Singapore’s labour movement aims to reach out to more PMEs

HRM 30 Apr 2013

As the economy moves towards a focus on professionals, managers and executives (PMEs), Singapore is looking to reach out to more PMEs by bringing them into the realm of tripartism, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said.
Speaking at a May Day Dinner with 1,400 guests on Sunday, DPM Teo said with the current economic restructuring, labour-management relations and unions will become "even more important". With about two-thirds of working Singaporeans to shift into professionals, managers, executives and technicans (PMET) positions in 2030, unions have to endeavour to strike a balance between taking care of blue-collar workers and reaching out to PMEs as well, Channelnewsasia reported.
Furthermore, better education in Singapore is a reason for this change as well. In two years' time, 45% of each workforce cohort will have access to polytechnic education. By 2020, half of each cohort will have access to a public-funded university education, DPM Teo said.
With these needs to meet in mind, Singapore is trying to progressively increase representation of PMEs, yet maintain employers’ flexibility of managing their own human resources. "A tripartite work group has been studying this issue closely. The government looks forward to receiving their joint proposal. With our constructive approach towards tripartism, I believe it is possible to achieve a win-win-win arrangement for the PMEs, unions and management.” Teo said as quoted by Channelnewsasia.
Currently, PMEs make up about one-quarter of the 700,000 union members.
BISHWA SRIVASTAVA
PGDM 2nd SEM
IIMT COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT