K Thanaletchimi
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I just wish to highlight that one or two of the schools, they built lifts near to the gym. A gym is supposed to be where students exercise and they are supposed to be climbing the stairways. But instead the lifts are built alongside and not at the mainstream classrooms' column.”
“I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I just wish to know, when lifts are built, are the teachers consulted on the locations where the lifts are to be built? Is there any consultation or review with the teachers in the school before it has been planned to be built?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor for the reply. Dr Khor mentioned that the Skills Framework will be out at the end of this year. May I know which profession or category of jobs in the Skills Framework will be out? Is it particularly nursing, allied health or all the other categories of jobs?”
“I would also like to ask the Minister if the Primary Care Network clinics are considered to be on par with the general practitioner clinics, so that, under the EA, the medical certificates (MCs) are recognised and also, they are able to get reimbursements from the employers.”
“I would like to ask the Minister a follow-up question on those companies on the FCF Watchlist. Are they still eligible for Government funding, such as Adapt and Grow and all the others, to improve their businesses? Are they still eligible to apply for those kinds of fundings?”
“Can the Government review and consider for a second wave of PG Package for those who missed out on the last wave? Healthcare needs are major concerns of our older citizens. We need to look after their needs adequately.”
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“Hence, there is a need to make sure that this sector's services step up, transform and grow so that the standards of healthcare can also improve dramatically over a short period of time. Through our interactions with healthcare workers in the ILTC sector, we know that there are locals who have switched careers to the ILTC sector and found meaning in their work. However, as their income and career pathways are not as clearly defined compared to those in the mainstream hospitals, some have struggled to sustain with these incomes and eventually left the industry. I would like to urge MOH to support the aspirations of our locals who want to carve a meaningful career in the growing industry by enhancing their skills and career progression pathways and providing wage support. From my involvement in the Healthcare Cluster Tripartite Workgroup, I have seen how collaboration on productivity improvement projects has brought benefits to the hospitals, employees and patients. I believe that closer collaboration amongst the ILTC organisations, MOH and healthcare union will help raise the level of ILTC industry practices and bring benefits to patients, too. I would like to call upon the industry to consider forming an association for ILTCs to champion a progressive movement for ILTC organisations. Such an association will help foster an ecosystem for the ILTC community to thrive in and enhance the professionalism of healthcare workers. It will serve to provide a platform for industry players to network, share concerns and challenges, and allow them to collaborate with one another. As a start, MOH, through AIC, could provide manpower and resource support to speed up its formation. Madam, on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) in public healthcare.”
“Mdm Chair, I declare my interest as the President of the Healthcare Services Employees' Union. I would like to touch on the topic of progressive wage and career model. In 2012, the National Nursing Taskforce (NNT) was set up by MOH to look into strengthening the development of the nursing profession to better meet the population's healthcare needs. This helped to push for better career progression for the nurses and helped overcome many issues. We acknowledge that the review of non-nursing staff group, Admin, Ancillary and Allied Health, is currently ongoing at the various cluster levels and would like MOH to play a larger role in the coordination and implementation of Progressive Wage/Career Model for the Admin, Ancillary and Allied Health Workers across the healthcare clusters in the public healthcare sector. On the jobs of the future and being future-ready, as our economy transforms itself against the cyclical headwinds and structural changes, jobs need to be redesigned and keep pace with technology. The questions I have are: what are the jobs that will be at risk in the healthcare sector as a result of automation, robotisation and job redesign? How can we better manage the foreseeable challenges to protect the interest of workers who will be affected? What kind of programmes will be rolled out to assist affected workers to transit to other roles within and outside the industry? What measures are taken and which policies are refined to attract more Singaporeans to work in the Intermediate Long-term Care (ILTC) sector? In order to raise the overall standards of the healthcare industry, there is a need to refresh and refine the industry as a whole. As our healthcare model evolves, the ILTC services will play a larger role.”
