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APAC Edition
6th June 2024
 
THE HOT STORY
Initiative launched to create safe workplaces for LGBTQ+ people in Thailand
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy and Chulalongkorn University's Sasin School of Management, has launched an initiative to help businesses create safe workplaces for Thai LGBTQ+ people. The initiative includes the "Inclusion Toolkit for Organisations and Business: LGBTQI+ Insights to Increase Inclusion for All," which provides guidelines on creating an inclusive workplace. According to a study conducted for the toolkit, 45% of LGBTQ+ people interviewed faced job rejections due to their gender identity, 46% had to conceal their gender identity at work, and 53% experienced jokes and comments related to their sexual orientations and gender identity. The toolkit can be adapted to different cultural contexts and aims to address the discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace. The toolkit is seen as a milestone towards an inclusive Thailand.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Singapore launches new AI talent programme to deepen collaboration with US
Singapore has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) initiative called the AI Talent Bridge programme to deepen collaboration with the United States. The programme aims to support youth, women, and future leaders in tech and will build on the existing US-Singapore Women in Tech Partnership Programme. The launch of the programme follows a roundtable on AI held on June 5, where AI talent grooming was identified as one of the deliverables. Singapore and the US will also strengthen cooperation in digital infrastructure and services, as well as AI innovation and governance. The US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, expressed the desire for American businesses to do more in Singapore and highlighted the potential applications of AI in various sectors.
ECONOMY
Incoming government in India must focus on job creation, analysts say
The new government in India will need to focus sharply on job creation in a country where roughly two-thirds of the people are under 35 years of age, and where many of them are unemployed, analysts have said. They say that focus now needs to be on creating higher-paying jobs, and getting companies, specially small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), to employ at a big scale. "The government has to prioritise job creation in its economic policy and break from the old, defeated narrative of growth first and jobs later—jobs must fuel sustainable growth. For this, we need an industrial policy that supports sectors that absorb more labour," said Sabina Dewan, president and executive director, JustJobs Network, a research firm.
China's services activity accelerates in may, staffing levels expand
China's services activity in May accelerated at the quickest pace in 10 months, with staffing levels expanding for the first time since January, according to a private sector survey. The Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 54.0, the fastest pace since July 2023. The readings suggest robust business activity, supported by faster new business inflows and new export business. Price pressures intensified, but business confidence levels eased. China's economy had a solid start in Q1, prompting upward revisions in growth forecasts. Nomura analysts revised up China's 2024 GDP growth forecast to 4.5%.
WORKFORCE
Australia's largest sugar producer to bar workers participating in strike action
Australia's largest sugar producer, Wilmar Sugar and Renewables, has announced that it will lock out from its mills workers who participate in strike action. The company's decision comes amid an escalation of an ongoing industrial dispute that has already caused delays in sugar production. More than 1,200 employees have been informed that they will be locked out and will not be able to enter Wilmar's facilities or receive pay until further notice. Wilmar Sugar and Renewables operates eight mills in Australia, accounting for over half of the country's sugar production. The company is owned by Singapore-based Wilmar International Ltd. "Today, Wilmar Sugar and Renewables advised more than 1,200 wages employees that anyone participating in industrial action from start of shifts tomorrow morning (Wednesday 5 June) will be locked out until further notice," the company stated. The lockout is expected to have a significant impact on sugar production in Australia.
REMUNERATION
Japan's real wages fall for 25th consecutive month in april
Japan's inflation-adjusted real wages fell 0.7% year-on-year in April, marking the 25th consecutive month of decline. Stubborn inflation outpaced nominal wages, leading to the drop in real wages. However, scheduled cash earnings rose 2.3% year-on-year, reflecting the increases agreed upon in annual labour negotiations. While Japan is seeing signs of rising wages and inflation, workers' earnings still lag rising costs. Some economists predict that real wages may turn positive in the 2024/25 fiscal year. Nominal wages grew 2.1% to 296,884 yen ($1,913.28), the highest pace in 10 months. Overtime pay slipped 0.6% in the year to April.
LEGAL
Union groups in Australia push to scrap junior wages
A nationwide meeting of union groups, known as Congress, has endorsed a campaign to eliminate junior wages in Australia. Junior wages allow younger workers to be paid less than their adult co-workers, even if they perform the same duties. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has agreed to various measures to address wage discrimination, including campaigning to end it and pushing for superannuation to be paid to all workers under the age of 18. The issue was raised by the ACTU's youth committee, highlighting the generational inequality caused by junior wages. The full suite of measures includes scrapping junior wages, lifting apprentice wages, ending unpaid university placements, and extending superannuation to all employees under 18. The current system sees young people in Australia lose A$3.5bn a year in unearned wages. Several industry bodies have expressed concern about the impact on small businesses if junior wages were to change. However, supporters argue that abolishing junior wages would promote fairness and equal pay for young workers. Other countries, such as New Zealand, Canada, and South Korea, have already taken steps to abolish or limit the use of junior wages.
