NTUC launched on 21 October 2022 Southeast Asia’s first labour journal, which incorporates peer-reviewed academic papers and practitioners’ insights.
The Labour Movement unveiled the Singapore Labour Journal at the NTUC Labour Research Conference 2022 held at the NTUC Centre.
The journal features a collection of insights on current labour issues, and new approaches and strategy for unions in Singapore and the world.
Besides research articles by academia, the inaugural edition also features brief reports and practitioners’ insights on various topics such as continuing education and training; mobilising and organising workers via digital means; supporting younger workers with their aspiration and needs; helping professionals, managers and executives (PME)s overcome disruptions; retirement and post-retirement employment; and the changing roles of NTUC in Singapore’s evolving work compact.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng calls the launch of the journal a milestone.
He said: “It captures the thinking on labour-related topics and experiences of work done by NTUC and our union leaders.
“It is another example of how NTUC connects the Head, Hands and Heart – working with academics with research expertise and cognitive take on labour issues [the Head]; NTUC and our unions working on the ground to explain and operationalise policies as well as listen to workers’ feedback [the Hand]; by passionate union leaders and academics who are interested in our workforce and labour issues [the Heart].”
The journal will be accessible to all, which NTUC hopes will provide academics, policymakers, practitioners, unions and workers thoughts and insights that may help advance policies in labour practices.
The journal’s advisory board consists of the tripartite members and from the academia. The editorial board consists of academics from all six local autonomous universities. NTUC said this helps to give the journal a well-balanced content covering all stakeholders.
NTUC aims to publish the journal yearly.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay, who is on the journal’s advisory board, said a key reason for the Singapore Labour Journal is to bring together the minds of tripartite partners and members of academia.
He said that research academia on labour-related issues often “end up as a big volume … on the shelves of our institutes of higher learning.”
He added that NTUC has resolved to partner members of academia to apply the research findings to the ground.
Besides the launch of the journal, the NTUC Labour Research Conference also included a dialogues and panel discussions with representatives from the union, Government and academia on labour topics in the journal.
The discussions include discussions on “Developing Workforce of the Future” and the importance of education and training in ensuring workers meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s labour market.
The panellists discussed how to make education more accessible and portable in a learning ecosystem between companies and workers.
In another panel discussion called “Future Needs of Young Workers”, panellists discussed the uncertainties the youth face as they enter the workforce and how they can be better supported throughout various life stages.
There is also a discussion in “Engaging and Organising Workers Through Digital Means”, where panellist discussed leveraging digital platforms to communicate, engage and organise workers.
The digital copy can be downloaded here and is accessible on National Library Board’s public libraries and website.
