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SINGAPORE: Competition for staff in the hotel industry is heating up, with Singapore's first integrated resort at Marina Bay due to open next year.
To attract and retain experienced staff, one hotel has introduced a measure that will, literally, lighten the load of its housekeeping attendants.
At Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, housekeeper Kamalia Maria, 49, makes at least 15 beds in a day. But her job is no longer such a back-breaking task.
An electronically-operated device helps to raise beds to a comfortable waist level, making linen changing and vacuuming below the beds more convenient.
She said: "It's easier than last time. It takes about 10 minutes to complete one bed. Last time, it's about 15 to 20 minutes because we have to pull the bed, we have to bend down, it's quite tiring."
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is the first hotel to embark on such job re-creation initiative. It costs about S$500 to retrofit each bed with the Ezi-Maid solution from Australia.
Labour chief Lim Swee Say, speaking to reporters after touring the hotel on Thursday, said the new technology will open up the housekeeping job to more people.
He also said six other hotels have decided to embrace the new technology, which could benefit over 200 mature workers in all.
"I believe that in time to come, through a process of market competition, in fact all hotels may have no choice but to adopt this," said Mr Lim, NTUC's Secretary General and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
Besides improving the hardware, staff also receive training in job knowledge and service standards.
The labour chief hopes to get another 20 hotels join the job re-creation scheme in the months ahead.
Singapore's hotel industry currently hires up to 4,500 employees - both local and foreign. Of the locals, 80 percent are mature workers who are over 40 years old. - CNA/ir
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