New tripartite firm to support employees

SINGAPORE — In an unprecedented move, the Government, unions and employers have jointly set up a company to better serve workers’ interests.

Called Tripartite Alliance Limited (TAL), this new firm will be funded and owned by the three partners.

Speaking at the launch of Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and the Employment Claims Tribunal on Friday (March 31), Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say said: “The three parties will commit our resources and expertise so that we can work together as one tripartite alliance to serve the interests of our workers to the best of our abilities, not just today, but into the future.”

For a start, TAL will take in the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices and the new TADM. TAL advocates companies to treat workers fairly to prevent disputes from arising, while TADM now provides advisory and mediation services to workers who have disputes with their employers. Mr Lim added that another area TAL will tackle is workplace safety and health, which has a chequered record. “We are all very concerned ... to make sure that every worker will be able to go home safe and sound,” he added.

TAL, which will have 160 employees, will be chaired by Mr Stephen Lee, former president of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) deputy secretary general Heng Chee How and vice-president Tan Hock Soon will represent the labour movement.

Sakae Holdings’ Douglas Foo and Citibank head honcho Han Kwee Juan will be SNEF’s representatives, while Mr Aubeck Kam, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and its divisional director Then Yee Thoong will be the Government’s representative. Mr Neo Sing Hwee, an industry expert from Ernst & Young, will be the eighth board member.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the launch event on Friday, Mr Lee said: “In the past, the three parties have always come together to discuss. But to set something up that is structured, this is the first time.

“I think the tripartite cooperation has worked very well for Singapore. The setting up of TAL is a significant step to consolidate the progress we have made, and basically to lay a new foundation to take tripartism even further,” he added.

Lawyer Alfred Lim, who specialises in employment law, said the private company can help pool resources from all three entities to tackle the heavier load of employment disputes.

“These were previously handled only by the MOM, so in a way the Government is outsourcing and might give them ability to handle more cases ... It also offers some form of objectivity to have separate entities oversee the mediation and adjudication phases,” said Mr Lim, who was formerly a prosecutor with the MOM.