NTUC sets up a labour research community to strengthen worker-related policies

Research on workers’ challenges and opportunities has supported NTUC’s advocacy and policy-shaping efforts for workers.

To strengthen its research capabilities, NTUC launched on 26 September 2024 a first-of-its-kind labour research community, the NTUC Labour Alliance Co-laB (LAB).

NTUC LAB will start with 50 labour experts, researchers, academics and industry practitioners focused on advancing research on pressing labour issues.

These issues include future skills demands, gig economy challenges and remote work.

NTUC launched the NTUC LAB at the Singapore Labour Conference 2024, a biennial event for industry professionals, union leaders, academics and Government representatives, where they discuss labour policies and industry best practices.

“As workplaces evolve, NTUC is also innovating and adapting to meet the changing needs of our workforce.

“Singapore’s unique tripartite partnership between unions, employers, and the Government has been instrumental in these efforts.

“Our collaboration with academics and research institutions allows NTUC to conduct independent research and strengthen our advocacy, bridging informed and impactful policies to improve workers’ lives and livelihoods,” said NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.

The event also saw NTUC unveil the Singapore Labour Journal Volume 3, an annual publication on labour issues.

What is NTUC LAB all about?

The NTUC LAB brings together the Labour Movement’s existing research efforts with partners, including institutions of higher learning and tripartite representatives, into a formal community.

“We realised that many different faculties or research partners want to do pieces of work.

“Through this collective effort, NTUC and the LAB members can better synergise research efforts, enabling us to develop more innovative strategies that effectively support workers in achieving better wages, welfare, and work prospects,” said NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay.

Mr Tay is also the director of NTUC Strategy, the department overseeing research matters within the Labour Movement.

For the next three years, the new community will focus on formulating policies on employment and productivity, labour in the global economy, workplace safety and health, and emerging labour trends.

LAB will be an important part of NTUC’s labour research ecosystem, which includes the Singapore Labour Research Conference and Singapore Labour Journal, among other initiatives, said NTUC.

How will NTUC LAB help workers?

Workers can look forward to better jobs with new labour policies and NTUC programmes supported by LAB’s in-depth research.

LAB will complement NTUC’s advocacy efforts, acting as a bridge between research and real-world applications.

“Data from such work will be used as hard evidence in developing strategies to support programmes, initiatives, and policy recommendations that go directly to the heart of workers’ issues.

“Where relevant, Labour Members of Parliament will advocate strategies and make recommendations in Parliament based on research data and insights from LAB projects and initiatives to amplify the voices of workers and meet their needs and aspirations,” said Mr Tay.

The Platform Workers Act is an example of how research has impacted workers.

The law, passed about two weeks ago, now provides better statutory protection for 70,500 cabbies, private-hire drivers, and delivery workers.

Under the new law, these workers will receive Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions like regular employees. These contributions, which include payments from platform operators, could boost workers’ earnings by up to 17 per cent.

This group, collectively known as platform workers, will also receive the same level of work injury coverage as employees.

Additionally, platform workers will have new NTUC-affiliated associations representing them in negotiations for better work terms and conditions with platform operators such as Grab and foodpanda.

A key effort leading to the Bill was the research supporting NTUC’s advocacy efforts, particularly the article titled “Auditing Gig Work Platforms: Fairwork’s Research, Advocacy, and Impact” published in the Singapore Labour Journal, Volume 2.

NTUC Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE) Director and LMP Jean See said that the data from the focus group discussions in the article validated platform workers' issues and concerns.

Workers will also be pleased to know that NTUC LAB can help the Labour Movement and its unions be more effective in the future, said Mr Tay.

“NTUC can better spot and scenario-plan for labour trends, such as the rise of AI [artificial intelligence], the gig economy, and workers’ evolving needs. This means that NTUC will be a more proactive and forward-looking ally that can identify issues before they become crises.

“Our NTUC LAB members will also empower NTUC to make informed decisions, strengthen our bargaining positions, and support more effective engagement of workers.

“We believe LAB has the potential to reshape the entire labour landscape by making unions stronger and more relevant,” he explained.

What’s in store for NTUC LAB members?

To support their research efforts, NTUC LAB members can gain direct access to workers and employers, participate in other research activities, and tap into NTUC funding for their research projects.

“We have our reach to the companies, employers and businesses, and now gig workers, small-and-medium enterprises, migrant workers, and even individual workers.

“We hope to have regular Brown Bag leadership forums and other platforms, such as study visits and learning journeys, which our researchers and academic partners may not have access to,” said Mr Tay.

More importantly, NTUC LAB members will see their research create a tangible impact on workers, said LAB member Professor Lim Sun Sun.

“We feel a little frustrated that our research sort of ends in an academic publication. Over the years, universities and academics have been more proactive about bringing our research to other stakeholders, whether it’s policymakers or organisations to improve their corporate best practices.

“We find the possibility of working with the likes of NTUC, to really have good connections to companies, to be very helpful and valuable in terms of allowing us to broaden our research and its applicability,” said Professor Lim. She is the Vice President (Partnerships and Engagement) and Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication and Technology at Singapore Management University.

NTUC LAB members will also have opportunities to gain international exposure and experiences.

“In the next three to five years, we aim to expand LAB globally, sharing and championing the best practices and innovative approaches of Singapore’s Labour Movement.

“Together with our LAB members, we will build international partnerships, exchange knowledge with international unions and labour experts around the world and learn from each other to become even more effective in addressing the challenges faced by workers,” added Mr Tay.

NTUC LAB members can also look forward to participating in training sessions with Labour Movement leaders and workers, and in dialogues with worker and employer groups.

They could also join taskforces or contribute to labour publications, like the Singapore Labour Journal.