Mature Workers Deserve a Space at the Workplace

“Every age has its place in society.”

This was the point made by NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How at the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations (#EWMC) held at the NTUC Clubhouse @ SingPost on 25 March 2023.

In the dialogue with older workers, Mr Heng stressed the importance of every age group in society and the need for every age to have a space to contribute.

“There must be a place for every age. We’re not saying that the older is more important than the younger.

“Every age should have a place at work if they can and want to. It may be different kinds of work, but there should be a place to contribute,” he said.

The event aimed to address the concerns of mature workers regarding their career health, employment opportunities, and retirement adequacy.

During the discussion, Mr Heng engaged with mature workers aged 40 and above from various industries to discuss their concerns and explore solutions.

Some feedback gathered from previous #EWMC sessions included senior workers’ desire to continue working if they are fit and able to and others’ wish to retire without worrying about having enough savings to sustain them in their golden years.

Mr Heng reiterated efforts by NTUC and tripartite partners that led to the raising of the retirement and re-employment ages and how they will continue to champion the needs of this group of seniors.

He also emphasised that the focus was not on charity but dignity, stating that if workers have substance, there is no reason not to consider them for any position.

“We come back to the idea that if a person wants to contribute, how can we better take care of the person’s health, how can we better take care of a person’s workplace health, meaning to say their employability,” he said.