Ministry of Manpower, Singapore

Brief Description of Ministry of Manpower EE4041 E-learning week assignment by LIU TIANCHI Group Y15 As one of the Tripartite Partners in Singapore, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) plays the government role and aspires to develop a great workplace together with the other two partners, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) which represent the employees and employers separately.

The mission of MOM is to achieve a globally competitive workforce and great workplace, for a cohesive society and a secure economic future for all Singaporeans. To break it down into two parts: MOM aims to empower Singaporeans so that they can realize their potential; MOM also deals with and regulates the workplace so as to achieve a cohesive society. In order to achieve the mission, MOM is structured with divisions and statutory boards, both of which have certain specific responsibility.

For example, Labor Relations and Workplaces Division (LRWD) plays a crucial role in dispute settlement. Most of the time, the parties, unions and companies, can settle disputes between themselves, as they know the issues well and would be in a good position to find solutions. If this fails, then conciliation by LRWD would kick in at the request of either party. LRWD or MOM receive and settle an average of about 300 disputes from the unionized sector for conciliation every year. This is an important pillar in maintaining industrial stability in Singapore.

One example of the statutory board is Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board, which administers the CPF well known as a compulsory and comprehensive social security savings plan. Besides the regulation and administration responsibilities, MOM also provides services. For example The Work Pass Division facilitates the employment of foreign nationals in Singapore with a convenient application process. The foreign employees can find all information that they need to know before coming to work in Singapore from MOM website.

Most of the application processes also take place online, which is very efficient. MOM has won many awards because of its great contribution to the healthy tripartite relationship, which is the envy of many countries. It’s worth mentioning that MOM once won United Nations Public Service Awards, which is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. As can be seen, MOM has its unique and important role in maintaining the healthy and striving workplace in Singapore.