Workers' Party calls for changes to environment for workers in Labour Day message

SINGAPORE - Singapore should prepare for a post-Covid-19 future by improving the environment for workers , said the Worker's Party in its Labour Day message

In a Facebook post, the opposition party called for the work environment to be flexible, fair and future ready. This included calls for redundancy insurance for those who lose their jobs, and support for HDB resale flat prices to protect those who depend on flats for retirement.

"The Workers' Party believes that all Singaporeans should work together as one united people to beat Covid-19," the WP said. "But one united people should also mean a people who, even in crisis, speak up for what is best for the country and offer constructive suggestions and rational debate so that we can become better."

"The challenges we face are not limited to beating Covid-19. Even before the virus hit us, last year's GDP growth was a weak 0.7 per cent. We will face headwinds from Industry 4.0 disruptions and geopolitical tensions, including disruptions to global supply chains," it added.

In its message, the WP also acknowledged the efforts of healthcare and frontline workers in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. It added that Singapore owes the foreign worker community here decent and dignified conditions.

"We should remember the responsibility we all owe to our foreign worker community, to provide them with decent, dignified conditions. Not only today but every day," it said.

The call for respect and dignity for workers was echoed by Progress Singapore Party secretary-general Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who stressed the contributions of the foreign worker community in building Singapore's key infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and airport terminals.

"This is the day to sing praise to all our workers, unionised or not, in Singapore, including the foreign nationals holding work passes," said Dr Tan.

The Singapore People's Party (SPP) said in its Labour Day message on Thursday, that it cannot only be in times of crisis that blue-collared workers, such as police officers, healthcare professionals and food delivery riders, are recognised.

"Apart from the workers, Covid-19 has also exposed the cracks in our society and also further illustrated the inequalities which exist within," it added.

It stressed that for business owners or employees, change will be the norm rather than the exception in the post-pandemic world, and everyone should resist the inclination to "slip back into what we were comfortable with".