply Principles in Low Voltage Distribution Network and WSQ Detect and Locate Underground Power Cables or WSQ Higher Certificate Page: 39 in Process Technology. And traineeship programmes, such as Place-and-Train programmes, structured in-house training and learning on-the-job, in-job role-specific processes, tools and equipment, so as to deepen both technical and soft-skills. In addition, career-progression pathways are being mapped out to indicate the competencies and skills needed for workers to progress through successive stages of their careers.”
“Mdm Speaker, thank you very much for allowing me to join in this debate. I am happy that one of the key focuses for Budget 2015 is Page: 38 fostering deep skills and innovation. SkillsFuture which is aimed at giving opportunities to all citizens to develop themselves throughout life will promote the mastery of skills in every job, regardless of its holder's academic qualifications or grades. This has been what the Labour Movement had been working on with our unionised companies and tripartite partners since 2012, through the Progressive Wage Model (PWM). PWM is a framework consisting of a four-in-one model of skills upgrading, productivity improvements, wage progression and career advancement, without looking at academic qualifications alone but through skills certification and experience. Mdm Speaker, the introduction of the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn programme that matches Polytechnic and ITE graduates with employers for structured on-the-job training and mentorship leading to industry qualification, is a good scheme. It is also important for the Government to work with employers and industry partners on sectorial manpower plans – mapping out education, training and career progression based on projected skills needs. Back in 2012, the NTUC Oil Petrol Energy Chemical (OPEC) Cluster, set aside a $13 million funding for three years for training and skills upgrading, so as to grow the Singaporean Core. NTUC's OPEC Cluster comprises seven unions which take care of workers from Oil & Gas, Petroleum/Refineries, Energy/Power, Chemicals and Biomedical Science sectors. The cluster was formed to create synergies amongst the tripartite partners and to help efforts to push forth better jobs and progressively higher wages for our workers.”
“It is on that, Mdm Speaker, I support the Bill. 2.22 pm”
“Mdm Speaker, in any society, the medical need is the most important benefit that the Government can provide for its citizens. I must applaud the Ministry for putting forward this Bill. Nevertheless, I have two concerns. Firstly, Singaporeans fear that whenever subsidies are enhanced by our Government, an increase in costs follows on the beneficiary – in this case, hospitals. Ministries should monitor the increase in hospital charges in all restructured hospitals. All cost increases should be justified. Costs should only increase with new technologies introduced or it is really necessary. Secondly, the Bill has looked at all levels of society – the low-wage workers, the Pioneer Generation and those with financial difficulties. But there are few who may be doing well now and suddenly undergo retrenchment from company and meet many crises. Based on CPF records and others, it may be the middle income who require temporary needs or assistance. Medical social workers should look at his or her present status and try to assist him and should not use his household type or assets and possessions to judge his status. I know a manager who was retrenched and found out later that he had advanced stage cancer. Medical social workers could not assist him because he stays in a 5-room flat and owns a car. His wife tried desperately to immediately sell the car or the house to continue the payment of medical bills. But it was a bit too late. And he too could not collect his CPF because he was only in his 50s. I urge the Ministry to brief all medical social workers on this new MediShield Life. I am happy to note that the Committee has looked at all aspects. It provides better protection, has affordable premiums and makes sure no one in society is left out and it is for life.”
“I had a recent case with my union member who went to a hospital to do a stomach operation. There is a range of painkillers. The nurse Page: 11 gave him Panadol. He said, "I just did a stomach operation. Is there any way I can get an injection?" The doctor and the nurse were talking and he overheard the conversation: "C Class ward; Panadol is enough." This gave him a feeling that you would get subsidised treatment when you are in a C Class ward. Is there any way we can talk to the hospitals and see how they communicate and how they make things straight? That is my only concern.”
“For this reason, I urge the Government to continue to explore expansion of areas in which rank-and-file unions can represent executive employees and to consider ways to strengthen the capacity of responsible unions in engaging employers. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the Bill. 5.20 pm”
“Given the fact that the openness of the labour market has been an important contributor to our economic development, it would be important for the union movement to play an active and responsible role in preserving the delicate balance in hiring that is key to that openness. Beyond hiring disputes, there are other areas which concern executive employees that would ultimately impact the development of the local workforce. In general, I believe it is useful to see the Bill in a larger context. Sir, throughout the world, labour unions are transforming, moving beyond confrontation and seeking to re-position themselves to address contemporary issues such as international competition. With a broader scope of representation, unions can take the initiative to approach employers and explore concerns about issues, such as job matches and a workplace that is more conducive to productivity. In conclusion, I believe that the importance of the Amendment Bill is that it recognises that changes in the labour market should be supported by a more responsive framework in the laws governing labour union representation. Without the support of an up-to-date legal Page: 90 framework, workers will feel unrepresented and unions risk becoming irrelevant. In this day and age, most union leaders, especially in Singapore, understand that it is better to increase the value of workers to employers as a means of getting a better deal. They understand that calls for pay increases that are unsupported by improved performance could simply translate into lower employment.”
