Employment Relations And Trade Unions In Singapore

The Role of Trade Unions in Singapore

Question:

Discuss about the Topical Employment Relations Issue In the Singapore.

The employment relation is depending on the collective behavioral change and explores the key themes of human capital, collectivism, and changes in the employment process. In Singapore, the under-developed economic mitigation process and create a collective arena of the strong tripartite relationship between government, employees, and union is the concern matter of that. People’s Action Party (PAP) has taken over the government (Mom.gov.sg, 2018). Eastern economy is somehow depending on that nation. A strong relationship is needed through the action and behavior in the workplace. In Singapore, a blend of Asian and Chinese cultural people presents and the traditional value and systems have faced some diversified options. Organization’s practices and policies need to be motivating for the employees so that psychological contrast will be mitigated in a reformed formation and a good labor force initiation has been formulated by the nation.

A trade union is an association of workers and their aim to regulate the employees’ through motivation and behavioral approach. Promoting good industrial approach is the between employer and workers are the concern reason behind that. Working environment as well as the social and economic status of employees needed to be improved (Lakhani, Kuruvilla & Avgar, 2013). Every individual union is not beneficial for the large-scale market, but these unions are important for the small-scale business direction and increase the economy with the trade regulations and laws. A controlled pricing format and control over any kinds of service has been provided by the Singapore union sections. Government initiations in such cases are important and ensure quality works from them. Most of the Singapore unions are depending on the foreign investment. In case of an airline, insurance, and other factors in unions responsibilities will enhance as per the government system supports that situation. Unions are attracting foreign investors and that is the reason the outcomes of the products are needed to be fruitful for the development of the nation’s economy.

The unique role presented by PAP and NTUC are important in this factor. A diverse culture is another responsibility that Singapore unions are providing through their work culture (Mom.gov.sg, 2018). The controlled government initiation is the most effective formation that these unions are doing in favor of the nation. The culture of reinvestment has been started from these Singapore unions. Natural resources of Singapore are not sufficient and that is the reason behind reusing the resources (Kim & Bae, 2017). Employees’ welfare and opportunities are provided in union-related cases and through the employment act as well. Union as a traditional sense of the word used as the short term workload handling but in case of huge foreign investment, the union hires some employees to complete the work in an efficient way. People are happily come to work in those places as the government of Singapore has provided a safeguard in employment and declare some legislation, so that people can get their wage and feel workplace satisfaction as well.

Trade Union Act and Trade Disputes Act

Trade Union Act 2004 was a revised module of trade regulation that influences the union business tradition in Singapore. The union affairs, study custody and choice of union votes and free election process are controlled by this act (Mom.gov.sg, 2018). The act basically regulated the trade union activities and underlines the production agreement as well.

Trade Disputes Act (Cap 331) is the process of industrial action and lockouts. In case of conducting any foreign investment or planning for the new innovative process this act and regulation imposed over the situation.

Part III of the Criminal law is a temporary provisions act that imposed over the prevention of strikes and lockouts in the service area. In different cases, companies are not liable for each situation. Union employees and workers are stated some invalid designation or promotion from the company which is not possible for the company at all (Mom.gov.sg, 2018). Singapore Labour Foundation Act (Cap 302) is also taking care of the employees and their families. In case of further development of the trade union and any movement from the trade union are initiated by them. 

Almost 800,000 workers and 70 unions are works under the NTUC in Singapore. NTUC has the tripartite partners with Singapore National Employers Federation and Ministry of Manpower (Fitch & Desai, 2012). There are some skill and training issues and employment practice is the major reason behind that. The progressive employment practice is the major reasons behind the tripartism model. Labour management, economic competency and overall progression of the nation are three main factor of this model. The labor-management encourages the union leaders’ perspective to think over the economic success by drilling with foreign investors. The industrial Relation Act regulates the relationship between the employees and prevents trade settlement bargaining and individual disputes as well (Lewis et al., 2015). The arbitration and conciliation are the factors that come in case of industrial regulation and to maintain the economic development of the country. In case of the overcome challenges in union’s economic related issues, the tripartite advisory practice has been introduced by the Singapore government. 

