Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

A labour chief who cared deeply for workers

SINGAPORE — While improving the lives of low-wage workers, particularly in the aftermath of the financial crisis about seven to eight years ago, Mr Lim Swee Say also pushed for higher salaries for all employees via the progressive wage model, for which he was largely responsible.

SINGAPORE — While improving the lives of low-wage workers, particularly in the aftermath of the financial crisis about seven to eight years ago, Mr Lim Swee Say also pushed for higher salaries for all employees via the progressive wage model, for which he was largely responsible.

He cared deeply for workers, shedding tears for them at times. A firm believer in the importance of leadership renewal, Mr Lim paid personal attention to injecting new blood in the labour movement.

These were some of the abiding memories and contributions that unionists whom TODAY spoke to said they would remember the outgoing labour chief by.

United Workers of Petroleum Industry general secretary K Karthikeyan singled out the progressive wage model, which has been adopted in various industries — including the hospitality, healthcare, petroleum, security and cleaning sectors — since 2012, to help workers of all levels earn higher wages through skills upgrading and productivity improvements.

Mr Karthikeyan, who is a Nominated Member of Parliament, said: “He has done a lot ... the progressive wage model is his baby. It has been so good, (so much so that) everybody is getting a better pay.”

Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) president K Thanaletchimi described Mr Lim’s legacy as “remarkable”. Under the progressive wage model, HSEU worked together with employers to raise the salaries of lower-wage public healthcare support staff, she said. “They’re growing in their career ... (there are) more opportunities to upgrade their skills,” she added.

National Transport Workers’ Union general secretary Fang Chin Poh said Mr Lim is “a leader (who) cares a lot for the workers”. “In his eight years (as labour chief), I have seen him shed tears for the workers a few times at May Day rallies. Maybe he felt that he didn’t perform very well for the workers. Actually, I think he has already done very well, but his own standards are too high,” he said.

He felt that Mr Lim’s biggest contribution was improving workers’ lives, especially those of the low-wage workers following the financial crisis. The “upturn the downturn” campaign launched by Mr Lim in 2008 encouraged unions to work with employers to save jobs through upgrading, retraining and redeployment of workers, Mr Fang noted.

Young National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) chairman Seah Keng Tia said he respected Mr Lim’s efforts on leadership renewal. For example, Mr Lim played a key role in instituting an age cap of 62 years for NTUC Central Committee leaders. “He is an advocate of bringing up younger leaders,” Mr Seah said.

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.