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Staying Alive in a Global Jungle

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Staying Alive in a Global Jungle 60 cents ce s | http://www.ntucthisweek.org.sg p // uc s eek.org.sg | MICA (P) 295/10/2007 25 JULY 2008 Pg 4 Pg 5 Giving Stagfl ation And Be Connected And Win A D-Link WDS Organises Mass Pg Spirit Of SSEU Pg Congestion A Wide Berth Pan & Tilt Wireless Internet Camera Hotel Recruitment Drive 6 Soldiers On 11 Staying Alive In A Global Jungle “In Singapore, we cannot simply attempt to offset By the expected infl ation rate of fi ve to six per cent this year Naseema Banu Maideen with wage increases. This will gradually translate to a wage-price spiral, and a second round of infl ation, which has the potential effect to undermine our economic ou are caught in a wild jungle, with tigers on competitiveness.” the loose. Your adrenalin is pumping and you Singapore has scored well over the years because of think desperately: “What can I do?” Take the its ability to tackle the “same, same problems across the most practical step - take to your heels and world with different solutions”, said Mr Lim. run. In response to questions from the graduands YNot because you can outrun the tigers but at least, on ways to help workers cope with the infl ationary you can outrun others caught in the same bind, and be pressures, Mr Lim said this was best done through well ahead of them. If the tigers were hungry, they’d be enhancing the value of jobs, hence helping workers satiated by the time they do catch up with you. earn more, through quality training and skills upgrading This down-to-earth story was used by NTUC initiatives. Secretary-General Lim Swee Say to capture Singapore’s economic strategy against the current economic backdrop. Mr Lim was addressing the graduands of the Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies at a dialogue session on 15 July 2008. Global economies look to be heading for stagfl ation and Singapore, on its own, will not be able to resist infl ation and slow growth – but it can strive to perform better than the other countries in the world. Words Of Assurance… SG Lim (fourth from left) is confi dent that Singapore will pull through this economic slowdown. Get more mileage and petrol savings with NTUC Plus Enjoy an extra 5% petrol discount + additional 3% rebates* at all Caltex Stations in Singapore! ONLY for NTUC Plus Members ^ FEE NO ANNUAL CARD Sign up today at ntuc.org.sg and be rewarded! *5% station discount, 5% petrol discount (payment with NTUC Plus) Plus an additional 3% rebates will be credited in your monthly statement subject to a min. $300 nett petrol spending in a calendar month ^Prevailing monthly NTUC membership still apply. Other terms and conditions apply. Please log on to ntucplus.com.sg for details. NNTUCTW25July08.indTUCTW25July08.ind 1 77/24/08/24/08 11:41:12:41:12 PPMM otcigraduandsdialogue • workingfor 3 Better Lives, Even In A Slowdown Some key takeaways shared by NTUC By Naseema Banu Maideen Secretary-General Lim Swee Say at the session. he Labour Movement has put in place many programmes to help Building A Strong Fort workers live better, programmes Our strength of tripartism did not come that can withstand the heat of easy. Leaders in the Labour Movement both infl ation and slow growth. have built such solid foundations over time. TIn a dialogue at the Ong Teng Cheong “Leaders of today should build on these Institute of Labour Studies on 15 July foundations and strengthen them. Our ties of 2008, NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee tripartism are very strong at the highest level. We Say reassured the graduands that the have to keep striving to ensure that this effect is Labour Movement will continue to do trickled down to all levels. It is a process that will whatever is necessary to help workers take time; we will keep working to achieve that.” tackle infl ation. For example, the e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) was set up Helping The Hardest Hit in February this year with a series of The contract workers in our workforce are programmes to train the unemployed for among the hardest hit, especially in times jobs. It also trains those who already have of rising cost of living. We, as a Labour Movement, jobs, to tackle even higher-value ones. “can help them tide over by guiding them to ways The e2i also serves as a platform to match of earning better wages. Through initiatives like employers’ and employees’ needs in the the NTUC Job Re-creation Programme, they can job market. upgrade themselves to be employed in better jobs Mr Lim highlighted one such for a better living. This will be an ongoing journey.” programme, the Employability Camp, which equips the long-term