Trade unions play a significant role in enhancing the relations between the workers and the employers. The primary goal of the trade unions is to enhance good industrial relations. Besides, trade unions are critical in championing for the improvement of both social status and economic conditions of employees. Also, trade unions help in enhancing productivity for the benefit of the employer and the workers (Brown, 2015).In Singapore for example; there is no legislation that has provisions for civil unrest. However, workers unions in Singapore play a significant role in representing issues that are of concern to workers in the development of the partnership with the government so as to enhance positive industrial relations.
Has the role of unions in Singapore changed as the economy has developed
The role of trade Unions in Singapore, which was initially characterized by industrial unrests, has tremendously changed as the economy of Singapore develops. While work unrest is a commonly acceptable phenomenon in the labor movement, the practice is almost unheard of in the Republic of Singapore. This is evident by a track record of peaceful industrial relations that has guaranteed investors and business owners the safety of their business ventures are a surety against loss. The peaceful nature of the Singapore's industrial relations has been integral in the competitive nature of the Singapore's economy. Wood (2015) opines that the tranquility in the labor relation has been facilitated by the adoption of the tripartisan model which encourages social partnership between the government, the employer and the workers in solving labor related issues. The tripartite partnership encourages the warring factions to negotiate labor related issues with a strict commitment to the best interest of the national social and economic objectives while at the same time promoting the welfare and the working conditions of the employees.
The 1941 Trade Unions Act is the supreme law that governs the industrial relations in Singapore. Most of the trade unions are affiliated to the National Trade Union Congress, an association that is associated to the federation of trade unions. According to Tan (1999), NTUC has a representation of over 500,000 laborers in Singapore who comes from over 80 affiliate unions. The affiliate unions are represented by delegates who meet twice a year to review the activities of NTUC and map out future strategies for the Singapore's labor movement.
In Singapore, all individuals who are 16 years and above can join a trade union voluntarily. The 1960 industrial relations Act also have provisions for both the executives and the employees to form separate trade unions. Besides, Lim (2014) reiterates that the government employees are prohibited being members of trade unions unless they get authorization from the Singapore’s president.
Unlike in other developed countries whereby trade unions have powers to represent its members, the industrial relation Act of Singapore requires the employer to recognize a trade union formally before initiating a collective bargaining agreement. For a trade union to be recognized, the workers union has to serve the employer with a recognition claim. The employer has authority to accept the claim or can choose to write to the commissioner of labor in case there is a dispute over representation since employees are allowed to join different trade unions. The labor commissioner in collaboration with the employer may arrange for a secret ballot. If the results of the secret ballot reveal that majority of the workers are represented by the trade union, then the negotiations can be initiated. This phenomenon tends to reduce the powers and the roles of trade unions in Singapore. Also; the law has provisions that allow employees who are working for the same organization to join different trade unions of their choice a fact that has weakened the power of trade unions in Singapore.
If either of the parties is uncooperative in the negotiations, the commissioner for labor can arbitrate the talks. The commissioner can then write to the registrar and the minister of labor if no agreement is reached, the case is taken to the arbitration court and the ruling by the court is binding. These leaves trade unions with no provision of staging industrial arrests in Singapore.
A study by Han et al. (2010) highlights that; the law in Singapore does not allow the trade unions to take industrial action. Generally; no strike has taken place in Singapore in the recent past. However, the industrial relation only allows employees to strike by taking industrial action through conducting a secret ballot in support of the trade dispute. The law prohibits strikes because it leads to the stoppage of work which can cripple the economy.
Trade unions in Singapore have plain a significant role in enhancing the economy of the country. A peaceful working environment has attracted many people to invest in the Singapore’s economy. For instance, the labor relation laws allow picketing as long as it does not disrupt the operations in a company. Also, the law prohibits the assembly of large groups of employees. Any violence resulting from the assembly amounts to the breach of law a fact that may make the state press criminal sanctions. This has seen the role of the Trade Unions change from the agitation of the employees' rights to partners of government in matters of economic development (SNEF et al., 2002).
Tripartisan is a guiding principle that informs the activities of trade unions in Singapore. According to Glynn (2013), tripartisan principals advocates for peaceful and harmonious industrial relations so as to enhance economic stability and allows the employees to continue working as the two sides negotiate about issues that affect workers.
The close collaboration between the government, trade unions, and the employers has been critical in enhancing economic development. All the parties jointly tackle industrial and manpower issues. The primary objective of the partnership is to establish appropriate legislations that support the long-term objectives of the nation. Every year, the National Wages Council is tasked with the responsibility of the development and implementation of the new guidelines for the adjustment of the wages. These have made many people avoid joining trade unions since their salary issues are always taken care of by the NEC.
