Prepare for post-crisis by improving environment for workers: Workers’ Party

SINGAPORE — The Workers’ Party (WP) in its Labour Day message has called on the Government to improve the environment for workers to ensure a better post-Covid-19 future. 

Their call included making it flexible enough for workers to thrive, given that many industries are getting disrupted. 

The WP suggested that a Redundancy Insurance scheme be implemented to help workers bounce back and to have rules for better returns on Central Provident Fund (CPF) balances while allowing a portion above the CPF Minimum Sum to be withdrawn in emergencies. 

In addition, it asked that the environment for workers be fair enough so that all workers know they will not face disadvantages as a result of their gender, race or for being Singaporeans. 

The resale values of Housing and Development Board flats should be reasonably supported to protect those who depend on them for retirement, it added. 

To ensure workers are future-ready, the WP wants entrepreneurs who create jobs in Singapore to be supported through training and incentives. 

“The Workers’ Party believes that all Singaporeans should work together as one united people to beat Covid-19.

“But one united people should also mean a people who, even in crisis, speak up for what is best for the country and offer constructive suggestions and rational debate so that we can become better,” it said. 

The challenges Singapore faces, it said, are not limited to beating Covid-19. 

“Even before the virus hit us, last year’s Gross Domestic Product growth was a weak 0.7 per cent. We will face headwinds from Industry 4.0 disruptions and geopolitical Singapore,” added the WP. 

The party’s Labour Day message also paid tribute to healthcare and frontline workers to whom Singapore owed a debt that it can “never repay”. 

“Last but not least, we should remember the responsibility we all owe to our foreign worker community, to provide them with decent, dignified conditions. Not only today but every day,” it added.