“I would like to know why the Bill makes such a limited expansion in the number of areas where rank-and-file unions are allowed to represent executive employees. There are other areas where allowing such representation would be useful. Just as re-employment is a growing area of concern for an economy with an ageing population and a limited indigenous labour force, fair competition for jobs is also important. At the moment, such matters come under TAFEP. I would argue that labour unions should be allowed to represent executive employees in hiring disputes. Labour unions are well-placed to move beyond the emotive aspects of such disputes and to engage constructively with employers to understand the situation from the employers' perspective. For a country which has been reliant on and benefiting from foreign manpower for as long as we can remember, this is not a trivial issue and adding a union perspective in dealing with hiring disputes will be an important addition. By availing union representation to executive employees in hiring disputes, local workers will be given deeper assurance of the protection they can depend on, while unions will gain a broader understanding of the true state of the level and type of competition local workers face and, hence, be equipped to conduct more effective advocacy on their behalf against actual hiring biases. Ultimately, beyond approaching the issue from an adversarial perspective, more can be done to deepen our understanding about the trade-off between labour market diversity and nurturing of local talent that enters into every employer's hiring consideration.”
“This is how I interpret the implications of the amendments in this Bill. Singapore's record of industrial harmony has been a key pillar of its success and is another debt we owe the Pioneer Generation who built this nation of ours. The harder that workers of our Pioneer Generation toiled, the more self-effacing they were and the quieter they remained about their achievements. In the next phase of our nation building, workers will continue to be a key factor. Hence, it is important for labour unions to remain as representative as possible in the face of changes in the profile of the labour force. Although increased union activity could increase costs for employers, such activity need not always be an impediment. As disruptive technologies pose a huge challenge to workers as well as their employers, responsible unions can instead drive change in the right direction. In order to nurture a resilient and sophisticated workforce in response, the union movement can play an important role through its membership base to effect change in areas, such as workforce upgrading as well as improvement in work processes. Apart from collective bargaining, this Bill expands rank-and-file union representation of individual executive employees to disputes in re-employment. This is an important new step, building on the labour market flexibility that resulted from the introduction of the Retirement and Re-employment Act of 2012. Sir, this Bill is an important demonstration of the continuing policy responsiveness of this Government in labour market matters. It sees to the changing needs of workers as a Page: 89 result of evolving conditions in our labour market. I have only one question about this Bill.”
“I have been particularly heartened by the Government's decision to take the hard choice of keeping to a consistent line on the gradual pace of increasing foreign manpower levies. I have no doubt that such a policy will stand us in good stead in the long run. Limiting the growth of foreign manpower has been a necessary if difficult move, but will not, by itself, be sufficient to produce the transformation of the labour force we need as rapidly as we would like. Sir, the transformation can be quickened by creating a more conducive climate for change as well as deepening the extent to which labour market participants can involve themselves in that change. Hence, apart from just focusing on foreign manpower limitations, the Government has also worked on other fronts, including encouraging increased labour force participation of older workers and women, promoting continuing education and training and emphasising Page: 88 the deepening of skills before the pursuit of qualifications. In 2012, in recognition of the ageing of our workforce, a new re-employment law was introduced. Sir, the current Bill before us takes account of the changing profile of the labour force and is another important policy response that will enable the Singapore workforce to meet its challenges in bridging that gap in transformation. Contrary to the view that we should reduce or slow down the curbs on foreign manpower, I believe what we should do is to accelerate the pace of the adjustments at all levels so that the ultimate objective of a more sustainable, productivity-enhancing model of labour force growth can be achieved sooner. Advancing the activism of labour unions in these areas of change can help to propel the labour force towards that goal faster.”
“With this new amendment, unions will be representing close to the past percentage. With the influx of professionals, managers and executives, the rank-and-file members will stand to benefit with their expertise. Page: 87 Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, to-date, many PMEs are not informed of the reason for their retrenchment, termination and dismissal. With these changes in the law, they will be covered for re-employment, in addition to the four areas in the past. This is most welcomed by the PMEs and the Labour Movement. (In English): As Singaporeans aspire to study further and start their working lives as PMEs, they will heave a sigh of relief that our laws will look after them in the most important aspect of their careers. They also know that they can seek help from a professional unionist when the need arises. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I commend the good efforts of the Ministry. Our challenge now is to work together as tripartite partners to change the mindset on the ground. I am encouraged that the public sector will lead by example. The rest of us should not wait. We can all play our part. Let us all change together. This amendment Bill portrays a strong tripartism which many nations are envious of. Sir, I support the Bill. 5.13 pm Assoc Prof Randolph Tan (Nominated Member): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to join this debate. Sir, since 2010, the Government has made tremendous efforts to rationalise the structure of the labour force to ensure that it is placed on a more sustainable footing. The move away from excessive reliance on foreign manpower has been at the centre of such efforts.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, in Tamil, please. (In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I thank the Deputy Speaker for the opportunity given to me to take part in this debate. I am glad and honoured to speak and share my thoughts on this important issue which is close to my heart and the hearts of my fellow unionists in the Labour Movement. Sir, every job has its own professionalism and not many colleges and universities teach about running a union and the closest is the Human Resource Management (HRM) course taught in UniSIM. Many rank-and-file union leaders have pursued their career in HRM and have even gone further to foreign universities to master this subject. Indeed, Sir, this job requires passion more than knowledge. With the changing demography in many parts of the world, developed and developing nations are seeing more executives and managers in their workforce. Singapore is not spared either. Our statistics shows there are more professionals, managers and executives in the workforce. When faced with a dilemma in a legal issue, people approach a lawyer. Similarly, when employees in whatever position they are in in the company want assistance on work-related issues, they also want a professional to handle their grievances. The union leadership covering the majority of the workforce will be relevant in solving issues and managers and executives can provide leadership to the Labour Movement. With this amendment to the IR Act, many stand to benefit from the coverage of the union and many are now deprived of that. To my knowledge, there are companies who provide benefits below the Employment Act for those beyond the coverage. Sir, unions were representing about 80% of the workforce in the past.”
