SURVEY of 160 companies shows that more than half would resort to flexible work arrangements to stave off retrenchments.
About 56 per cent of the firms polled by the Singapore National Employers Federation (Snef) said they would manage their costs aggressively — a sign that these companies are prepared to consider retrenchment only as a last resort. This, despite some of their order books being less than full.
Snef told Channel NewsAsia that its members find the tripartite guidelines on managing excess manpower realistic; federation chief Stephen Lee felt the survey results were encouraging.
“We are not against retrenchment. If a company needs to retrench to survive, it ought to do it,” he said. “We are only giving them a list of alternatives ... If the downturn should be short-lived, you can retain your talent and trained workforce.”
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said employers do not have to be afraid of Singapore’s labour movement, as it knows what it is doing in its task of protecting workers’ interests.
Far from tripartism losing steam, the recent unhappiness surrounding DBS Bank’s retrenchment exercise has allowed both its union and the bank to further strengthen their relationship, NTUC felt. Said deputy secretary general Mr Heng Chee How: “If a company starts taking unannounced unilateral action, it frightens everybody and upsets the system.
“Tripartism here recognises reality quickly and it is responsive and also responsible. So let’s put our heads together and do the most sensible thing, and take care of the side effects and the displacements
- Channel News Asia
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