“Mdm Chair, we all know that it is not easy to be parents. The situation gets even tougher when both parents are working. Many parents are faced with the delicate balance of managing both work and family. For those who are single parents, the stress they are facing is even greater. Sometimes, they are emotionally affected due to problems at work or in their family. There are surveys and reports that suggest that there is a Page: 82 correlation between single motherhood and depression. A 2007 study by Crozier, Butterworth and Rogers found that single mums are significantly more likely to have a moderate to severe mental disability. In fact, the study shows that prevalence of mental health issues in single mums is almost 30%, compared to partnered mothers, which is about 15%. The study cites decreased household income, increased financial hardship and a perceived lack of social support as the main reasons for single mums to have an increased risk of poor mental health. During an interview in 2014, Harry Potter author JK Rowling talked about how, when she was a single mother, she was so depressed that she considered suicide but was saved by thoughts of her daughter. Mdm Chair, I think much more can be done to help single parents, both at the workplace and in society, for example, by providing emotional support through counselling. Perhaps, it would be worth exploring the possibility of linking every company within a geographical location to the social service network, such as Social Service Centre or Family Service Centre. With such collaborative efforts, companies can assist the worker with the appropriate help which may not be available at the workplace. Such small but meaningful effort goes a long way for the individual worker's mental and emotional stability.”
“Mdm Chair, with the looming economy, the middle-class earners may face the brunt of stagnating income growth, increased expenditure, possibly with the tax burden and also the possibility of not having a job secured. I would like the Government and the Minister to also look into the plight of the middle-income earners, especially those with families. More often than not, they are sandwiched as they do not enjoy the benefits given to low-wage workers and neither do they have the high disposable income like those high up in the pyramid. In Singapore, we all agree that the best security is job security and the best way to ensure employability is by staying relevant in the same industry through upskilling or in a different industry through reskilling. With SkillsFuture, can we push SMEs and larger companies to adopt the apprenticeship scheme or Place-and-Train scheme more pervasively like it was in the past? The apprenticeship scheme should be age-blind or age-neutral, so that those inclined to take up the scheme with wage support assistance from the Government could benefit. This would allow the middle-income earners to stand a chance or career surf.”
“However, it is notable that implementation can be a challenge. With a sectoral approach of reviewing foreign worker quota for each company, perhaps the Ministry can explore this further, if possible. Future of Manpower in Singapore”
“The sectoral tripartite committee should explore FWAs as an option to attract and retain within their respective industry sector. This could be done by sharing best practices and for progressive companies to assist other companies in this regard. A more concerted effort is needed to make this part of an organisational norm to encourage working people, especially working mothers, to continue to be in the workforce without disruption. On mandating eldercare or family care leave, we have evolved over the years as a nation to place greater importance on caring for the family, community and society as a whole. As a cohesive nation, we acknowledge that for this to materialise, there needs to be holistic support for families to grow and the elderly to be cared for by their loved ones. For years, the Government has been promoting and encouraging firms to provide for eldercare or family care leave. However, companies have not readily adopted these leave provisions into their systems. The issue of an ageing population has been on the national agenda for some time. But more needs to be done to widen the adoption of elder care leave or family care leave. I would like to ask the Minister if minimal provision for family care leave can be made mandatory. On supporting mature workers, the last item, during an economic downturn, mature workers in their late 50s most fear losing their jobs. These job losses may be due to cyclical effect or are structural in nature. The Special Employment Credit is definitely a good form of support to ensure the continuous employment of such workers. It would be even more incentivising if companies that employ or retain mature workers 60 years and above could enjoy a rebate for foreign worker levy or pay lower levy.”
“Since the implementation of the Protection from Harassment Bill, I would like to ask the Minister for Manpower how many harassment and workplace bullying cases have been reported. Following the release of the Tripartite Advisory to encourage employers to put in place procedures to manage workplace harassment and develop a harassment prevention policy as part of their risk management process, can more be done to encourage sectors in high risk, for example, public services, to take the lead in fostering a conducive and safe organisational culture? On workplace safety, the number of fatal incidents has been on the rise. We have extended many efforts in promoting workplace safety and enforcing compliance, especially in the recent year. However, there are employers who are still taking a complacent stand and, as a result, putting the lives of many innocent workers at risk, which also affects their families. What new measures are taken to address the concerns of workplace safety proactively? It has to be a collective concerted effort of all parties in the society. We need to do more to change mindsets, and there is a huge difference between the words "save" and "safe", although both sound almost the same. Some errant employers "save cost" and not provide "safe" workplaces for their workers. We need to identify these irresponsible employers so that potential applicants know who the errant employers are if continuous education and awareness efforts fail to change behaviour and responses. On hindsight, the Minister can also consider a review of the work-life grant criteria in the interim so that the assistance made available is attractive enough for employers to support flexible work arrangements (FWAs).”
