Amalgamated Union Of Public Employees

1.

We celebrate National Day in a happy mood. It has been another good year for Singapore. Altogether now, we have had four good years of growth.

2.

We have many things to cheer about:

a.

Our athletes are winning medals

b.

Our chefs are winning culinary contests

c.

Our entrepreneurs are launching new businesses

d.

Our students are excelling at all kinds of international events - robotic championships, choir festivals, debates, creative problem solving contests, and mathematics and science Olympiads.

e.

We are gearing up for new and exciting projects, like the Formula One Grand Prix and the Integrated Resorts.

3.

Economic growth in the first half of this year was 7.6%, higher than we had expected. For the whole year, MTI has raised its growth forecast to between 7 and 8%. The good news is that we have added 111,000 jobs in the first half - the highest number ever. Unemployment is very low, at 2.4%. Workers are enjoying good wage increases and higher bonuses because businesses are doing well.

4.

Singapore is growing not just because of more investments or more workers. Our people are adapting and working smarter. We are organising ourselves more efficiently, and making better use of our resources. In short, we have increased our productivity. Our efforts to transform our economy are paying off. The global economy is continuing to change. If we keep on adapting and readapting to it, we can keep growing strongly for many years.

It has been ten years since the Asian financial crisis. Asia has progressed, and become more developed and dynamic. China and India are powering ahead, and Japan's economy has revived. Southeast Asia is not without problems, but on the whole, it has regained its balance. High energy prices are benefiting energy-exporters like Malaysia and Indonesia, and the region is moving forward again. While the global financial markets have been choppy the last few dav, the medium term fundamentals for Asia remain strong.

Singapore is at the heart of this rising Asia. We have many strengths to draw on:

7.

Looking ahead, we are poised to take off. Many projects are already underway. In Marina South, we are building the integrated resort, the banking and financial centre, and soon the new botanic gardens. There is buzz and excitement in the air, as our city changes before our eyes day by day. Even the National Day Parade this year is different and exciting. For the first time, it will be held on water at Marina Bay. It will be on the largest floating stage in the world, with the new city skyline taking shape around us.

We are not just creating a new downtown, but building a first-class living environment for all Singaporeans. We are rejuvenating HDB estates where our people live, and linking the estates to parks and waterways. We are connecting the whole island with high-quality public transport, and every home with high-speed internet. All this will enhance the value of your homes, and draw our community closer together.

9.

Within a decade, our city and our whole country will be completely transformed. The world is taking notice. It will be a new Singapore, but with our own unique identity, and the can-do and never-say-die spirit of the Lion City.

10.

Yet, as we build this nation together, we face one major challenge to our social harmony and national cohesion. Income gaps are widening - here, and all over the world. With globalisation, hundreds of millions of unskilled workers are joining the global economy. They are pushing down wages at the lower end. Rapidly changing technology is also making jobs more complex. People with skills and high ability are in growing demand, and being paid more.

11

We cannot stop or reverse this global trend. But we can do a lot to help Singaporeans cope with it, We want everybody to benefit from Singapore's success.

12.

Our basic approach is to grow the economic pie. When companies expand, there will be more and better jobs for everyone. We will have the resources to maximise opportunities for all. We can give every child many chances to do the best for himself in life. We can also help every household to own a home of their own - in fact, our HDB home ownership programme is the best form of social welfare for Singaporeans.

13.

We are strengthening our social safety nets. Programmes like ComCare and Workfare help the lower-income families. More importantly, we are helping them and their children to break out of poverty, through education and training. So we are creating excellent learning environments in every neighbourhood school, and not just a few top schools. And we are helping low-wage workers to learn new skills, become more employable, and do better.

14.

One reason our income gap is widening is our ageing population. Singaporeans are living longer than ever. We must help our elderly live comfortably by keeping medical care affordable, making our city barrier-free, and our public transport wheelchair friendly. Those with enough savings will feel secure about their future. But workers who retire too early may not have enough savings for their old age. I know many older Singaporeans worry about whether they can make ends meet. We are making changes to help you to work longer, eam more and build up your retirement savings. We will enhance the value of your HDB homes, which are a nest-egg for old age. We will improve the CPF scheme, so that you can enjoy a steady income and peace of mind in your golden years.

15.

The Govemment cannot solve all these problems alone. Everyone must play a part. We each must take responsibility for ourselves, make the effort to do well, and provide for our families and our old age. At the same time, the more successful Singaporeans must pitch in to help the weaker ones. The more you have gained from society, the greater your obligation to give back something to your fellow citizens. Let your giving come from the heart. Many Singaporeans have done so quietly. To grow as a nation, we need to be compassionate as well as competitive. As we spur one another on to perform and excel, we must also work together and care for those in need.

