Re-Employment Train Powers On
While the day of reckoning draws closer to re-employment legislation in 2012, more and more companies are catching the re-employment fever. To date, 615 unionised companies have committed to re-employing workers beyond the current retirement age of 62 and thereby re-employing 4,722 older workers.

Opening The Portal To Hiring Of Older Workers
Re-employing older workers may just be a click or bookmark away, following the launch of a reemployment portal and guidebook. These new resource tools will help employers and employees have a head start before the re-employment legislation is implemented by 2012.

Golden Celebration
Children and youth, families, the disabled and the elderly. The National Council of Social Services has been looking after these special groups of people in Singapore for half a century and on 23 and 24 August 2008, celebrated its 50th Anniversary with its signature Heartstrings Walk and a carnival at Esplanade Park.

Shared Parenting For A More Fulfilling Life
Parenting is tough but very fulfilling. It is even tougher when one has teenage children.

Honouring Work-Life Implementers
As one of the two recipients of the inaugural Work-Life Leadership Award at the Work-Life Excellence Award 2008, Ms Lim Soo Hoon, Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office, has demonstrated commitment and contributed to developing and implementing innovative work-life solutions at her workplace. To give an example, Ms Lim had initiated PSD’s Blue Sky policy, urging her colleagues to leave by 6 pm on Fridays so that at least once a week, they can leave the office on time to be with their families and friends.

NTUC Childcare Teachers Receive Top Awards
An inspiring teacher makes a big difference, not just to her students, but also her fellow colleagues. Singapore’s largest pre-school operator saw three of its teachers honoured for their outstanding contribution and mentorship skills last Thursday. These teachers won three out of the six national Early Childhood Education Awards, organised by the Association for Early Childhood Educators. NTUC Childcare Group was the only organisation this year to have more than one recipient for this award.

Workers On Their Mind
Well on the ground with a good feel of the pulse of the working people in Singapore, Labour Members of Parliament put forth their voices at the Parliament House this week. The issues on the minds of all – security woes to public transport worries to consumers’ protection – were discussed.

Exco Leaders Get A Tune-Up
The first batch comprising 34 industrial sector union leaders for the inaugural Executive Leadership Programme run by the Ong Teng Cheong Institute Of Labour Studies checked in at the Orchid Country Club from 1-2 August 2008.

Boosting A Blooming Industry
The next time you step on manicured lawns, get intoxicated by fragrant plants and flowers and cool out in the shade provided by tree-lined streets, spare a thought for the people who make it possible.

Let It Blossom, Let It Grow
The operative word of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech at the National Day Rally held at the University Cultural Centre on 17 August 2008 was “Grow”.

Hongbaos Not Forever
PM’s advice on how to cope with rising cost of living:
Be frugal, buy housebrand items
In various languages and choice of words, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave bites of advice, while announcing aid packages for Singaporeans. Government cannot give hongbaos every year, but fortunately this year we have the budget surplus to do it, he said.

Driving Away ERP Blues
PM explains the ERP-Car Ownership Households Co-Relation
Middle-income Singaporeans feel the hit hardest. But, are they really hard hit? Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong worked out the sums: Government lowered Road Tax by 15%, while adding ERP gantries and increasing ERP rates.

Our Home, Our Family
PM’s call to the men: Help your wives with household chores
Singapore couples are not having enough babies to replace themselves. With our Total Fertility Rate at 1.29, it means there are many one-child families and they are replacing only one parent.

Next Change – At The Top
PM’s way of bringing mothers back to work:
Help women to have worklife balance
Mindsets at the workplace must first be shaped right before female employees can make good use of the measures that are introduced.

Cultivating And Deepening ‘Netroots’
PM demonstrates the capabilities of the new media
The changing lighting of the stage that varied the mood of the audience... the captivating charts that paralleled Singapore’s economy and Government’s slew of incentives with the number of babies born... an instant video cast in his website using a Nokia handphone and Qik software...

NTUC Childcare To Open 5 New Centres
In Next 6 Months
Singapore’s largest preschool educators NTUC Childcare Co-operative Ltd with 39 centres islandwide, will be opening five new centres in the next six months to meet the rising demand for good quality childcare and infant care.

National Day Rally 2008
University Cultural Centre 17 August 2008
• More Help For Lower Income Families
• PM: "I Changed My Children’s Nappies"
• Giving Baby Numbers A Boost
• Singapore, A Little Red Dot

Murata Electronics Sails Through The Storms
Murata Electronics Singapore Private Limited, like many other electronic companies, faces a challenging year ahead with productivity growth decline and increasing business costs. However, the company has reasons to be optimistic because it is committed to enhancing the employability of its employees and has established good labour-management relations with the United Workers of Electronic and Electrical Industries.

Shaping The Future
There are more and more double-income families in Singapore. With this, there is a growing sophisticated demand for childcare services.

Labour Leaders At National Day Reception
About 1,200 Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, senior government officials, committed community leaders, illustrious business leaders and successful sportsmen and sportswomen, recognised for their contributions to the nation, attended the annual National Day Reception.