Two employers in Singapore penalised for underpaying retail employees
Two employers in Singapore have been penalised for persistently underpaying retail employees, despite being engaged on the matter by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The employers, who operate retail shops, were found to have underpaid a total of 12 employees by about $450 per person since April 2023. The underpayments were discovered during inspections carried out after the introduction of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the retail sector. The PWM is a wage ladder linked to training and productivity improvements. The inspections were conducted because a significant number of local workers were covered under the PWM. The MOM will continue to conduct checks on PWM compliance and work with employers and public agencies to ensure workers receive their rightful wages. The PWM has been extended to various sectors since its introduction in 2014.
Whistleblowers under pressure to not use hotlines
More than half of whistleblowers have felt pressured not to use internal hotlines to raise red flags at large global businesses and public bodies, according to a global EY survey. The number of organisations without a whistleblowing hotline has halved since a similar survey in 2022. However, 54% of those who have used such channels said they faced pressure not to do so. The survey, which involved 5,464 board members, senior managers, managers, and staff in 53 countries and territories, revealed that employees fear they would be ignored and their careers hampered if they speak up. Almost a third of respondents also feared for their personal safety. Four in 10 board members said they had faced retaliation themselves or witnessed adverse consequences towards someone who reported misconduct. "Individuals must be made to feel safe, and they should also know that their concerns will be acted on, without any consequence," said Andrew Gordon, EY's global forensic & integrity services leader. The survey also showed that more employees would consider dishonest behaviour than two years ago, with nearly 40% of all respondents and two-thirds of board members willing to behave unethically to improve their career or financial position. 
HEALTH & WELLBEING
First human case of H5N2 bird flu dies
The World Health Organisation has confirmed the death of the first confirmed human case of H5N2 bird flu. The 59-year-old Mexican resident had no history of exposure to poultry or animals, but had multiple underlying health conditions. Avian flu viruses generally do not infect humans, but there have been rare cases. The H5N1, H7N9, and H5N6 subtypes have been responsible for most human infections to date. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare, but monitoring avian flu is important in case it mutates and gains the ability to spread more easily among humans. Outbreaks often result in mass culls of birds to stop the infection from spreading.
TAX
Japan urged to cut taxes to boost its ambitions to be a financial centre
Japan needs to cut taxes in order to become an international financial centre on par with Singapore, according to Oki Matsumoto, the executive chairman of Monex Group. Matsumoto believes that changing the tax treatment for individuals is crucial for Tokyo to attract asset management business and compete with other financial hubs. Japan's high taxes have been a major obstacle in attracting foreign asset managers, and the country's income tax rate, which can reach 55%, is significantly higher than that of Singapore and Hong Kong. Language barriers and the preference for an English-speaking environment among fund managers are also said to pose challenges for Japan.
INTERNATIONAL
Spain's ‘historic' menstrual leave law has hardly been used
Women in Spain have had for a year now the right to time off work for period pain, but there has been limited uptake and the policy has been divisive. Some see it as a step forward for women while others say it is riddled with failings, The Guardian reports. In the 11 months since the law was introduced, menstrual leave was taken 1,559 times, according to Spain's ministry of inclusion, social security and migration. The average leave taken spanned 3.03 days, with an average of 4.75 people using the leave each day. The legislation limited menstrual leave to those with previously diagnosed conditions such as endometriosis. Some women are positive about the policy, seeing it as a relief for painful periods and an alternative to sick days. However, others believe it is not working as expected and that it is a misnomer since it is really leave because of intense secondary dysmenorrhea (period pain that is caused by a health condition). Meanwhile, it is said that the process of requesting leave has been onerous for some. Despite the challenges, supporters hope that the policy will lead to greater recognition of menstrual pain and encourage other countries to offer similar leave options.
Commutes of over an hour into the office are more common in the US
Drives to the office that take over an hour are becoming more common, the Wall Street Journal reports. The share of so-called super commutes, or those 75 miles or longer, is up by nearly a third since 2020, according to new research from Stanford University. Stanford economists Nick Bloom and Alex Finan, who examined two million morning commutes over the same four-month period in 2023-24 and 2019-20, found the number of longer drives, though still a fraction of total journeys, increased the most over the four years. As a share of all morning commutes, those between 50 and 74 miles rose 18%, and those 75 miles and up increased 32%. Meanwhile, commutes of less than 35 miles, which were the majority of all commutes, declined, according to the Stanford economists’ analysis of data from transportation research firm INRIX. The cities with the biggest increases in commutes of more than 75 miles each way included Washington, D.C., New York City, Phoenix and Dallas, according to the study. Bloom says the data is indicative of a shift away from living close to workplaces. He believes the widespread adoption of hybrid work, which allows employees to do their jobs from home on certain days, is the key driver of the trend.
Nigerian union leaders suspend nationwide strike for wage talks
Nigerian union leaders have suspended a nationwide strike to allow for more wage talks after disrupting flights, shutting down the national power grid, and closing public offices and schools. The stoppage, called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), came as the country faces soaring inflation and an unstable currency. The unions had been demanding a minimum monthly wage of 494,000 naira (around $330), up from the current level of 30,000 naira. The government has agreed to another week of negotiations to reach an agreement over the wage. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has introduced economic reforms, including ending fuel subsidies and currency controls, which have led to a tripling of petrol prices and a spike in living costs. The government has asked for time for the reforms to work, but they have significantly impacted spending power. "Strike Action relaxed for one week to allow the conclusion of negotiation," said NLC, an umbrella organisation for various unions with tens of thousands of members, in a statement.
 


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