Dispute resolution process to be put in place for mid-level professionals

[Source: ChannelNewsAsia]

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will introduce an employment dispute resolution process to help junior and mid-level professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) earning up to S$4,500 and their employers address common employment issues.

These include salary arrears, retrenchment benefit payment and other employment-related contractual issues.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday this process will be in place next year.

Speaking at an industry conference, he said that as their representation in the workforce grows, more PMEs may face employment-related issues. They now form more than half of the local workforce, up from around 40 per cent a decade ago.

The dispute resolution process would primarily involve the use of mediation. It will ride on the existing tripartite partnership with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

Explaining the process, Mr Gan said MOM would lead the mediation session, with the support of SNEF and NTUC.

PMEs who are union members, but are not eligible for collective bargaining or limited representation, may make use of this proposed mediation process.

If the dispute cannot be resolved through mediation, the PME employee may pursue his claims through the civil courts. In addition, he may refer disputes on salary claims for adjudication by MOM.

Mr Gan said the setting up of this new dispute resolution process will help save PMEs and their employers the cost of going through the civil court route by giving them the opportunity to mediate at an early stage, with assistance from tripartite partners.

Through this tripartite partnership approach, MOM believes that many of such disputes could be resolved amicably.

The exact details are currently being worked out in consultation with the tripartite partners.

Employers say a quick way to resolve disputes is necessary.

“Salary disputes and retrenchment disputes, all these are money issues,” said Stephen Lee, president of SNEF. “If you can settle it quickly, and you can just get on with life, rather than have it protracted. And some of these sums are not really big enough for the PMEs to want to take it to court and hire a lawyer.”

The ministry is expecting the revised dispute resolution process to benefit more than 500,000, or half of all PMEs in the workforce as well as their employers.

Mr Gan also raised the issue of productivity. To address low productivity growth, he said companies must find innovative ways of delivering higher value products and services, redesign their systems for greater efficiency, invest in technology and train their workers.

CNA: Employment prospects set to become vibrant this year

SINGAPORE: According to the Hudson Report, hiring expectations have not been so high since 1998 when it first started issuing such reports.

Of the over 1,500 key employment decision makers in Asia surveyed, 51 per cent of bosses expect more hiring to take place in the first quarter of this year.

This is quite a contrast indeed from the previous quarter when the figure was 34 per cent.

Last year, employees suffered pay cuts and restructuring seemed to be the order of the day. It was even worse for graduates entering the workforce for the first time.

But now, besides better hiring prospects, employees can expect more money as well. Respondents in most industries expect to pay higher salaries to attract talent. In fact, only eight per cent said they will not be increasing wages.

According to the survey, most are planning to give out much higher bonus payments this year. In fact, about 74 per cent of them plan to pay discretionary year-end bonuses for 2009.

Even though the overall mood seems buoyant, some analysts remain cautious.

Jimmy Koh, UOB economist, said: “It is recovering and it is normalising – even the expectations of hiring is a normalisation process, but it will take a while because 70 per cent of global GDP is still struggling.”

David Ang, executive director, Singapore Human Resource Institute, said: “You’ll probably get these people on contract basis, on part-time basis, on project basis and so on.

“So, while there’s increased hiring, I think one also needs to see in what way these are the permanent employment opportunity vis-a-vis other types of employment opportunities.”

The survey said hiring expectations are very high for the banking and financial sector. Another sector reflecting major expectations of job opportunities is the media, advertising and public relations industry. – CNA/vm

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Singapore banks on hiring binge: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_475246.html

But are they a little too trigger-happy in their approach, given how the global financial sector is still “fragile” according to the chairman of the FSB?

Let’s not create a situation where we over-hire, and then let go of headcounts when things take a dip along the way, shall we?

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5 CDCs to focus on helping retrenched PMETs look for new jobs.
Story at ChannelNewsAsia: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1028930/1/.html

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