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NTUC to probe labour mystery
Men tend to retire in their 50s; getting them to continue working will boost workforce
By Sue-Ann Chia
THE labour movement aims to unravel the mystery of why a relatively large number of men tend to quit the workforce in their 50s, instead of staying on until the retirement age of 62. Official manpower figures show that the labour force participation rate for men dips after age 50.
There is no data on the reasons behind this dip, a trend which the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) intends to study in its bid to get more older men, as well as women, to work longer. But NTUC deputy secretary-general Heng Chee How suggested yesterday that 'some men may want to take it slow after taking out their CPF at 55'.
Hence, the NTUC will start a programme in three months' time to encourage both men and women in their 50s to work beyond 62, said Mr Heng at a seminar on re-employment issues. The 'Back to Work for Active Agers' programme will be rolled out once the NTUC determines the factors driving people out of the workforce; and works out which industries have the largest exodus of older workers.
If more of these older people work, it would plug the manpower gap arising from the calibrated flow of foreign workers and fewer younger workers as a result of low fertility levels, said Mr Heng. A 1 per cent improvement in the overall employment rate of those aged 55 to 64 would add 20,000 more workers to the economy - equivalent to more than half a year's cohort of babies, he added.
Mr Heng also launched a guidebook to inform bosses and workers about re-employment processes that range from who is eligible to what kind of jobs and salary should be offered. The guidebook and the upcoming programme come ahead of the re-employment law due in 2012. The law will require employers to offer to rehire their retirees for three more years, until 65. Giving an update on the re-employment efforts among unionised companies, Mr Heng said it started with 27 companies in 2007 and grew to 890 companies this year.
That makes up almost 90 per cent of the unionised companies, and they have re-employed 9,087 workers. Almost half of the companies are at the advanced stage of implementing a formal human resource policy on re-employment. The NTUC aims to push this figure to 60 per cent of unionised companies by year's end. One employer that is looking at including re-employment in its collective agreement with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union is Sheraton Towers.
The hotel believes in rehiring its retirees, offering to re-employ 90 per cent of those who reach the retirement age of 62. Among its oldest staff are a 70-year-old security manager and a 69-year-old chamber maid, said human resources director Francis Tan. Workers are also keen on re-employment. Civil servant Lawrence Chua, an assistant manager in logistics, just celebrated his 62nd birthday on Sunday and has no plans to retire yet.
He accepted a three-year contract although it was the same job with a lower pay. 'I might as well take it. If not, I will have to look elsewhere,' he said.
Men tend to retire in their 50s; getting them to continue working will boost workforce
By Sue-Ann Chia
THE labour movement aims to unravel the mystery of why a relatively large number of men tend to quit the workforce in their 50s, instead of staying on until the retirement age of 62. Official manpower figures show that the labour force participation rate for men dips after age 50.
There is no data on the reasons behind this dip, a trend which the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) intends to study in its bid to get more older men, as well as women, to work longer. But NTUC deputy secretary-general Heng Chee How suggested yesterday that 'some men may want to take it slow after taking out their CPF at 55'.
Hence, the NTUC will start a programme in three months' time to encourage both men and women in their 50s to work beyond 62, said Mr Heng at a seminar on re-employment issues. The 'Back to Work for Active Agers' programme will be rolled out once the NTUC determines the factors driving people out of the workforce; and works out which industries have the largest exodus of older workers.
If more of these older people work, it would plug the manpower gap arising from the calibrated flow of foreign workers and fewer younger workers as a result of low fertility levels, said Mr Heng. A 1 per cent improvement in the overall employment rate of those aged 55 to 64 would add 20,000 more workers to the economy - equivalent to more than half a year's cohort of babies, he added.
Mr Heng also launched a guidebook to inform bosses and workers about re-employment processes that range from who is eligible to what kind of jobs and salary should be offered. The guidebook and the upcoming programme come ahead of the re-employment law due in 2012. The law will require employers to offer to rehire their retirees for three more years, until 65. Giving an update on the re-employment efforts among unionised companies, Mr Heng said it started with 27 companies in 2007 and grew to 890 companies this year.
That makes up almost 90 per cent of the unionised companies, and they have re-employed 9,087 workers. Almost half of the companies are at the advanced stage of implementing a formal human resource policy on re-employment. The NTUC aims to push this figure to 60 per cent of unionised companies by year's end. One employer that is looking at including re-employment in its collective agreement with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union is Sheraton Towers.
The hotel believes in rehiring its retirees, offering to re-employ 90 per cent of those who reach the retirement age of 62. Among its oldest staff are a 70-year-old security manager and a 69-year-old chamber maid, said human resources director Francis Tan. Workers are also keen on re-employment. Civil servant Lawrence Chua, an assistant manager in logistics, just celebrated his 62nd birthday on Sunday and has no plans to retire yet.
He accepted a three-year contract although it was the same job with a lower pay. 'I might as well take it. If not, I will have to look elsewhere,' he said.