Shine On Singapore
Shine, we certainly did! 12,888 NTUC Members, families and friends showed up to outshine last year’s effort to form Singapore’s Largest Human Flag. On 9 August 2008, we did it bigger and better – twice.

Nothing Is Humanly Impossible
The rain failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the 12,288 participants at this year’s human flag formation, organised by Young NTUC as part of the Young NTUC Celebrates! National Day 2008 event.

5 Of The President’s Men
Out of a total of 3,514 individuals in 22 award categories who received National Day Honours this year are five unionists with a combined track record of more than 100 years. Though coming from different industries, they were all awarded the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) for their shared desire to serve fellow workers.

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Singapore Wants To Play
They came in droves for the party of the year and nothing was going to drive them away. Perhaps the heavens were in a playful mood, teasingly spraying Singaporeans with raindrops and competing for attention. But rain or no rain, they stood their ground and stood up to be counted for Singapore.

Promising Times Ahead
Despite the economic uncertainties, the marine industry will remain robust with promises of good growth this year. This assurance was impressed upon the 1,000 workers present at the National Day Observance Ceremony, organised by the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees’ Union, on 8 August 2008.

Prime For Better Time
As Singapore navigates into uncertain global economic currents, tripartite partners play a significant role in facilitating a smooth sail.

ST Aerospace Growth Parallels The Singapore Story
Singapore Technologies Aerospace Limited has been able to compete against the big companies in the global market and become a leader because they have a very strong team.

Younger Than The Mountains Older Than The Trees
43 Milestones Of The Labour Movement
The Singapore Labour Movement was formed in 1961 – 5 years before Singapore became an independent nation. We present 43 milestones of the Labour Movement to mark Singapore’s 43rd National Day on 9 August 2008.

It’s More Than Just Words
It’s that time of the year again. That time when there are seemingly endless rounds of National Day Observance Ceremonies all over the island leading up to and after National Day itself. That time when the Pledge and the National Anthem "Majulah Singapura" are recited and sung over and over again with words that are etched in Singaporeans’ minds and hearts from their school days to their dying day.

USE Double-Layer Blanket to Fight Cold Fronts
The Union of Security Employees marked another remarkable milestone on 1 August 2008 when it organised a National Day Observance Ceremony for its members from 200 private security fi rms. Some 550 union members and representatives from their companies participated at the event, supported by the Security Industry Regulatory Department.

The Spirit of Singapore
The emblems of a young nation on the rise and that of Singapore’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality will bright as the largest human flag takes form on the greens of the Padang this 43rd National Day. The 410 participants who would form the crescent and stars of the Singapore flag in the Labour Movement’s venture to break its previous national record are well in tune for the big day.

One Voice For
Last year, Singapore celebrated National Day at a time when Asia was enjoying the best of both worlds – good economic growth and low inflation. This year, the mood in Asia and indeed, worldwide, has changed. But, the Labour Movement is undaunted, as reflected by the show of unity, strength, dedication and compassion of these, our 43 union leaders and heads of Social Enterprises.

LM And PAP – Together, A Better Future
There’s something happening in the United Kingdom that should interest us, the Singapore unionists. The British Labour Party is reported to be over £20 million (about S$54 million) in debt. According to the Financial Times, the unions are now paying 90 per cent of Labour’s bills but the support is waning.

Looking At U - Hot Shots
National Day Parade - 9 August 2008
National Day Parade Preview - 2 August 2008

Looking At U - Hot Shots
Singapore’s Largest Human Flag 12,888-Strong
The Padang, Singapore - 9 August 2008

NTUC Secretary-General’s National Day Message
Spirit Must Be A World Apart
Singapore’s 43rd National Day is round the corner. Like last year, the parade will be held at the Marina Bay fl oating platform. And like last year, the rally will be at the National University of Singapore Cultural Centre.

Tripartism In Action
Worldwide inflation and its implications are undeniably the talk of the town. Workers are paying more for food, fuel, housing, transport, communication and health care.

Invest In Yourself: Your Best Bet In Hard Times
During one of the dialogue sessions with senior Government leaders, a union leader asked for some advice. He wanted to know what was the best place to invest his money, now that inflation was starting to rise.

Mental Health: Manage It Well
The quality of living is enhanced if the workers are healthy and able to take part in activities that bring out their full potential. Job opportunities and good wages will be meaningless if our workers are unable to reap any benefit because of poor health. So, we all need a “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind”. Besides skills upgrading, we need to continue to help all workers lead a healthy lifestyle to stay in good health, raise their productivity and reduce their medical expenses.

Easing The Causeway Crunch
Cargo trucks. Goods vehicles. Tour buses. Cars. Motorcycles. Tens of thousands of people. This is the kind of traffic that plies the Causeway daily. During peak periods, it is not uncommon for motorised vehicles to come to a standstill and human traffic overtake them.