We will tackle these issues one by one, and deal with all the problems that are bound to come in this uncertain world. But we have every reason to be confident about our future. The global backdrop is favourable. The winds and tides are with us. Our spirit is high, and our ship is ready.

My fellow Singaporeans, let's seize the moment to sail ahead, into the bright and exciting future that we can already see. Together, let's transform Singapore, and make this a special home for every one of us.

Singapore has done well. Our economy is growing healthily, job creation is strong and unemployment is low. Our success today is worth celebrating, because it did not come easy. It is the result of many years of hard workt by everyone - workers, union leaders, management and govemment.

Today, as we celebrate our 42nd National Day, we can stand together, hold our heads high and say - Well done, Singapore.

Looking ahead, we want to do even better.

Not too long ago, Asia Pacific was regarded by many global companies as part of the "ROW - Rest of the World". Today, the situation has changed completely.

Asia Pacific is no longer known as ROW, but as BOW - "Best of the World".

Indeed, the rapid transformation of China and India and the dynamic growth of Asian economies - big and small - have turned Asia into a region full of new possibilities and keen competition. This means that those who are able to move fast can become big winners, whereas those unable to respond will end up big losers.

To stay as a winner, we must continue to think creatively, more swiftly and adapt quickly to the changing environment. We must continue to compete fiercely for the good jobs and the best investments. This is the best way to ensure that Singapore will always be a land of opportunities in a region of possibilities.

As we grow our economy, the tripartite partners will work together to help our workers and our people to take on these good and better job opportunities we are creating here in Singapore.

We will make our workplace more age-friendly and family-friendly, so that many more mature workers can be re-employed, and those not working can re-join the workforce.

We will do more to re-train and re-deploy our workers who are affected by business restructuring, so that more workers can stay employable and enjoy the benefits brought about by economic upgrading.

Working together as Singapore United, let us strive to make Singapore a nation with one of the highest employment rates and lowest unemployment rates in the world.

The above exchanges were some of the ideas explored during the Question & Answer (Q & A) segment of the AUPE Pre-Conference and Workplan Seminar held at Siem Reap, Cambodia on 17 August 2007.

Some 50 Executive Councillors and staff were gathered at the Seminar to explore new ideas, a forum for taking ownership in charting the course and shaping the future of AUPE.

General Secretary Teo Yock Ngee, in his opening address, informed participants of the significant progress made in terms of how AUPE had planned and engaged top union leadership on its focus areas, key concerns and strategic directions through seminars held over the last five years.

“Today we are here to discuss in greater detail an overall review of our work done during this period. And more importantly, to identify our strengths and weaknesses to develop a workplan for implementation in the next term.” He urged all to participate actively and constructively in the discussions.

Over 400 branch delegates had also participated in workshops and meetings to provide feedback, ideas and suggestions to improve on the ways AUPE conducts its businesses. He recounted the seminars and workshops held since 2002 to engage union leaders and staff:

AUPE Executive Council Seminar, Shanghai, China from 3 to 5 June 2002

AUPE Pre-Conference Seminar, Bangkok, Thailand from 14 to 16 August 2004

“We are here not to delve into all these happenings as reports had already been circulated but to share with you on what is in store for our deliberations this morning. In other words: Where do we go from here? What are our plans for the future? ”

Mr Teo unveiled that AUPE would be celebrating its 50 th anniversary on 26 September 2009. We must have a Master Plan for the AUPE Group by then. In order to align ourselves and move in tandem towards this big common goal, leaders, directors, managers of all the entities must also get together to work out their respective workplans and consolidate them into this Master Plan for 2009 and beyond.

It is essential to look at our resources, which includes sound financial administration and people development programmes. As a Group, we are talking about a total income of some 14 million, how we manage our finances is becoming increasingly critical in terms of administration and governance, emphasised Mr Teo.

The presentation on Organisational Development and Corporate Services by Deputy General Secretary (DGS) P Menon provided participants with a better understanding of the current assets and resources of the AUPE Group and also the present status of the union's membership and leadership profile. They were urged to think in areas such as branding, expanding & developing business opportunities and how to further enhance the Group's services to members.

