TL;DR – Government has accepted the final set of recommendations by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness for the Workplace Fairness Legislation
NTUC has been championing measures to improve workplace fairness for more than a decade now. When NTUC’s Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay delivered his maiden speech in Parliament back in 2011, he also addressed the topic of nationality discrimination and strengthening the Singaporean Core. For the many, many years after, Tay has relentlessly continued to raise related concerns through his Parliament speeches.
Labour MP Patrick Tay calls for stronger unemployment support for PMEs
In 2021, the NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce surfaced key recommendations on introducing anti-discrimination legislation in Singapore. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged the concerns in his National Day Rally 2021 speech, and announced that the Government will look into anti-discrimination legislation. The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness was thus formed and there has been significant progress since! Even now that the Government has accepted the final set of recommendations by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness for the Workplace Fairness Legislation, the work by NTUC continues, and they have pledged to continue to listen closely to workers’ feedback and lobby for further changes to the legislation as and when required.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng shared that with Workplace Fairness Legislation, workers can look forward to better protection if they are faced with unfair practices at the workplaces.
“On our part, NTUC and our unions will continue to ensure workers get the protection that they need through NTUC and unions’ established industrial relations framework. Beyond legislation, we will and must continue to improve HR standards and practices so that we can provide our workers with fair access and equal opportunity at the workplace.”
The three most common forms of discrimination – Age, race, mental health
A recent MOM fair employment practices report revealed that the three most common forms of discrimination experienced during both the job search and in the workplace were over age, race and mental health. Age discrimination remained the most common form of discrimination in the job search process. Nearly 60% of employees polled in 2022 said their companies had put in place formal procedures to manage discrimination, up from 54 per cent who said so in 2021.
Workplace Fairness Legislation is a big step towards better protection for workers
The Government’s acceptance of the final set of recommendations for the Workplace Fairness Legislation signals a significant step towards better protection for workers against discrimination and unfair workplace practices. With the impending changes to employment laws, workers can be assured of clearer processes and enforcement levers to resolve grievances and disputes when the need arises and be assured of fair outcomes! While legislation will provide additional backing to better protect workers, they are encouraged to raise any concerns or grievances faced at work to NTUC. They can approach their unions / associations or TADM (Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management) @ NTUC.
These legislations to include stronger protection against workplace discrimination is key in supporting Singapore’s social and economic goals. While most Singaporeans are unlikely to face blatant discrimination in the workplace, it’s important to know that there are resources out there should you or your friends and families encounter these unfortunate incidents. In the long run, active efforts towards an inclusive workplace and eliminating workplace discrimination can help develop a more socially cohesive Singapore.