“Let us all change together, make every job a better job, every worker a better worker, regardless of academic qualification, on our unending journey towards better jobs for all. Sir, I support the Motion. 5.48 pm”
“You would notice that we did not include academic qualification as one of our ladders in our PWM. Not because it is not important. Rather, I believe that academic qualification should be a means to an end, not the end and the objective. A person should be employed because he or she can do the current job and be promoted because he or she can do the next job well. It is not about qualification. It is about skill, competency, the pride and commitment to always give his or her best to the team and the organisation. Sir, looking ahead, we can and will do well if we are able to bring the best out of our workers, regardless of whether they are degree holders or non-degree holders. Sir, please allow me to speak a few lines in Tamil. (In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, companies should take efforts to develop their workers into skillful workers. Whether the workers Page: 91 possess a degree or a polytechnic diploma, companies should either provide training within their premises or send workers to appropriate places for training. Workers should not miss the opportunities given to them. They should always be prepared. The Government should take a lead in these efforts. On seeing the efforts of the Government, companies should move forward and follow it. In this regard, I hope that the Government will set an example. Now may I switch to English, please? (In English): Sir, I commend the good efforts of the ASPIRE Committee. Our challenge now is to work together as tripartite partners to change the mindset on the ground. I am encouraged that the public sector will lead by example. The rest of us should not wait. We all can play our part.”
“They may not have excelled in studies in the past but they made their contributions to the company and the company values their contributions. With greater public awareness and a shift in our mindset, I hope to see many more companies doing the same for many more Mr Hos and Mr Chans out there. Thirdly, what we have to do to effect the change on the ground? On skills upgrading, we should come up with more options for workers to upgrade. ITEs and polytechnics can offer more CET courses to help more workers to upgrade and update their skills. At the same time, we should also leverage on the capability and capacity of companies' inhouse training programmes, as well as those offered by industry-based training providers both locally and globally. We should bring the best training to Singapore through whatever channels that are appropriate. In short, as we improve and expand the role and effectiveness of ITEs and polytechnics in CET for the working adults, we should also improve and expand on the capacity and capability of CET in the industry. This is to make sure that the CET channel in itself does not end up being the bottleneck. On career development and advancement, we should strengthen the link between skills upgrading and job performance, career opportunities and wage improvement. No point upgrading the workers with new skills and then ask them to continue doing the same job in the same old way. As we help every worker to upgrade to be better, we should also improve his current job be more productive and help him move into a higher level job to enable him to earn a higher salary and have a brighter career prospect. In the Labour Movement, we call this the 4-in-1 ladder of Progressive Wage Model (PWM). The four ladders are: skills, productivity, job and wages.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to take part in this debate. This is my maiden speech in this House. I am glad and honoured to have this privilege to share my thoughts on this important issue which is very close to my heart and the hearts of my fellow unionists in the Labour Movement. Firstly, why do I support ASPIRE? As the General Secretary of the United Workers of Petroleum Industry, I see many ITE and polytechnic graduates working in the petrochemical industry. They are skillful, disciplined and hardworking. They keep our plants running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, whether New Year, Christmas, Hari Raya, Deepavali or Chinese New Year. They have done such a good job that Singapore today, is a leading petrochemical hub. However, they are not just workers doing a fair day's job for a fair day's pay to support their families. They are also human beings with anxiety and aspirations. They do their best for us. We should do our best for them, regardless of their qualification. What really count are their skills and competency, performance and contribution. Hence, I fully support the advocacy of ASPIRE. Secondly, how to help our workers realise their full potential regardless of education and qualification? I am happy that companies such as Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (PCS) and The Polyolefin Company (TPC), have only one career ladder instead of different ladders for different qualifications. Mr Jack Ho and Mr Chan Yew Fai joined this Page: 90 industry more than 25 years ago as technicians with ITE. Through hard work, skill upgrading and good performance, Mr Jack Ho is today a Manager in PCS and Mr Chan is the Deputy Section Manager of TPC. Their responsibility is no less than their colleagues who are degree holders.”