Collective bargaining process is initiated by the labor union of Singapore. In this process, all the bargaining and negotiation process has underpinned with the collective force of consequence. There are some negotiations happened between the employers and trade union. In that case, a collective agreement has been signed and Industrial Arbitration Court for Certificate has initiated the whole operation after the one week of signing. Ministry of Manpower is working over the conciliation assistance (Xanthopoulou, Bakker & Ilies, 2012). Workers and employers are the concerning aspects of the progress situation of the organization; in that case, the application of the IAC is act as the collective agreement is important (Sgforums.com, 2018). IAC escalate some trade dispute case and all attempted conciliations have failed to reach the attempted mark. In case of filling the application in IAC, there is a different channel for a collective agreement and that will make the mark as a reinstated form of employment.

The Tripartism Model in Singapore

Monetary Authority of Singapore has provided some stats that show that the rate of employment rate has not changed in case of surveying overall people in Singapore. At the end of the year, 2.4% unemployment rate remains same and trade union sections in Singapore have got a threat over this situation (Sgforums.com, 2018). Redundancy in case of trade disagreement and sector establishment in Singapore union sectors are the most impactful process that manpower research statics has provided. In many cases, progressive wage model can be used in Singapore to follow the issues happened in Union section (Warner, 2013). In case of the government initiation, most of the trade unions are fragmentized into the section and that will help in the problem-solving situation. There is a battle going on for the survival of workers commitment and evaluate the aspect of the developed framework to control the obstacle. The unions need to set their wage level so that workers can get a reasonable amount of salary.

In case of the employee management all the job opportunities are highlighting low underemployment rates in Singapore, still, workers are reluctant to join the work. Other developed countries like UK and Germany are also facing the same problem when the corporate cloud has overshadowed the small unions and their business procedures (Fossum, 2014). German government declared an increase in payment so that employees will stick with their job in the union sections and larger foreign companies are influenced by the union companies to make a proper small business association with the organization. In the section of oil and gas, automobile, petroleum, ground workers’ union all these are concerned transformation of corporate world and workers are basically aligned with the path as well. Grade union and associated development is the major initiative taken by the UK government as well to sustain the union culture but in most of the cases, regarding promotion and work timing, workers are on strike and lockouts, these situations impact over the production as well (Lakhani, Kuruvilla & Avgar, 2013). Singapore is facing the same situation of labor problem as there is lack of efficient people persisted in the nation to convey the executive position in a responsible manner. This is the reason union has some disciplinary problem and government has authority to take charge of this section.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that the role of Singapore union in their economy in over-impressive and very much sound in some previous years but now some of the issues had come and mitigated the way of the development process. Singapore has implemented the tripartite system but the process is not as effective as desired. The job assurance is not there and the government is not provided any good approach to unions. The advantages are very less comparing to the issues and problems and that is the most concern handling Singapore has tried to cope up with so that union establishment and economic fledge can continue in the nation.

References

Fitch, K., & Desai, R. (2012). Developing global practitioners: Addressing industry expectations of intercultural competence in public relations graduates in Singapore and Perth. Journal of International Communication, 18(1), 63-78.

Fossum, J. A. (2014). Labor relations. Mcgraw Hill Higher Educat.

Kim, D. O., & Bae, J. (2017). Employment relations and HRM in South Korea. Taylor & Francis.

Lakhani, T., Kuruvilla, S., & Avgar, A. (2013). From the firm to the network: Global value chains and employment relations theory. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 51(3), 440-472.

Lakhani, T., Kuruvilla, S., & Avgar, A. (2013). From the firm to the network: Global value chains and employment relations theory. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 51(3), 440-472.

Lewis, H., Dwyer, P., Hodkinson, S., & Waite, L. (2015). Hyper-precarious lives: Migrants, work and forced labour in the Global North. Progress in Human Geography, 39(5), 580-600.

Mom.gov.sg (2018) About Trade Unions retrieved from: https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/trade-unions/about-trade-unions [Accessed on 8th March, 2018]

Sgforums.com (2018) what is the role of union in Singapore today retrieved from: https://sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/137594 [Accessed on 7th March, 2018]

Warner, M. (Ed.). (2013). Managing across diverse cultures in East Asia: issues and challenges in a changing globalized world. Routledge.

Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., & Ilies, R. (2012). Everyday working life: Explaining within-person fluctuations in employee well-being. Human relations, 65(9), 1051-1069.