NTUC lays out roadmap to get women, seniors back to work
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — To help more women rejoin the workforce, the labour movement is proposing a programme that allows them to join a firm for a trial period before they are formally employed, and at the same time, receive a salary that could be covered by the authorities.
This “Returnship Programme” was one of the recommendations the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) made ahead of the Budget statement to be delivered on Feb 20, as it renewed its calls to support more women and older workers in returning to the workforce, amid a tightening labour market and more challenging economic conditions.
Speaking to TODAY, NTUC director of the youth development unit, Desmond Choo, said that women who have left the workforce for a while have found it quite difficult to make the jump and return to work.
“A lot of (them) are quite apprehensive ... (they are) not too sure what kind of work (the job) entails and what is the work culture like,” he added.
The idea is to have them try a job for two to four months before deciding if they would take it on. During this period, they will also be able to test out the flexible work arrangements — such as telecommuting — available at the firm while receiving a portion of their salary.
While the NTUC does not want to “jump the gun”, it hopes that the Government can cover the cost of wages accorded to the women, while the NTUC will run the programme, he said. The NTUC could pilot the programme with firms in the services sector.
Similar programmes have been tested in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. To run such a programme, firms would need a more robust human resource system and invest in developing a flexible work arrangement system. But in the long run, Mr Choo said this would be a “worthwhile investment” to retain talent.
The NTUC also suggested that the programme provide career counselling, and extend the Special Employment Credit — introduced in the 2011 Budget to support employers in employing older Singaporeans — to firms that employ these women.
Elsewhere, to encourage workplaces to be friendlier to older workers, the labour movement called for components of WorkPro to be enhanced. First rolled out in 2013, WorkPro was enhanced last July to encourage employers to redesign workplaces for older employees to work safely and easily, and offer flexible work arrangements, among other things.
NTUC deputy secretary-general Heng Chee How suggested having less stringent criteria for the age management grant in WorkPro so that more firms can apply for it.
To improve job-matching efforts and narrow the gap between the jobs available and skills required, the labour movement also suggested that the Government work with NTUC’s Future Jobs, Skills and Training capability department and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to share information on the National Jobs Bank.
By working together, they can identify the new skills needed, and work with the Institutes of Higher Learning and private institutions to turn them into training requirements and hasten the roll-out of such programmes. This will better prepare workers for future jobs, said the NTUC.
And more focus can be placed on the upgrading of skills through SkillsFuture with credit top-ups, providing more relevant courses, paid training leave and training allowances, they added.
Other recommendations include protecting those working under non-traditional arrangements, such as contract workers and freelancers. Noting that freelancers should have an avenue for dispute resolution, NTUC suggested that labour laws and tripartite networks can also be expanded to include freelancers.
