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SINGAPORE: Singapore's labour movement wants to help employees get into shape. It is launching a weight management programme next month to promote healthy living at the workplace.
NTUC said companies involved in the programme would be eligible for grants - S$200 from the Health Promotion Board and another S$100 from NTUC.
The target is to reach out to 50 companies this year.
NTUC on Sunday celebrated International Women's Day with the theme: "Just for the Health of It."
"Women leaders in the labour movement, they make a big difference to the success and progress of the labour movement as well to the welfare of the workers of Singapore," said Labour Chief Lim Swee Say.
According to a 2007 Health Ministry survey, only 22 per cent of women exercised regularly and an alarming 55 per cent did not exercise at all. Some of their reasons for not doing so were: no time because of work or family, too tired after work, or just plain lazy.
Hence, on the cards is a new weight management programme for companies and employees, where Body Mass Index (BMI) machines will be made available.
"There will also be a S$200 grant to each company which wants to take the initiative to help their employees to lose weight," explained Halimah Yacob, Secretary-General of NTUC. "So what we hope to achieve is to reach out to 50 companies this year and we hope it will be a momentum across all the companies.
"The workplace is a concentration of people and we know that people have to be healthy in order for them to work well, in order for them to perform their duties at home."
Madam Halimah, who exercises at least four times a week, added that there is a close link between a company's productivity and an employee's health.
"If an employee is unhealthy, falls sick very frequently, your MC level goes up," she said. "Everyday an employee goes on MC, it's (costly) to the employer. And then now we are talking about working up to 65, 67, no retirement age even, obviously health has become a critical factor."
A new health video to help women exercise regularly was also launched and given to the 4,000 participants at the celebrations.
- CNA/yb
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