“Just like Mr Chong Kee Hiong, if the intent is to ensure Singaporeans are considered and hired for well-paying good jobs, the question arises if it is necessary to exempt jobs that pay more than $12,000 in the portal and if this serves the intended purpose. Perhaps, there needs to be further review to examine the impact of the National Jobs Bank and if it requires further enhancement, such as the 14-day duration of job posting and classification of jobs based on sectors, so that it serves the well-intended purpose of supporting FCF. I shall now talk about uplifting the professionalism of HR practitioners in SMEs. With evolving economic needs, the HR professionals' role is also evolving to be a demanding one. HR practitioners must, therefore, be on top of their profession to play an effective role, especially those employed in SMEs. Can I ask the Minister if there can be specific mandatory training programmes designed for these HR professionals to update them on current laws and best practices? This is also timely as we will soon be introducing the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) to settle disputes. Following the passing of the Protection from Harassment Bill in Parliament in 2014 to better protect people from harassment and anti-social behaviour, a Tripartite Workgroup on Prevention of Harassment at the Workplace was set up to ensure workplaces are safe for all employees. Coming from the healthcare sector, this issue is close to my heart. Many frontline healthcare workers often have to face the brunt of distressed patients and their families, yet are afraid and reluctant to speak Page: 84 up for fear of retaliation. An organisation cannot function effectively when workers are afraid.”
“Mdm Chair, under the various SMPs, much has been done to develop job placement and training programmes (Place and Train Programme), including PCPs, under WDA. How many workers have been retrained under these programmes? How can we better support workers in transition across jobs and industries? I would also like to ask if MOM could provide some form of wage support beyond the training allowance for working people in transition under the Job Placement and Training Programmes to encourage more to move to growth areas in the various industries. More coordination between the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and the industry to ensure maximum linkage between Pre-Employment Training and Continuing Education and Training is important. Increasingly, it would be a challenge for fresh school leavers to secure a job upon their graduation unless enterprises provide opportunities to these school leavers under the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme. Companies need to change their mental models of seeking experienced workers even though applicants may have the right attitude and passion for the job. Can I ask the Minister how many places for the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme are available for polytechnic and ITE students in 2016? I shall now speak about the National Jobs Bank. The National Jobs Bank, introduced in 2014, was created to support FCF and, at the same time, help businesses to connect with the local workforce. It would be good to know the success rates of Singaporeans who managed to find a job through the National Jobs Bank. Does the Ministry monitor the impact that the National Jobs Bank has brought about in supporting the Singaporean Core objective?”
“Of the many with families, there are singles that support the aged parents and, in some cases, those who support the siblings who are physically challenged. Why is there no tax rebate for the middle-income earners this year? This is the question that ponders in the mind of the sandwich class as they strongly believe that with the tax rebate, such workers can then have something for their savings and help in their family financial chaos. Thank you, Mdm Speaker. With this, I support the Motion. 1.48 pm”
“For such workers, bite-sized programmes can be another approach to keeping them relevant to the needs of the current skills as well as future skills. We need to be open and accept that individuals are different and therefore we need to employ different strokes for different folks. Let me touch on SMEs – building the Singaporean Core. The initiatives announced at this year's Budget to help and support the SMEs is much welcomed. This will help many SMEs to transform to grow together with our economy. However, such measures, while prolonging the survival of some enterprises, may lull workers working in such enterprises from understanding the need to upgrade them to be future-ready with future skills as they get complacent in their current job. What is alarming is, workers working in SMEs are largely Singaporeans. Hence, how can we ensure that workers in these enterprises are upskilled through the slew of programmes and initiatives offered by WDA, especially the SkillsFuture initiative, so that SMEs can continue to have an effective Singapore core in their workforce? How can we advise and guide such enterprises? How can we render early help and better assist the workers working in such enterprises? Let me now turn to the plight of the middle-income earners. On middle-income earners who are in vulnerable situations, there must be some safety net in dire times should our economy become more sluggish. More needs to be done to assist them in between jobs, especially if the job search takes more than six months to a year, or even more. Many middle-income earners, commonly known as the sandwich class, whom I have interacted with, had expected tax rebate this year.”
