As of August, 820 productivity projects have been supported by the labour movement's Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP). When the projects are complete, more than 53,000 workers will receive pay rises and share in the gains.

The $100 million IGP was launched in August 2010 to drive productivity improvements, with the target of helping 100,000 low-wage workers get better pay as a result. It helps companies develop and fund moves such as automation and redesigning their work processes.

So far, $42 million has been committed to projects. The update on the IGP's progress was given on Friday at the Employment and Employability Institute's first Inclusive Growth Symposium.

Attended by 250 small- and medium-enterprise bosses, the event included booths run by providers of productivity solutions and sessions where SME bosses shared their experiences in improving productivity.