In 1972, the government established the NWC to review the state the Singapore’s economy and advise the state on the wage guidelines and policies. The government, trade unions and the association of employers nominate individuals who sit in the NWC.The recommendations from the NWC are always binding when accepted by the government since they serve as the basis for negotiations between trade unions, employers and employees.
During the economic downturn of the 1990s, many Singapore workers were retrenched. The government established a tripartite panel in 1998 to look into issues of the retrenched workers. The principal role of the panel was to advise the government and the organizations that laid off employees on how to minimize the laying off of employees. The recommendations of the tripartite panel lead to the establishment of two programs which include the Employment assistance programs and the Retrenchment advisory program which advice the employers to develop alternative strategies to retrenchment like reducing the working hours for each employee.
Tripartism has helped in the establishment of critical institutions in Singapore which are responsible for both social and economic advancements. The structural foundation of tribalism is significant in the development processes that help in the alignment of the interests of the state, workers and the employers for the benefit of the nation. The harmonious engagement between the stakeholders in the industrial relations has enabled the businesses to enjoy profitability due to due to access to high-quality employees at competitive rates that are regulated by the state. The profit realized by the businesses is plowed back to the economy (Fashoyin, 2010).
(b). Are unions experiencing same loss of membership as other developed countries
The tripartite model of the Singapore’s labor relations is widely recognized. Countries like the UK, Australia, and Ireland have embraced the model for collective bargaining strategy owing to an increase in cases where some workers unions are scrambling for members. Proponents of the model allude that Singapore has been able to have peaceful labor relations which have seen employers being shielded from making losses in the event of industrial unrests. However, Corby and Latreille (2012) are critical of the tripartite model as it is considered to be a tool for bureaucratic and authoritarian engagements. The tripartisan model has turned the former vibrant trade unions into being an arm of the government that helps the state to control labor relations and the interest of the businessmen. This has forced many workers to avoid trade unions are they are powerless institutions that operate at the mercy of the government.
Also, trade unions in Singapore have accepted the moderation of the salaries by the state in return for the economic stability. The trade unions advocate for the distribution of the economic gains by advocating for the employment of all individuals instead of protecting the interest of a few unionized employees. The industrial relations Act prohibit government employees from being members of the trade union a fact that has seen a loss of membership in Singapore's trade unions (Chew, 2014).
The cultural foundation of the tripartism which is founded on the building of trust and the balancing of the conflicting interests of the warring parties has cultivated the culture of understanding and consensus building. This has made the employees under the umbrella of the NTUC to distance themselves from trade unions that advocate for confrontational approaches. The trade unions have transformed into agents of development and modernization who work for in support of the national economic growth agenda instead of industrial unrests. Many employees in the developed countries like Ireland have dissociated themselves from joining trade unions since their labor-related issues are well taken care of by a centralized body under the patronage of the state. This has seen a reduction in trade union membership in Ireland.
Many employees in Singapore relies entirely on the Ministry of Manpower for action if there is an industrial dispute a fact that makes them not rely on the power of trade unions.This is because the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore is the one responsible for the formulation and enforcement of the labor policies. The government intervenes in all cases that involve unfair termination of employees thus rendering trade unions obsolete (Glynn, 2013).
The formation of the NTUC by the government was a calculated move that was meant to weaken the power of the trade unions. This is because the organization is not a government agency nor does it have an official sitting in the government. The primary role of the NTUC is to enhance the working conditions of the employees and the improvement of the socio-economic status of the workers. The trade unions in Singapore has lost most of its members because the unions are not fighting for the rights of the employees rather, they are siding with the government.
Another reason workers are leaving trade unions in Singapore is that trade unions do not have powers to negotiate the aspects of employment with the employers. Practices like the hiring of the workers and firing is still a prerogative of the employer. The unions do not have powers to influence on who the employer hire or terminate.
In Singapore, the government has set the minimum wage for employees in various sectors of the economy. However, most of the employees do not take the minimum wage jobs. The employers are well aware that if they set the salary at the minimum wage level, it will be difficult to attract potential employees in their organization (Brown, 2015). This is because Singapore has a low unemployment rate a fact that compels employers to provide competitive salaries so as to attract and retain highly qualified employees. Since most of the employees in Singapore are paid well, many workers have opted not to join trade unions since there are no salary problems.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that trade unions play a phenomenon role of enhancing the rights of the employees, many employees in Singapore are leaving trade unions. This is because the tripartite model of Singapore labor relation allows the government, the workers, and the employers to discuss issues affecting employees instead of industrial actions. Also, the trade unions in Singapore are partners through the NTUC.These phenomenon has made trade unions to be powerless fact that makes most of the workers not to see the need for joining trade unions. Government employees are also not allowed to be members of trade unions. Furthermore, Singapore provides competitive remunerations compared to other developed countries a fact that has seen a reduction in members of trade unions since the issues of salaries are almost nonexistence.
References
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