“They have made the first step to learn a new skill. They can only succeed with the help and cooperation of all stakeholders, such as the workers, workers' union and the Government. Every worker's story can be a success story. For this, it is necessary to have the support of the tripartite partners. (In English): Mdm Speaker, I would like to now switch over to English. I would be talking about inculcating the culture of lifelong learning. Change is a constant. The economy will continue to transform itself and our jobs will constantly evolve. Learning must never stop. Our education system has brought us this far, but in the era of rapid changes, we need to have a certain level of nimbleness and agility. We need to inculcate a culture of lifelong learning so that we can be future-ready with future skills. So, how can we be the catalyst of this mindset change? Does our ecosystem allow our people to be independent; to plan for our career; to adapt to changes; to take on new skills every few years; and to constantly learn, unlearn and relearn? What better way can one do this then tapping on the slew of grants offered under the SkillsFuture initiatives, beginning with the SkillsFuture Credit. Perhaps, to better support the workers in their endeavour to learn new skill, both the Government and employers too, are encouraged to top up the individual's SkillsFuture Credit account. With this, workers especially those who wish to take up courses on their own to upgrade or even switch industries can use this to pay for their courses. There are others who may not be forthcoming to attend courses or learning as a whole due to long hours of work and the need to work overtime almost daily.”
“Also, to ensure that drop-out rates are low, the selection process of such programmes must take into consideration an individual's capability and aptitude levels. Allow me to share another example of how psychological support, guidance and help by all parties – union, management, family and friends, and society at large – had helped an accountant in his 50s to have successfully completed PCP many years back. In the past, it is called "SMCP". This achievement was not without a challenge. He did well in his academic programme which included a hospital attachment. However, after commencing work, he was not able to cope and adapt in a fast-paced ward environment. There was a constant struggle to the extent that he was in a state of depression and did not know who to turn to until he met up with the union. He needed a pillar of support to lean on and a listening ear to hear his struggles. With much discussion with the management, he was then given another opportunity to show his ability in a smaller ward that was less demanding, in terms of workload. He was then able to cope and subsequently shone to take on higher responsibility. He is a living example of how age is not a barrier and resilience is the key to success. Now, he has been successful to the extent that he was further given the opportunity to take up advanced diploma in nursing and he was glad that he stayed on in this meaningful career to care for the patients. Mdm Speaker, I would like to now speak in Tamil. (In Tamil): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Like this accountant, there are many workers who face changes in their workplaces. Some endure because of their passion, some may return to their previous industries when opportunities are made available, and some may give up. They have a common quality.”
“Women should be given stronger support to be able to pursue our different definitions of success. Women should not be fearful of "sacrificing their careers" for a family if they are given the right to request for flexible work arrangements (FWAs) or given equal opportunities when back to work. Against the backdrop of a slowing economy, will this vulnerable group be faced with more challenges? The Workforce Development Agency's (WDA) Professional Conversion Programme (PCP), which helps jobseekers re-skill themselves to take on new jobs has helped many to switch career pathways. However, more support can be given to not just companies but also individuals as many often suffer pay cuts when they change career paths, voluntarily or not. For example, a 58-year-old union member, who was a Senior Clinic Supervisor took up a nursing diploma course but was only given training allowance of $1,000. While she can look forward to better career progression, as the sole breadwinner of the family, it is challenging having to cope with daily expenses for the family and, at the same time, upgrade herself to make sure there is retirement adequacy towards her silver age. More can be done to strengthen the PCP by making sure that there is close collaboration amongst all the stakeholders. A concerted tripartite effort can create a stronger support network for this group of people. A hands-on approach from the agency to offer not just training grants but also psychological support and guidance can help acclimatise workers quicker in different workplace environments. They can also be paired with mentors to share insights before, during and after the programme. Unions can also complement such efforts.”
“Mdm Speaker, I welcome the Budget as it is an inclusive Budget and seeks to bring Singapore beyond SG50. It calls upon the partnership of all Singaporeans to work together in new ways to transform our economy and build a caring and resilient society. Let me now touch on the vulnerable workforce – the workers in transition. As our economy transforms, we will have to transform ourselves. During this period, the vulnerable group needs the most help. This group includes low-wage workers, women workers and mid-career individuals who take on new jobs, and more needs to be done to ensure that they are taken care of. Retirement adequacy continues to be a challenge for the low-wage workers, and more so for the women. Statistically speaking, women are expected to live longer than men. This means more retirement savings is needed so that we can age gracefully with peace of mind and with dignity and vitality. For the older or senior women in Singapore today, many have not worked in the formal economy or have suffered from a gender wage gap in their earlier working years. For this group, the Silver Support Scheme that will begin in July will serve as a good supplement to their retirement income in addition to the existing support schemes, such as MediShield Life and Pioneer Generation Package. For the women workers, it is important that they are given fair opportunities at the workplace, while continuing to care for their families at home. The family unit is the basic building block of a thriving nation. Our families give us support and keep us grounded, and women continue to play a larger role in the families. However, striking a balance is not easy and more needs to be done for the women workers to ensure equal opportunities in placement and career progression.”