N I S H I M A T S U
C O N S T R U C T I O N
S I N G A P O R E
Together with Bachy Soletanche, Nishimatsu has put itself in the Singapore spotlight
industry over the years compared against the time when we entered the Singapore construction industry in the 80s. This is particularly so in terms of safety standards. “From even 10 years ago, safety requirements are more stringent today and this is joined by the second big trend which is productivity.” To combat both, the focus for Nishimatsu, and the industry at large, has been on improving the levels of skills entering the sector; capitalising on a more experienced and knowledgeable labour force at ground level to improve levels of safety and productivity in the final construct.
Skilled team and productivity drive
While necessary, this isn’t to say that identifying and introducing a more skilled workforce is an easy task. One of the major challenges encountered by Nishimatsu has been at human resource level in recent years. However, this has largely been offset through the balance of nationalities evident under the Company’s employment; bridging the best from a
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Aerial view of Gardens by the Bay Station: November, 2014
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local and expat perspective. Adding a wealth of experience – including some workers with more than 30 years in the sector to their name – to the mixing pot, Nishimatsu has a team to be proud of despite the inevitable and ongoing difficulties from a retention point of view. But, as Lim enthuses, the Company has a pulling factor that makes it an employer of choice just as much as a contractor of choice. “We try to employ as many locals as possible in line with the Singapore Government’s direction. Wherever we can fill a position from the local talent pool, then it is our philosophy not to look further afield at that point,” he affirms. “It is also important not just to look at our HR policy in terms of hiring, but to also look after the welfare of our staff and the wider concerns of Nishimatsu’s people.” A further advantage of instilling a more skilled team at the business end of projects such as the TEL is the ability to trial new and improved techniques, methodologies and systems. This is now being seen along the flagship development with a new category of highly skilled craftsmen for reinforcement concrete (SCRC) being brought in from overseas to once again enhance productivity for the structure itself, and to ensure an improved sense of sustainability for the inevitable role that Nishimatsu will play in the rail transit system’s evolution to come. This is also a strong statement of Nishimatsu’s commitment to both the LTA and Singapore Government’s drive for productivity. Lim concludes: “In three years time, I’d say that we will have achieved the basic structure completion on our Gardens By The Bay Station and Tunnels project and hope to have two or three other projects ongoing. “There are a lot in the pipeline in Singapore and it is our aim to be involved across all stages when they are released in the future.”