AUPE 2011, A Better Future for All, was the next presentation by DGS Noor Shyma. She updated participants on the progress that AUPE had made in relation to the five dragon boats that the union had embarked on and adopted during the LM2011 Seminar at Batam in January this year. The five Dragon boats are namely, the Gold Collar, Silver Collar, Uth Movement, Employment & Employability Institute and Singapore Tripartism Forum.

The segment on “Sharing of Experiences” saw Mr Ng Hee Seng from the Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Mr Derrick Yeo from the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and Ms Amy Tay from the Ministry of Education (MOE) sharing on their branches' initiatives in areas such as labour management relations, membership recruitment, networking and reaching out to members and social activities planning.

Ms Noorfarahin from the Singapore Tourism Board took the opportunity to seek participants' assistance in reaching out to the youth during her briefing on the activities that the Young AUPE had been involved since its formation.

Mr Ramli Wong from National Environment Agency (NEA) shared his thoughts about the branding strategy that AUPE should work on to define itself as a representative body that every public employee would like to be associated with.

Mr Aziz Mansor from the Singapore Sports Council specially prepared a paper on how to reach out to former members who had left AUPE due to restructuring and retirement and invite them to join as Associate members in the Union and Co-operative.

GS Teo was heartened by the robust discussion and cited examples from the food industry, which had achieved breakthroughs in rebranding. For example, Muthu Curry has opened an outlet with a zen concept to attract the younger and trendier crowd. The Banquet food chain captures the Muslim market when it revamps and converts its food courts into halal eating outlets, ie serving Chinese hawker food such as ‘char kway teow' without lard. Could AUPE emulate them and rebrand its image? Could it re-create and re-position itself without compromising its social mission in serving members?

All ideas and suggestions arising from the seminar, no matter how far-fetched would be noted, said Mr Teo. “To have a better future for all, we need to look at a much bigger picture and think in broader perspectives.”

The panel of key union leaders comprising Vice-Presidents C N Balan, Rahim Alwi, DGSs Ma Wei Cheng and Yeo Chun Fing were kept busy fielding questions from the floor during the session. It was indeed a lively, interactive and fruitful morning for all.

The Pre-Conference & WorkPlace Seminar also provided the opportunity for participants to immerse in the rich history and culture of Cambodia, while basking in the camaraderie of fellow comrades.

I am happy to join AUPE to celebrate National Day at this Dinner and Dance. It is always a pleasure to see union and management, coming together to mark key dates and important milestones.

Singapore's fundamentals are strong. We have demonstrated many times over that we can withstand stormy weather. Despite the stock market blips here and there during the past few weeks, 2007 has been very good so far. We have seen employment grow by more than 110,000 in the first half of the year. The unemployment rate stands at 2.4%, something which many countries would aspire to have. Overall, workers are enjoying good wage increases and bonuses. The latest projected economic growth for the year is 7 to 8 per cent. This is all very encouraging indeed.

We owe a large part of our economic success to the excellent working relationship between government, employers, unions and workers. We are progressive in how we handle employer-employee relations and issues.

This has taken us many years of hard work to achieve. We must continue to build on this strong relationship and camaraderie between union and management, which has been the hallmark of our industrial relations.

In the Public Service, the process of consultation, negotiation and consensus building between union and management has been a key success factor in our harmonious industrial relations. The present good management-union relations were given a boost with the inception of the Public Sector Union Management Gathering about a decade ago.

At that time, both the Public Service Division or PSD and the public sector unions thought that it would be good to create a platform for leaders on both sides to have regular dialogues on HR issues.

I agree. These gatherings have been held regularly since 1997 with the last one held recently in April this year. These gatherings have produced fruitful results. The most recent one saw 59 public sector leaders from 14 ministries and 45 statutory boards signing the Tripartite Pledge on Fair Employment Practices signaling their commitment to adopt fair employment practices, such as recruiting on the basis of merit and providing all employees with opportunities for training and development.

Our strong management-union relations have been nurtured and cultivated over the years at many levels.

In addition to the leaders meeting at the Public Sector Union Management Gathering, the PSD and AUPE also meet regularly, taking turns to host the PSD-NTUC/AUPE Gatherings every six months to discuss major HR and Industrial Relations issues.

Through such consultative meetings, both unions and management work towards consensus for the best interest of the Public Service and of public officers.

At the staff level, there is an Attachment Programme where HR officers in the Public Service are attached to NTUC/unions for a period of 3 months to better understand the intricacies of industrial relations issues.

This programme started in 2005 and is into its third run. Currently, two HR officers, one from PSD and the other from Health Promotion Board, are attached to NTUC, to better understand the operational issues related to grievance handling, collective bargaining and organisational restructuring.

