SINGAPORE — The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is aiming to set up training committees in some 1,000 companies over the next three years to identify the areas of training and skills that workers need to keep up with industry transformation.

In his first May Day message since taking over the role in May last year, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng said on Thursday (April 25) that the labour movement’s priorities remain in securing better wages, welfare and work prospects for workers.

“Securing better work prospects for workers is a key imperative given the fourth industrial revolution, or industry 4.0,” he said in a joint May Day message with NTUC President Mary Liew.

“Workers must be trained in tandem, to not only keep up with this transformation, but secure better work prospects.”

The company training committees (CTCs) will be set up in firms across all six industry transformation map groups — which range from manufacturing to lifestyle — with the potential to benefit some 330,000 workers, said Mr Ng.

Comprising union leaders and company management, the CTCs’ main goal is to help workers upgrade in parallel with their companies’ transformations.

A dedicated group of training specialists will work with union leaders and industrial relations officers to implement CTCs on the ground.

Areas of training will be matched with the companies’ needs and could possibly involve bringing in relevant expertise from universities, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) to design training for workers.

To date, 18 companies, including ST Engineering and in-flight catering service provider Sats, have set up CTCs to implement training for workers.

Mr Ng had previously talked about the CTCs’ benefits during a Parliament sitting in February.

The committees can also map out career prospects and tag these improvements to wage increments, he had said then.

The setting up of the CTCs builds on previous initiatives by NTUC to improve workers’ wages and work prospects. For example, the progressive wage model was mandated last year for lift technicians to increase the salaries of workers in such roles, according to skill ladders.

50 CENTS KOPI AND TEH

With cost of living remaining a key concern for workers, NTUC, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, said it would continue to address this in the immediate and long term.

To help alleviate the cost of everyday essentials, NTUC Foodfare and Kopitiam food courts will be selling hot coffee and tea at 50 cents each to union members and seniors from next month. This translates to savings of up to S$1.30 per transaction based on the original prices offered at these outlets, said the union.

NTUC union members will be able to enjoy this discount every day next month. The offer will continue in June, but only every Wednesday till June next year.

Merdeka and Pioneer Generation members will also be able to enjoy the discounted drinks every Wednesday from July till June 30 next year.

The 50 cents coffee and tea will be available at close to 100 NTUC Foodfare and Kopitiam food courts and coffee shops islandwide, and is expected to benefit over 1.7 million NTUC union members and seniors.

RETIREMENT AND RE-EMPLOYMENT AGE

Ahead of the labour movement’s May Day celebrations, Mr Ng also said in a media sharing session on Monday that discussions on the new retirement and re-employment ages are in the “advanced stages”.

“At this year’s Budget debate, our Labour Nominated Member of Parliament Arasu Duraisamy had asked for the retirement and re-employment ages to be moved up to 65 and 70 respectively,” he said.

“This is the Labour Movement’s aspiration.”

Earlier in March, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo announced that a workgroup comprising representatives from the Government, labour unions and the private sector had come to a consensus on raising both the retirement and re-employment age and that the workgroup was ironing out the details.

Mr Ng acknowledged businesses' concerns about the impact on their cost. "This is where we will help our older workers upskill and reskill so that they can contribute productively if they so wish to continue working,” he said.