unemployed with the right skills and frame of mind to Taking Stress In enter the workforce. There is also an enhanced version The Right Stride of this programme - Employability Camp The reason why Singapore is more Plus, which runs over a longer period of successful than many other countries is time. This helps those who need more not because we have less stress but because intensive training before they take that “we have been able to manage the stress better step. than anyone else. The ability to cope with stress Today, 70 per cent out of the 100 who is what makes Singapore competitive. The NTUC were on the EC Plus have already found does its part in various ways. The NTUC’s Family a job. Development Unit rolls out events that promote Through such drives, and with the family bonding; The NTUC Club has embarked support of a strong tripartite partnership, workers will fi nd that they can command on regular activity days, especially for low-wage better jobs and better pay packages in workers and their families, at no cost at all. It’s the market. This is the way to go in their all about changing your mindset and looking at pursuit of tackling the challenges of the stress healthily.” current economic climate, said Mr Lim. A Member In Need Is A Union Indeed then secured a reasonable retrenchment By package for the affected workers and on top Khoo Li Peng of this, the CIEU negotiated successfully for Senior Industrial Relations Offi cer, CIEU an additional lump sum of $16,000 from the company for the CIEU’s distribution to its 16 t was a trying period for workers at union members. Mediagate Private Limited. The company “The CIEU was resilient in its negotiation had decided to terminate its manufacturing with the management for the extra lump operations by end August 2008. sum payment to union members. Protecting However, the Chemical Industries members’ interests continues to be our IEmployees’ Union stepped in swiftly and priority,” said the CIEU President Rajendran s/o offered a helping hand to these workers, in Govindarajoo. particular the 16 union members affected. At the retrenchment exercise, the CIEU The union started negotiations with the gave out $50 worth of NTUC FairPrice Through Both Good And Trying Times… CIEU President Rajendran s/o Govindarajoo expresses the union’s appreciation to Mediagate Branch company, which manufactures CD-ROMs and vouchers to its 16 members, to thank them for Secretary Leow Chew Kok other disc forms for optical media replication, being long-time members. almost immediately after the company told The CIEU also keeps in touch with its in other sectors, connecting with other unions. the union it wanted to stop its Singapore branches – it is a channel, matching job Retrenchments are hard for everyone, but operations. vacancies to the workers’ profi le. At the same as the example of the CIEU has shown, being a This was in early June 2008. The union time, the CIEU also explored job opportunities union member does make a crucial difference. NNTUCTW25July08.indTUCTW25July08.ind 3 77/24/08/24/08 22:43:01:43:01 PPMM 4 workingfor • thisweekinparliament NTUC Media Co-operative Limited Chairman Seah Kian Peng [email protected] Chief Executive Offi cer Seng Han Thong [email protected] Chief Operating Offi cer Alvin Wong Pek Kin [email protected] Giving Stagfl ation The NTUC This Week Team Managing Editor Shirley Tan-Oehler [email protected] Contributing Editor Leong Ching Deputy Editor Low Wee Poh [email protected] And Congestion Senior Journalist Marcus Lin [email protected] Journalists Jansen Yeo [email protected] Naseema Banu Maideen [email protected] Sim Wei Fang [email protected] A Wide Berth Executive Editor Ho Seo Teck (Chinese) [email protected] Journalist Wong Teck Tian (Chinese) [email protected] By based on the latest GDP estimates. amount of support to the economy Art Director Marcus Lin, Jansen Yeo and Edmund Seah Naseema Banu Maideen This is within our medium term for the rest of the year. These new [email protected] Executive Designers potential rate of growth of 4-6 projects will give rise to new activity Mohamed Nasuhar Soeyoeti [email protected] read-and-butter per cent. Our job market remains and help to create new jobs.” Charles Chong concerns dominated healthy. In the fi rst quarter of He added that “the [email protected] Resident Photographer the Parliament sitting the year, more than 73,000 jobs Government has put in place Alvin Toh Sales on 21 July 2008. Even were created, and unemployment several measures to dampen Joseph Loh [email protected] as the Government remains low. infl ation and to help Singaporeans Jimmy Lim Bvoiced its concerns with a declining “Whilst the momentum of cope with the higher cost of living”.
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