The National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), an NTUC-affiliated association, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with logistics platform operator GoGoX, to enhance the representation and protection of the interests of driver-partners.
GoGoX has been working closely with The Advisory Committee on Platform Workers, and this MOU is aligned with the recommendations by The Tripartite Workgroup on Representation for Platform Workers in July 2023. The Committee looks into strengthening protection for platform workers in three areas:
- Ensuring adequate financial protection in case of work injury
- Improving housing and retirement adequacy
- Enhancing representation
The MOU seeks to enhance skills development of GoGoX driver-partners through structured training, encourage information sharing between GoGoX and NDCA, and enhance representation of platform workers through the NDCA when the new Platform Worker Representative Body (PWRB) is formed.
GoGoX is one of the early adopters among Singapore’s platform operators1 to demonstrate commitment towards the formal recognition of platform workers through the PWRB2, upon commencement of legislative changes in 2024. This effectively enables the PWRB to be the legitimate voice to represent the interests of GoGoX driver-partners.
This commitment by GoGoX comes after the MOU signed between the NPHVA and NDCA with Grab in August 2023, and the Associations with TADA in November 2023.
The MOU signifies another symbolic win for NDCA as it continues to advocate for the needs of platform workers; ensuring that workers have adequate work injury compensation; improving workers’ housing and retirement adequacy; and facilitating better representation for workers.
The signing ceremony took place at NTUC LearningHub. The MOU was signed by GoGoX Managing Director, Singapore, Patrick Wong and NDCA Executive Secretary, Jean See. The ceremony was witnessed by NTUC Deputy Secretary- General (DSG), Cham Hui Fong; NDCA President, Goh Yong Wei and GoGoX Chief Operating Officer, Eugene Lee. Also at the event were about 15 GoGoX driver- partners, GoGoX management representatives, and NDCA leaders.
NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Cham Hui Fong said, “We are encouraged by the partnership between GoGoX and NDCA in supporting the platforms workers to improve their skills through training, which contributes to the development of their professional capabilities for the longer term. NTUC and the Association will continue to take action for our workers by strengthening tripartite collaboration with the platform operators and Government agencies to ensure that workers’ needs and concerns, especially safeguarding workers’ against work injury, enhancing financial adequacy, and representation of their rights, are effectively communicated and addressed.”
Patrick Wong, Managing Director, GoGoX Singapore said, “This MOU underscores our commitment to work closely with platform workers’ representative organisations such as the NDCA and NTUC to help advance the interests and welfare of our driver-partners. Providing them with relevant training and development will equip them with the necessary skills and capabilities to help them successfully navigate the intricacies of last-mile delivery. This initiative also helps bridge the skills gap in this sector, enabling our driver-partners to not only provide better services to customers, but also gives them a sense of pride and fulfilment for being a crucial part of an increasingly digital economy.”
National Delivery Champions Association President Goh Yong Wei said, “We are delighted that GoGoX joined us in signing the MOU, signifying a positive start to our collaboration in advocating the interests of delivery partners. GoGoX has made a commendable step forward by prioritising the training and welfare of its driver- partners; with the inclusion of a training allowance to motivate partners to upskill themselves while supporting their livelihoods. NDCA will continue to explore more partnerships with our platform operators in Singapore and ensure that the interests and needs of our platform workers are fairly represented.”
CEO of NTUC LearningHub, Jeremy Ong, said, “NTUC LearningHub is heartened to be the exclusive training partner in this initiative to develop and deliver training programmes, to elevate the professionalism of platform workers, while enhancing their prospects in the industry through service excellence. We will continue to work with NDCA and platform operators to curate good quality training programmes to further equip platform workers with the relevant critical core skills, so that they can thrive in an ever-evolving customer landscape, and even pivot to other job roles in the future.
