Individual training account
According to the Straits Times news report “NTUC calls for new training account to help Singaporean workers upgrade their skills” (Jan 26) – “The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on Monday (Jan 26) called for the setting up of an individual training account – Skillsave account – for every Singaporean worker.
The Labour Movement said it has been lobbying for such an account to be set up for workers since the early 1990s. A similar training initiative set up in the 2000s with four of NTUC’s social enterprises ended in 2009.”
Workers have been asking since 1980s
This is not new. Since the early 1980s, workers and educationists have been calling for training subsidies to be given directly to the worker, instead of literally putting workers at the mercy of their employers, because employers have to agree, apply and pay for the training fees essentially first.
Why take more than 20 years to lobby?
The $64,000 question is why has our labour movement has failed our workers for more than 20 years in this regard, since “it has been lobbying for such an account to be set up for workers since the early 1990s”?
Also, why did it terminate “a similar training initiative set up in the 2000s with four of NTUC’s social enterprises” which ended in 2009″? Why end it in 2009, but now bring it up again?
Failed to protect workers
The labour movement has also failed to protect and fight for the rights of Singaporean workers.
Almost half the workforce are not Singaporeans or originally Singaporeans.
The real basic, gross and total wage growth have also hardly increased in the last 16 years or so.
Many Singaporeans are unemployed, long-term unemployed, under-employed or became economically inactive.
Win battles lose war
TRS Contributor