1,494 workers will benefit from an average wage increase of 5.2 per cent above their annual increment. This is the average wage increase committed by 84 companies with approved Company Training Committee (CTC) Grants. These wage increases are intended to be above the workers’ annual increment. National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Secretary-General (SG) Ng Chee Meng shared this ahead of the NTUC National Delegates’ Conference (NDC) 2023 2 . He added that to date, over 1,700 CTCs 1 have been formed by NTUC and our affiliated unions.
Through CTCs, companies can transform their business operations, foster innovation and achieve higher productivity. Workers get relevant upskilling and reskilling in tandem with their company’s transformation. The CTC Grant funds company transformation projects to raise productivity, redesign jobs, and improve work prospects for workers
Emphasising how NTUC has made a difference in improving workers’ wages, SG Ng said, “Company Training Committees (CTC) are an NTUC innovation that creates good outcomes for workers and their companies. I’m heartened that 1,494 workers in 84 companies with the CTC Grant will see their wage increase by an average of 5.2 per cent, which is intended to be above their annual increment. Companies are using the CTC Grant to improve their business operations and train their workers. The boss is happy, the customers are happy, and most importantly to us, the workers are happy. NTUC calls on more companies to step forward so that we can work with you to support your business transformations and keep your workers happy.”
Visit to Dr.Bags, a SME that formed a CTC in February 2023 and received CTC Grant approval in October 2023
SG Ng and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) Desmond Tan visited the Dr.Bags (Leathersolution Pte. Ltd) headquarters on 16 November 2023 where they met the management and workers. The company formed a CTC with The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) in February 2023. It then embarked on the Operation and Technology Roadmap (OTR) facilitated by NTUC to help them leverage technology, redesign jobs and reskill its workforce to transform business operations. The company subsequently applied for the CTC Grant, which was approved in October 2023. It has committed to provide employees who have taken on new skills and redesigned jobs with a 5 per cent wage increase for almost half of its 40-strong workforce.
Through Dr.Bags’ CTC and OTR journey with NTUC and SMMWU, the company charted a five-year strategic business roadmap and scoped out the need to implement a customised Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to enhance business and manpower capabilities and improve productivity. The ERP system includes components like (a) asset management for active tracking of customers’ bags, (b) customer relationship management to better serve clients; and (c) accounting, sales and data management for enhanced sales and business decision making. As part of the business roadmap, the management identified 10 employees to embark on a Strategic Brand and Marketing Training Programme to expand their scope of work, while upskilling others through training at NTUC LearningHub. As a result of the CTC partnership, Dr.Bags also saw value in becoming a unionised company under SMMWU and is fully subsidising the union membership for its whole workforce as part of the company’s enhanced employee benefits.
6. Ms Lynn Kee, Co-founder of Dr.Bags, shared, "As a small- and medium-sized enterprise passionate about scaling artisanal craftsmanship, forming the CTC and joining hands with SMMWU, embarking on OTR workshops, and tapping on the CTC Grant have been game-changers for us. These steps have turbocharged our ability to work smarter by integrating digital tools, boosting our productivity, streamlining processes and optimising our operational efficiency. Recognising the value of our team, especially as a leader in our unique restoration field, we're thrilled to use the CTC Grant to further develop and uplift our workforce."
NTUC remains dedicated to establishing CTCs to help companies and workers
NTUC first mooted the CTC in February 2019 to bring unions and companies together to curate relevant skills upgrading for workers in tandem with business and industry transformations. Since then, more than 123,000 workers from across diverse sectors and industries have benefited from the various programmes and initiatives brought about by the CTCs. In 2023 alone, 658 CTCs have been formed as of 31 October 2023, almost doubling the number of CTCs formed in 2022. This increase shows that more companies are seeing the value that CTCs bring and in partnering NTUC to enhance their business capabilities and processes; redefine job roles, implement career development plans and upskill workers; and uplift productivity and achieve greater innovation. NTUC aims to form 2,500 CTCs by 2025.
The Government also provided a $100 million boost in February 2022 to scale up the CTC initiative, seeing the benefits of CTCs in helping companies, workers and Singapore’s economy. Launched on 1 August 2022 and administered by NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), the CTC Grant3 co-funds companies’ proposals that raise productivity, redesign jobs and improve work prospects for their workers.
For more information on the role of NTUC Training and Placement Ecosystem in supporting companies to form CTCs, please visit: https://www.ntuc.org.sg/tpe/.
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[1] Figures are as of 31 October 2023
[2] The NTUC National Delegates’ Conference (NDC) 2023 is held from 22 to 23 November 2023
[3] For more information on NTUC’s CTC Grant, see: https://www.e2i.com.sg/ctc/
