eNewsletter

On June 15, 2011, the Geneva-based International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have signed a two-year agreement to enhance workplace and labor practices in the ASEAN region.  The collaborative plan is to be implemented within two years.  This two-year Partnership Agreement to improve human resource development will cover the following labor and workplace issues: occupational safety and health, tripartism and social dialogue, employability, productivity, and skills development.  Other additional areas may be included through mutual agreement.
Leaders within the ILO believe that this agreement solidifies the long-standing cooperation between Singapore and the ILO.  Both parties have indispensable roles in progress towards decent work for all in the region.
Singapore will co-organize and co-fund training activities for employers such as study trips and workshops in Singapore.  Possible activities include workshops to improve knowledge on prominent labor issues such as occupational safety and health. The ILO, on the other hand, will coordinate work and “contribute its specialists’ expertise and time” in enhancing the effectiveness of the agreement.  
In light of this agreement, workers’ benefits may improve through wage increases, better work environments, as well as enhanced training programs.  This contract will hold employers, both foreign and domestic, to higher labor standards for their employees.