Tripartite guidelines, advisories and standards
Tripartite guidelines and advisories are formulated by the tripartite partners – National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) – to provide frameworks, benchmarks and recommendations for employers to follow in response to changing trends in the economy and workforce or to crises that hit Singapore.
For example, tripartite guidelines and advisories have been issued for best employment practices like national wage guidelines, fair employment, flexible work arrangements, re-employment of older workers, best sourcing, managing workplace harassment, expanding scope of limited representation for executives, extending scope of union representation for executives, haze-related workplace measures and measures to tackle Influenza A (H1N1), MERS-CoV, and COVID-19. In times of crises, such as during the economic recession of 2008/9, the tripartite partners issued tripartite guidelines on managing excess manpower so that businesses could continue to operate while workers could continue to keep their jobs.
Tripartite Standards
The Tripartite Standards are a new tripartite initiative which helps organisations with good practices distinguish themselves. They complement our laws, Tripartite Guidelines and Advisories to increase the adoption of fair and progressive workplace practices in Singapore.
Tripartite Advisory on Best Sourcing Practices
Best sourcing entails awarding service contracts for outsourced functions based on factors that go beyond just price. This is in contrast to cheap sourcing where contracts are awarded to service providers solely on the basis of the lowest price. When service buyers emphasise service quality and outcomes rather than headcount in their contract terms, service providers are encouraged to improve productivity in the delivery of their services, workers benefit through better employment terms and conditions, and service buyers and consumers also potentially stand to benefit from services that are of higher quality.
The Tripartite Advisory on Best Sourcing Practices aims to provide more guidance to service buyers on progressive remunerations for workers, outcome-based contracting and fair contracting practices.
Tripartite Advisory on Provision of Rest Areas for Outsourced Workers
The Tripartite Advisory on Provision of Rest Areas for Outsourced Workers was released by NTUC, MOM and SNEF to provide recommendations to employers and building owners on the provision of proper and reasonable rest areas.
The Advisory acknowledges the important roles that outsourced workers play in keeping our environment clean, green and safe, and sets out recommendations to ensure outsourced workers have access to proper rest areas that they deserve. Service buyers stand to benefit from well-rested workers who will be more productive; and better employee retention as workers feel their welfare is being taken care of. NTUC strongly encourages service buyers to adopt the Tripartite Advisory.
Tripartite Advisory on Ensuring Sustainability of the Strata Management and Facility Management Sectors in view of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted managing agents’ (MAs) and facility management companies’ (FMCs) service delivery to management corporations (MCSTs) and building owners across Singapore. Service buyers, service providers, and workers have been adversely affected. MA and FM services generally require workers to be on-site. These service providers have been affected by the tightening of the number of workers able to do so. Therefore, MCSTs and building owners play a critical role in supporting operational changes that will enable MAs and FMCs to meet their expectations, while retaining their resident workers and continuing to develop their capabilities.
All stakeholders should share the responsibilities arising from changes to the MA and FM services required. Workers should be appropriately recognised and remunerated for any increased workload and risks they shoulder. This will ensure the sustainability of MA and FM operations and the service standards of MCSTs and building sites during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Tripartite Advisory on Ensuring Sustainability of Sectors in view of COVID-19
To date, various notable tripartite committees have been set up. These include the National Wages Council, Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices and Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers, among others.
In order to better achieve solutions for industry-wide issues, various sectoral tripartite clusters were set up by bringing together unions, management and the government agencies.
The primary purpose of these clusters is to look at how the Progressive Wage Model can be implemented in their industries or sectors; and setting targets for progressive wage increases specific to their industries, especially for the more vulnerable workers such as low-wage earners, women, and older workers. In addition, these tripartite clusters explore work areas that require strengthening so as to enhance productivity and competitiveness for their respective industries and work places.