EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIPS
Introduction
A slow economic growth rate postulates that the workforce size must be decreased. As such, concerns have increased due to massive competition experienced in the manufacturing industry. Thus, organizations have been forced to close down while others have engaged in the massive cutbacks. Plant closing entails the impermanent shutdown of a working unit, which results in the laying off of more than 50 workers but excludes individuals who work for less than 20 hours per week. The global economic crisis resulted in firms laying off some of their taskforce members in Singapore due to unfavorable working conditions. For instance, in Singapore, the economic crisis led to the laying off of 11,010 employees, mostly in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, an analysis of the existing gaps has been provided while offering directions needed to be adopted by the government, labor, and business.
Issues governing layoffs in Singapore
The economic crisis reduced industrial production; thus nations withdrew their funding from Singapore’s key industry sectors. The Asian pioneers resulted in increasing the cost of major gadgets to the western countries. Despite the high employment rates achieved in 2012 by Singapore, the service and manufacturing industries suffered an increase in the redundancy rate from 5.5. to 5.8 workers for every 1000 individuals. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Business role during plant closing and layoff
Businesses play vital roles such as placement assistance, claim administration, and case administration on proactive handicap in layoffs and plant closing. A such, there is a need for strategic planning to reduce the number of cases that require organizations to carry out workers’ remuneration (Lewis, 2014). Also, businesses cater to prosecution costs during layoffs and plant closing as part of its legal obligation to workers. Therefore, businesses adopt strategic approaches to document workplace operations such as exposures, methods, conditions. Consequently, a business should engage in proper therapeutic reconnaissance to evaluate the capability of an organization to continue with its operations. Moreover, business management should embark on developing strong strategic planning to reduce the number of layoff cases in Singapore (Stolarchuk, 2019). So, the organizations should be permitted to carry out workers’ payouts and prosecution expenditure throughout the closing down procedure (Robbins, 2009). As a result, business management should be engaged in articulating some of the commercial needs, including employment assistance and job therapy. In addition, the business is mandated to outline some of the working challenges to avert possible causes that compel and organization to close down. Thus, a business should embark on an active handicap by having at least three qualifying scores annually.
Labor functions during plant closing and layoffs
The laid-off personnel should understand the reasoning provided by the business based on the motive of the plant closing. The workforce affected by plant closedown later suffer psychologically due to the lack of motivation after layoffs (Kalra, 2019). As such, the workers fall victim and are left with no alternative rather than adhering to layoff procedures stipulated by the law. Layoffs are usually out of the workers’ control, thus only calls for adherence but within the required legal framework (Robbins, 2009). For example, when Coca-Cola laid off more than 200 workers, they had to seek therapy to avoid suffering from mental related illnesses. Also, the laborers should utilize reframing methods to help them overcome challenging circumstances (Bradsher, 2019). The reframing methods help individuals seek alternatives that can help them overcome the challenges of losing a job in the least expected time in life. At this particular time, the managers should understand the emotions of a laid-off individual thus should embark on motivating them and help cope with the situation. A great level of sensitivity should be used while informing a worker on the termination of the work contract since it’s a crucial moment for the employee.
Role of the government
Governments play the most crucial role in layoff cases since legal frameworks must be followed throughout the process. Nations like India, Malaysia, and Indonesia have ensured that the liquation process for foreign enterprises follows an easy process. In most scenarios, the governments ensure that international pressures from influential nations play a critical role in layoffs and plant closing (Lim, 2019). However, the recession scenario experienced in the Asian markets has changed the scenario in business to grow to be the most influential market globally. For instance, the Asian governments have worked together to ensure that the Singaporean and Indian Chinese markets grow despite the high number of cases of layoffs. The Asian market has therefore dominated the world’s business due to the government’s stipulations governing layoffs and plant closing (Mokhtar, 2019). The developments have increased the employment scope in the manufacturing industry despite posing possible threats to other market sectors. The Singapore government has, in the past, intervened on layoff cases by Motorola and Seagate in 2008 (Lemon, 2018). The government in Singapore intervened in the layoff cases once the judicial system developed an insight into the matter. Initially, Motorola had refused to improve the compensation package and rebuffed to take its taskforce to China. Therefore, the government intervened and offered to stop the liquidation process based on guidelines provided by the international judicial system (Lim, 2019).
