Marine & offshore sector to pilot tightened process of bringing in workers amid manpower crunch

WITH the pandemic disrupting access to workers, the marine & offshore sector will pilot a tightened process to bring in trades workers from overseas in a calibrated manner to complement the existing workforce.

The pilot will kick off at the end of this month - with the first batch of workers coming from Malaysia - and conclude in July, the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) said in a release issued on Thursday night.

"Done at a small scale and in a calibrated manner, the pilot will enable better management of the risks involved and serve to validate the robustness of the tightened end-to-end process," said ASMI.

The pilot process will involve proactive medical screening of the workers as well as multiple Covid-19 tests over two weeks at on-boarding facilities before they depart for Singapore.

Upon arrival in Singapore, workers will have to serve the prevailing Stay Home Notice (SHN) period as well as health protocols and safe management measures.

Singapore's marine & offshore sector employs nearly 77,000 workers, in areas such as building and maintaining vessels as well as oil & gas exploration and production.

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The pandemic has hit the construction, marine and process sectors hard, with the dynamic situation in different countries disrupting access to workers and contributing to a manpower crunch.

This labour shortage "affects companies' ability to deliver on strategic projects, many of which were secured before the pandemic, and has significant impact on the global competitiveness and capabilities of our businesses," ASMI pointed out. "It could also result in increased workplace health and safety concerns."

If successful, the pilot may be used to bring in a "steady inflow of workers in a safe and secure manner", ASMI added.

Formed in 1968, ASMI is a non-profit trade organisation, representing firms which operate businesses such as ship repair, ship conversion, ship building, rig building and offshore engineering.

It has a member base of 250 corporate members.