May Day Awards: 128 individuals feted for helping workers
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Mr Piragasam Munisamy was awarded the Comrade of Labour (Star) for his efforts in helping colleagues impacted by retrenchments and transfers.
PHOTO: NTUC
SINGAPORE – When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Singapore in 2020, the marine and shipbuilding industry was among those that felt the most impact, as projects ground to a halt.
One company that was not spared was Mr Piragasam Munisamy’s employer, Cameron Singapore, which had to transfer some workers to its branch in Johor Bahru as a result of restructuring, as well as retrench others by 2021.
A veteran union leader of 27 years, Mr Munisamy, 59, negotiated with the company’s management, helping to double goodwill payouts to those who were transferred and ensure adequate support for those retrenched.
For this and other efforts with the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees’ Union, the senior technical leader will receive the Comrade of Labour (Star) at the 2023 May Day Awards.
He is one of 128 individuals who will receive their awards at a ceremony on Monday at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Given by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the annual awards recognise union leaders, workers, employers and government representatives who have contributed to the labour movement.
The labour movement said in a statement that the 2023 individual May Day awardees were nominated for their “exceptional and continuous” contributions to the labour movement.
These include supporting programmes and initiatives that helped workers gain better wages, welfare and work prospects.
Elaborating, the labour movement said the awardees helped to improve wages of workers by working with their unions to preserve jobs in difficult times, being strong advocates of the Progressive Wage Model, and helping to secure fair annual increments and variable bonuses through negotiations with management.
Awardees also improved workers’ welfare by serving in unions, stepping in to handle workplace grievances, and pushing for various welfare benefits. They also actively provided for, or advocated, training and development opportunities.
A Model Worker award will also be given to 34 workers who showed readiness and resilience in the face of transformation, by initiating productivity improvements, improving their employability through gaining new skills, and being adaptable to the changing work environment, NTUC added.
Among others who garnered awards was Mr Alexander Melchers, vice-president of the Singapore National Employers Federation, who received a Distinguished Service award. In its award citation, NTUC said Mr Melchers championed Singapore’s ageing workforce in his chairmanship of the Tripartite Implementation Workgroup in 2007, set up to spearhead the early adoption of re-employment among companies and industries, among other things.
Mr Munisamy, a trained welder, said he became a union leader as a young man aged 32 in 1996, after he was persuaded by his colleagues as he was the only one to speak fluent English in his department.
Asked what kept him going after 27 years of service, Mr Munisamy said it was the happiness he got from helping fellow union members in need.
He, however, expressed concern about the future of unions. “I wish more PMETs (professionals, managers, executives, and technicians) would join the unions. It is very difficult to convince them... because they are very career-conscious,” he added.