Societal role in layoffs and plant closing
Layoffs indirectly affect the societal members in a negative manner; thus, many of the workers may end up having severe mental issues. Unstable mental health conditions lead to individuals committing suicide and has been prolific among middle-aged people (Taylor, 2019). a number of cases have been confirmed in the China and Indian markets relative to the high number of cases of layoffs and plant closing. For instance, over 50 people died due to reasons provided in the 1986 layoff with a certain company terminating the contracts for 450 people (Youjin, 2019). The plant closing received a negative response from the society, with many individuals terming it as a disaster to the Singaporean economy. After the scenario, Singapore’s government, in collaboration with its citizens-initiated community, help programs that aimed at articulating the issues of the laid-off workers (Taylor, 2019). Therefore, society needs to come up together to articulate concerns related to layoffs to promote some of Singapore’s key sectors, such as the manufacturing industry. Society needs to develop a positive approach that helps its personnel cope with layoffs despite the inconveniences caused during the process.
Tripartite relationship in Singapore
Tripartism has been a vital interest in Singapore due to its financial aggressiveness nature and relationships in the labor market. As such, the government has been involved in spearheading Singapore’s social union and money versatility in the last 30 years (Min, 2012). The tripartite relationship has introduced practicality and quality to make adjustments to its accomplices. The development of such an inherent delicacy led to a balancing act due to the imparted commitment by the dynamic tripartite accomplices. The Singapore Tripartism Forum (STF) was formed to strengthen the Tripartism framework to address the challenges faced by the workforce in Singapore. STF was formed in conjunction with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to strengthen some of the frameworks developed by the ministry of manpower. Practices carried out by Tripartite relationships aim at improving the working conditions and address concerns by low-wage workers (Min, 2012). Besides, the Tripartite committee has initiated developments to enhance employment portability for the low-income earners. The move has been welcomed since it secures promotional and outreach forums that address concerns in the labor market. Therefore, work distress has been acknowledged as a critical issue in the workplace, which requires expert analysis (Stolarchuk, 2019). As such, in Singapore, work distress has reached near unfathomable levels due to its track record on the loss of business opportunities.
Conclusion
The study has shown that plant closing and layoffs have been an ongoing issue in the Asian markets relative to the economic conditions in the region. Therefore, the government, businesses, and society need to enact policies that improve the economic environment professionally rather than articulating self-centric issues only. The issues governing layoffs in Singapore has helped the government lay out strategies aimed at creating more job opportunities compared to the previous years. The roles played by the government, labor, and society has been of critical help in dealing with layoffs and plant closing in the Asian region. Besides, the tripartite relationships in Singapore have aligned the country’s aggressive nature to finance. So, relationships have been developed in the labor market to improve working conditions.
References
Bradsher, K. (2019). Jobs Vanish as Exports Fall in Asia. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/business/worldbusiness/22rupiah.html?_r=0
Lewis, R. (2014). More layoffs in Singapore, but redundancy still low. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/layoffs-singapore-redundancy-still-low/
Min, S. (2012). The Future of Tripartism in Singapore: Concertation or Dissonance?. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.csc.gov.sg/articles/the-future-of-tripartism-in-singapore-concertation-or-dissonance
Lewis, R. (2013). More layoffs in Singapore, but redundancy still low. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/layoffs-singapore-redundancy-still-low/
Lemon, S. (2018). Motorola to Shut Singapore Plant, Lay Off 700. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.pcworld.com/article/144105/article.html
Robbins, S. (2009). How to Handle Layoffs. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://hbr.org/2009/03/how-to-communicate-layoffs
Lim, J. (2019). IBM shutting its Tampines plant, laying off more workers. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ibm-shutting-its-tampines-plant-laying-off-more-workers
Stolarchuk, J. (2019). IBM to lay off all Singapore workers as it plans to shut down S$90 million Tampines tech park – The Independent News. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from http://theindependent.sg/ibm-to-lay-off-all-singapore-workers-as-it-plans-to-shut-down-s90-million-tampines-tech-park/
Taylor, K. (2019). PepsiCo is laying off corporate employees as the company commits to millions of dollars in severance pay, restructuring, and ‘relentlessly automating.’ Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.sg/pepsico-layoffs-begin-restructuring-plan-kicks-off-2019-2
Kalra, A. (2019). Three thousand two hundred thirty layoffs in Singapore in Q1 2019, up from the previous quarter and year. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/3230-layoffs-in-singapore-in-q1-2019-up-from-the-previous-quarter-and-year/
Mokhtar, F. (2019). More workers retrenched in the first quarter of 2019 than a year ago, job vacancies decline. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/more-workers-retrenched-first-quarter-2019-than-year-ago-job-vacancies-decline
Youjin, L. (2019). The Big Read: Layoffs part and parcel of any business, but not all firms let workers go with dignity. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/the-big-read-layoffs-part-and-parcel-of-any-business-but-not-all-12017524