SINGAPORE: An “amicable settlement” has been reached on behalf of the security officers who were demoted by APRO, following talks between the security agency and the Union of Security Employees (USE).
The terms of the settlement are confidential and came about after “fruitful conciliation negotiations”, said USE and APRO in a joint news release on Wednesday (Feb 22).
Both the union and security company said the negotiations took into account the fair treatment of affected officers and APRO’s business operations.
“The terms are in addition to the S$2 million of non-obligatory annual wage supplement that APRO had previously distributed to all its officers in December 2022,” said the release.
The case came to light earlier this month in a statement by National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Ng Chee Meng.
While he did not name the company, he said that a security agency had demoted about 300 officers and backed down after a union intervened – only to extend their working hours in a continued bid to “reset” their wages and employment terms.
CNA later confirmed the company involved to be APRO.
In the joint release on Wednesday, USE and APRO said that the affected officers were demoted after a salary and rank restructuring exercise that started on Dec 1, 2022.
“USE is happy that with APRO, our conciliation efforts through the Ministry of Manpower have resulted in a positive outcome,” said USE executive secretary Steve Tan.
“We understand APRO’s intent to right size its workforce and recognise the management’s efforts to do so fairly.
“USE will work closely with APRO to reinforce its standing as an employer of choice in the industry, and to address the concerns of its clients and other stakeholders arising from recent media reports.”
APRO said that it is focused on ensuring that all its officers understand why the recent adjustments were necessary, adding that it will continue to address their concerns.
“APRO’s guiding principle has always been to do right by our employees, even whilst taking the necessary steps to ensure ongoing business sustainability,” said the company’s deputy managing director Li Xiaowen.
“In fact, we have consistently done more than just right for our employees and often more than is required statutorily.”
He added the company will continue working closely with USE. As a first step, the union has been invited to attend APRO’s ongoing briefings for the affected officers.
The briefings are expected to conclude by April.