~ Labour Movement grows as 124 Singapore SMEs unionise, including some which did so voluntarily ~
~ New platform launched to boost worker engagement ~
NTUC U Small and Medium Enterprises (U SME) marked its 10th anniversary with the inaugural U SME Members Night at PARKROYAL on Beach Road, celebrating a decade of building stronger workplaces for workers in Singapore’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The event brought together more than 20 SMEs and over 200 SME workers for an evening of celebration. The event was graced by NTUC President K Thanaletchimi, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, and NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Director of U SME Yeo Wan Ling.
Unionisation among Singapore’s SMEs is on the rise. 124 SMEs have unionised over the past few years, with some choosing to do so voluntarily, as they recognise the benefits NTUC U SME brings to businesses and workers while fostering better work environments. NTUC U SME’s milestone year saw a record addition of more than 500 companies and over 1,700 new members. This expands its network to more than 1,500 SMEs.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said, “SME workers are an important segment of our workforce, with SMEs accounting for over 70 per cent of total employment. For the past 10 years, NTUC U SME and the wider NTUC ecosystem have worked hard to provide our SMEs and SME workers with structured support, resources and benefits, so that our SME workers can look forward to better wages, welfare and work prospects. We are glad that our efforts over the past decade have begun to bear fruit, with more SMEs and SME workers recognising the benefits they can enjoy and coming forward to join us as partners and members.”
A Decade of Supporting SMEs’ Business Transformation and Workers’ Development
Over the past decade, NTUC U SME has introduced a range of initiatives to better career progression, protections, and privileges for SME workers and support SMEs in their business needs. Key efforts include:
• Helping 70 SMEs develop transformation strategies that align with their business strategies and goals using the Operation & Technology Roadmap (OTR) to identify technologies and training needs to increase their competitive edge.
• Empowering over 1,500 SMEs to implement transformation plans to boost enterprise productivity and innovation while enhancing workers' career development and welfare, with the option to tap on the Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant.
• Supporting nearly 50 SMEs in building positive and productive workplaces through the NTUC In Your Workplace programme, benefiting over 1,500 members since its launch in 2021.
Mr Koh Yeow Koon, Managing Director of Seng Choon Farm Pte Ltd, shared, "As a local SME, Seng Choon was interested in riding the wave of transformation to benefit both the company and our workers. Since we started working with NTUC U SME and the Labour Movement, we have received their invaluable support and were able to leverage their experience, network and resources in driving transformation. According union recognition would allow Seng Choon to work even more closely with the Labour Movement, and was thus a natural next step for us. We encourage other SMEs to join NTUC U SME as well — it is a trusted partner that understands the needs of local SMEs, while prioritising the welfare and well-being of our workers.” Seng Choon Farm is a unionised partner under the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU).
New Platform to Enhance Worker Engagement
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, NTUC U SME launched the new “Build Your Own Party” platform at the U SME Members Night. Tailored specifically for SMEs, this platform was developed in response to feedback from both SMEs and SME workers, who expressed challenges in finding the time and resources to plan company activities. The “Build Your Own Party” platform aims to serve as a one-stop resource for accessible and affordable company activities, boosting SMEs’ capabilities to strengthen worker engagement and build a positive workplace culture.
The platform also aims to enable smaller companies and their workers to leverage the economies of scale typically enjoyed by larger organisations, allowing them to provide high-quality welfare and team-building activities for their workers. SMEs and their workers can sign up for NTUC U SME-organised events or source their own customised company activities with partner vendors on the “Build Your Own Party” platform. Notable vendors include Epic Workshops, which specialises in creative terrarium-building workshops; and City Sprouts, which runs urban farming and green workshops and events. Interested SMEs can explore offerings on the “Build Your Own Party” website. More deals will be added on the platform in time to come.