It’s All About U-tification
It is just three months since NTUC unveiled its new look and all of us in the Labour Movement adopted the U Hallmark to represent the spirit of an ever progressive and dynamic Labour Movement, which is also at the heart of the new NTUC identity.

Be Inspired: Everyone Can Give Hope, And A Helping Hand, To Low-Wage Workers
Recently, I caught up with Madam Maimunah, 55, at a TV filming. She continued to amaze me with her infectious zeal. Two years ago, she was at a loss about how to find a job, having left the workforce 31 years ago to look after her two kids. Our Employability Coach brought her skills up to speed, prepared her to return to work and got her a job as a server in Kopitiam. She has recently been promoted to Team Leader and is now giving back. Trained as a mentor, she now works with other women returning to the workforce, helping them to adjust and sharing her experience.

SNUJ: Forget Not Your Union
The success of an organisation can sometimes work against the union and its worth.

SMMWU: SMMWU Opens Doors To SATU’s Members
Singapore Air Transport Workers’ Union’s members will soon become a part of The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union.

SCTU: Chinese Teachers Go Back To School
Like the economy, the Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union is taking the global route in helping its Chinese language teachers enhance their professionalism. Since 2003, the union, together with universities from the People’s Republic of China, has been organising biennial conferences to provide its members with opportunities to learn and exchange ideas with their foreign counterparts.

MIWU: MIWU And Partners Help Workers Work, Live And Play
The workforce is greying and the reemployment legislation will kick in in 2012. However, many unions have been paving the way for the total adoption by talking to their management partners to implement reemployment policies for their employees to work beyond retirement age.

AUPDRW: ‘Unsung Heroes’ Raise $325,000
Money Will Go To AUPDRW Education And Training Fund
There was much rejoicing among members of the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Employees Executive Committee when they learnt in February this year of the prospect of losing their Deputy General Secretary. This is because Mr Sithambaram s/o Kathavarayan had been promoted to Technician and he was going to become a monthly-salaried staff.

MIWU: Once In, Don’t Let Them Go Out
It’s hard enough to get them to come in, so when they do, don’t let them go out.

SUBE: Making The Union Relevant
The Infocomm and Media industry is set to attract even more talent as about 10,000 jobs are expected to be generated from now till 2010. This follows the Infocomm Development Authority’s Intelligent Nation 2015 Vision, released two years ago.

SMMWU Tackles The Future
Silver Collars and No Collars took centre stage at the first-ever large scale The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union Tripartite Initiative forum held at the Meritus Mandarin on 31 July 2008 that drew some 70 chief executive officers, managing directors, general managers and human resource practitioners. There were representatives from the Singapore National Employers Federation, Singapore Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and 80 union branch officials from 30 of the SMMWU’s unionised companies as well as guests.

More Must Be Done For Women
Women who wish to join or re-enter the workforce after spending many years in nurturing their family need many forms of support to make that move. The Labour Movement, together with the Government agencies and employers, are creating constant platforms to allay the concerns of these women and get them to join or rejoin the workforce.

More Help Needed For Older Workers
More older people are working in 2007, compared to a year earlier, but there are many older women still not in the workforce.

These were the key findings of an occasional paper on “Focus on Older People In and Out of Employment” by the Ministry of Manpower.

Under The MediShield Umbrella
This was the message that the NTUC Women’s Development Secretariat wanted some 88 union leaders and Industrial Relations Officers to pass on to their members.

STU Cooperative Cares For Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistants, most of whom earn about $1,200 a month, are feeling the pinch from the double whammy of rising food and petrol prices. To cushion the impact, Educare Co-operative Limited, the cooperative arm of the Singapore Teachers’ Union, has stepped in.

Terasaki Keeps Staff Happy
"It is very important for us to follow National Wages Council guidelines. First of all, in our area we need good people. We are in an international field of business and to be competitive it is very important to have good people who are the main assets of the company." With that in mind, Terasaki Electric Company (Far East) Private Limited wasted no time in toeing the NWC line this year.

NTUC Foodfare Brings Hot Food and Warm Hearts
At a food court in Ang Mo Kio Hub, some 50 senior citizens were sipping hot coffee and tucking into a hot meal. It looked like just another social gathering, except that some of the food has been prepared by youth volunteers and the diners were residents from three homes.

Passion That Fuels His Goal
For Mohamad Nazir Sani, a man who works for a power company, the world’s most powerful energy source comes, not from dead fossils, but hot-blooded passion.

International Exchange of Ideas
A 6-member delegation from the All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers’ Union visited the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees and Labour Movement Social Enterprises during a weeklong exchange programme from 6 to 12 July 2008. This is the third time that the JICHIRO delegation had visited Singapore.

Getting To Know U Better
The Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union, together with its tripartite partners, went for its annual retreat on 3 July 2008 to discuss hot human resource issues such as talent retention and recruitment in a tight labour market situation, flexi-works arrangement, re-employment and portable medical benefits. The sessions were fruitful as the participants gained insight on the tripartite perspectives, the reasoning and rationale behind tripartite policies, and best practices of various employers.