The importance of labour-management relations is also emphasised in the HRM course conducted by the Civil Service College.

A module on Industrial Relations is included in this core training programme that all public sector HR officers go through.

Earlier in the year, in conjunction with the salary revisions in the Civil Service, I had informed Parliament that we would be reviewing the various schemes of service as well as jobs.

This is to make sure that our human resource policies and approach continue to be relevant to the needs of the Service, while providing for meaningful and challenging careers for the officers.

Since then, PSD has actively sought feedback from our officers, ministries and the unions on what we could improve on.

We are now studying how to make the jobs and schemes more attractive. We are also looking at career advancement and progression, job challenges as well as training and development of the officers.

The Civil Service will also place greater emphasis on identifying, developing and rewarding officers with the capability to take on greater responsibilities.

Officers with the potential and drive will be given more opportunities to be stretched.

The review is progressing well and we expect to announce some of the changes in a few months' time.

I would now like to mention a few Schemes specifically.

For the Management Support Scheme and the Technical Support Scheme, we are looking at ways to make a career in these schemes more meaningful, and how to better recognize those who perform well.

The Civil Service is also working to enhance and re-design the jobs of Corporate Support Officers (CSO) and Operations Support Officers (OSO), to add value to their work.

We have engaged consultants to assist us in this project. AUPE is represented in the Steering Committee.

PSD will be embarking on 3 pilot projects towards the end of this year before implementing changes across the service.

In the process of the job re-design, we are also taking the opportunity to introduce structured training and upgrading for our junior officers so that they can remain employable.

This would include giving them skills for employability, beyond the current job, and even beyond the Civil Service.

Going forward, as we strengthen the link between pay and performance, improvements will be made to the performance management system. This is to assure our officers that we have a fair and objective system.

PSD has recently issued a circular stating that all supervisors in the Civil Service as well as the statutory boards will be required to conduct formal 6-monthly work reviews with their officers. This will allow for regular and constant feedback and dialogue between the supervisor and staff. Such regular discussions would not only focus on work targets and performance, but also touch on other important aspects such as training and development, and career development. To do a good job at this, supervisors, of course, will be trained.

A performance management system is as good as the people using it, so we will spare no efforts to train our people, both supervisors and the staff themselves. All officers in the Civil Service who hold supervisory responsibilities are required to undergo training in performance management. I understand some Ministries actively prepare and train their supervisors before each annual appraisal cycle.

But I would also like to encourage officers to take responsibility for their own careers. While we have in place checks and balances on supervisors' grading of officers through cross-ranking exercises to ensure that the appraisal is fair and objective, our officers must seize the opportunities for themselves. They should also reflect on what they would like out of their career, be open to training and postings and be positive about learning new skills. This way, our staff can be helped to succeed quickly.

I would now like to say a few words about looking after our older workers.

The Prime Minister has said at the National Day Rally that the Government will introduce re-employment legislation to take effect on 1 Jan 2012. The Civil Service has started work in this area. PSD is working with the Ministries to put in place a holistic approach to help prepare both the agencies and older workers for re-employment. It has begun work with 3 pilot sites – Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs.

We will then extend the framework to other Ministries after the 1-year pilot phase. In short, the public sector will actively examine how we can better tap on older workers in the Service.

We want our people to age graciously and productively. And we will work with NTUC and AUPE on this.

It is important to note that meaningful re-employment need not be to the same job or the same job scope. This is a matter of attitude and outlook. For example, the Ministry of Education has an Adjunct Teachers scheme which provides opportunities for retiring or retired teachers to continue to contribute with a different scope and at a different pace. Some teachers prefer to move into a different area altogether, working as school counsellors instead of continuing to teach. Their teaching experience provides a rich resource and backdrop for counselling, care and guidance work.

Whatever the scheme, the intention must be to match the desires and abilities of the officers with the needs and requirements of the organisation.

In some instances, it may be necessary to redesign jobs to provide a wider range of work for older workers.

In other instances, it may call for upgrading of skills and learning new skills.

This is where union leaders can help the process - you can help our staff prepare for and be receptive to the transition that they will have to make.

I am glad to note that NTUC/AUPE and PSD, have already started work in this area of older workers.

They have organised workshops for HR and line managers in the public sector to share best practices as well as explore new ideas to enhance the employability and employment of older workers. Three workshops have been held and were well received by participants. This proactive partnership is a win-win for all parties. This a good start.

To manage the varied demands on our organizations as well as on our employees' lives, it is important to have good work-life policies as it benefits both the organization and the employees.

For the employees, it helps them to strike a balance between work, family and personal interests.

For the organization, it helps to attract and retain talent as an employee who can better juggle work and personal interests will make for a more productive and committed workforce.

You may recall that I had announced just last month that every public sector agency would have a Work-Life Advocate and a Work-Life Ambassador over the next one year. This is to make sure that there are work-life policies in place and more importantly, that these policies work for the organization as well as the employees.

Work-life balance becomes even more important in the light of our moving to working beyond 62 years of age.

I have taken some time to deal with a few current issues of concern to the management and unions in the public sector.

Staff well-being and staff development are serious issues close to the hearts and minds of all present.

Both management and unions want a better life for our workers.

We want a better skilled workforce, one that can continue to contribute even in the golden years.

Issues such as salaries, employment and employability, and work life balance will continue to confront and challenge us all as we adjust to the fast changing and globalised world.

I have full confidence that with the unions working alongside the public sector management, we will be able to tackle the challenges successfully.

On this note, I wish one and all a Happy National Day and an enjoyable evening.

Thank you.

Mr Teo Wee Seng, Director of Personnel Policy Department, Public Service Division, (PSD), touched on the ABCs of the workshop during his address to management and union personnel at the 3rd Joint Workshop on Enhancing Employability and Employment of Older Work ers on 22 August 2007 at NTUC Centre.

A for Awareness – It is about creating awareness amongst participants in understanding some of the issues concerning re-employment of older workers, the implications of the upcoming legislative changes and the type of resources that they can tap on, eg. the Evergreen Connect and the Advantage funding. And to also increase awareness that older workers are part of a critical resource pool, that can be tapped on for our manpower needs.

B for Best Practices – Learning and knowing about the best practices shared by some of the government agencies such as Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to help their older workers.

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) has put in place Re-employment Policies & Practices for its older workers.

The Singapore Science Centre (SSC) provides Career Counselling for officers reaching retirement age to prepare them for retirement and a second career.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) introduces a pre-retirement planning and counselling programme for workers aged 50 and above.

C for Communications – Create the awareness that communications is the key to success in enhancing employability and re-employment of older workers.

Different levels of communications are at work. Firstly, communicating with your managers; prepare them early and change their mindsets on hiring or re-hiring of retired workers. Next, communicating with the older workers, preparing them to work longer, in a different capacity or on a contract basis. Thirdly, communicating with the unions, and to work in partnership with them on what is good for our older workers.

Earlier on, Mr Teo touched on the proposed legislative change by the government that would take place in 2012 to enable workers to work beyond 62. He shared that the government has started work in this area. PSD is working with ministries to put in place a holistic approach to help prepare both the agencies and older workers for re-employment. One initiative was the pilot project that PSD had started with three agencies namely, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore Police Force to introduce programmes such as career transition, retirement planning, job re-placement for officers who are hardworking, have good performance and are medically fit. Drawing from experience learnt, the framework would then be extended to other Ministries after the 1-year pilot phase.

Another initiative was the Evergreen Connect, the name bestowed for PSD's Mature Workers Database that has a repository of resumes of ex-civil servants who have agreed to participate in the government's initiative to re-employ them within the public sector. These individuals are well versed with the public sector procedures and policies and are best suited for jobs and roles that require pre-requisite knowledge of working in the public sector. They may also fill temporary or casual positions that require the recruited staff to hit the ground running from day one. Government agencies that need staff on a full time, part-time, or contract basis could contact Vital.org recruitment team, fill up a simple form and trigger the request. They just have to pay a token fee of $60 for each placement. As of July 2007, more than 400 retirees have registered with the database signalling their desire to work beyond 62.

PSD would look into the possibility of tapping more on the Advantage funding to improve the IT skills of retirees and older workers in the workforce. This is to close the skills gap of individuals who are not so proficient in this area, thereby enhancing their employability, and help them fill positions in government agencies that require such skills.

Some 80 HR personnel and line managers from government agencies together with union officials participated in the one-day workshop to explore new ideas and create possibilities to enhance the employability and employment of older workers.

Ms Rose Tan from MDA shares her ideas from the MICA family.

Besides the sharing by PUB and SPF on their programmes to help older workers, participants also learned more about the Advantage! Scheme that supports companies with funding to help them recruit, retain and re-employ older workers and the NTUC Seniors Employment Guidance Programme to help older workers manage their finances, ageing process, re-employment and social engagement.

PSD would follow up with ministries and government agencies on the ideas and fi