National Trades Union Congress Explained

NTUC
Location Country:Singapore
Affiliation:ITUC, PAP
Members: 1 million
Full Name:National Trades Union Congress
Headquarters:One Marina Boulevard
Key People:K Thanaletchimi, President
Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General
Website:www.ntuc.org.sg

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress (SNTUC) internationally, is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore. NTUC is at the heart of the labour movement of Singapore, comprising 59 affiliated trade unions, 5 affiliated trade associations, 6 social enterprises, 6 related organisations and other enterprise partners. It helms May Day celebrations and organises an annual rally in support of workers' solidarity and commitment to tripartite partnership. The NTUC has had a symbiotic relationship with the People's Action Party since its inception in 1961.[1] [2]

History

The NTUC was established in 1961 when the Singapore Trades Union Congress (STUC), which had backed the People's Action Party in its successful drive for self-government, split into the pro-PAP NTUC and the leftist Singapore Association of Trade Unions (SATU). The SATU collapsed in 1963, following the government's detention of its leaders during Operation Coldstore and its subsequent official deregistration on 13 November 1963, leaving the NTUC as the sole trade union centre.[3] Currently, over 98% of union members are in unions affiliated with the NTUC.

After the PAP's decisive electoral victory in 1968, the government passed the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act of 1968, which severely limited workers rights to engage in either direct collective bargaining with employers, industrial action or strike action.[4] From 1969, the NTUC adopted, in its own words, "a cooperative, rather than a confrontational policy towards employers".[5]

Relations between the PAP and NTUC are very close, and have often resulted in members holding office in both organisations at the same time. The NTUC's late founder, Devan Nair, was a PAP stalwart and later served as President of Singapore. Ong Teng Cheong, the first elected President of Singapore, served as the secretary-general of NTUC, and the country's deputy prime minister, concurrently until his presidential election. Lim Boon Heng and Lim Swee Say, the previous secretaries-general, also became cabinet ministers. As of 4 May 2015, Chan Chun Sing took over as Secretary-General from Lim Swee Say, who left the NTUC to become Minister for Manpower.[6] As of 22 May 2018, Ng Chee Meng took over as Secretary-General from Chan Chun Sing, who left NTUC to become Minister of Trade and Industry.[7]

The NTUC reached its target of 1 million members in 2021.[8]

Former and Current Key Office Holders

NTUC President

Prior to NTUC's formation in 1961, Mahmud Awang, President of the Singapore Trades Union Congress (SATU) disbanded SATU to form NTUC, helming it as the caretaker president, before Ho See Beng became NTUC's first president.

In OfficePresident
1961 — 1966Ho See Beng
1967 — 1970Peter Vincent
1970 — 1979Phey Yew Kok
1979 — 1981C.V Devan Nair
1981 — 1985Peter Vincent
1985 — 1986George Chua
1986 — 1997Oscar Oliverio
1997 — 2011John De Payva
2011 — 2015Diana Chia
2015 — 2023Mary Liew Kiah Eng
2023 — K Thanaletchimi

NTUC Secretary-General

In OfficeSecretary-General
1961 — 1965C. V Devan Nair
1965 — 1966Steve Nagayan
1966 — 1967Ho See Beng
1967 — 1970Seah Mui Kok
1970 — 1979C. V Devan Nair
1979 — 1983Lim Chee Onn
1983 — 1993Ong Teng Cheong
1993 — 2006Lim Boon Heng
2006 — 2015Lim Swee Say
2015 — 2018Chan Chun Sing
2018 —Ng Chee Meng

NTUC Affiliated Unions and Associations

58 Trade Unions and 3 Trade Associations are affiliated to the National Trades Union Congress.[9] The affiliated unions can be broadly categorised under Industrial Sector, Service Sector, Public Sector Unions and Omnibus Unions.

Industrial Sector Unions

  1. Advanced Manufacturing Employees' Union (AMEU)
  2. Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees' Union (BATU)
  3. Chemical Industries Employees' Union (CIEU)
  4. ExxonMobil Singapore Employees Union (EMSEU)
  5. Keppel Employees Union (KEU)
  6. Keppel FELS Employees' Union (KFEU)
  7. NatSteel Employees' Union (NEU)
  8. Supply Chain Employees' Union (SCEU)
  9. Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union (SMEEU)
  10. Singapore Refining Company Employees' Union (SRCEU)
  11. Singapore Shell Employees' Union (SSEU-Shell)
  12. United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries (UWEEI)
  13. United Workers of Petroleum Industry (UWPI)

Service Sector Unions

  1. Air Transport Executive Staff Union (AESU)
  2. Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union (AREU)
  3. Banking and Financial Services Union (BFSU)
  4. Creative Media and Publishing Union (CMPU)
  5. DBS Staff Union (DBSSU)
  6. DNATA Singapore Staff Union (DSSU)
  7. Education Services Union (ESU)
  8. Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU)
  9. Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU)
  10. National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU)
  11. Port Officers' Union (POU)
  12. Reuters Local Employees' Union, Singapore (RLEU)
  13. Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers' Union (SATSWU)
  14. Singapore Bank Employees' Union (SBEU)
  15. SIA Engineering Company Engineers and Executives Union (SEEU)
  16. Singapore Airlines Staff Union (SIASU)
  17. Singapore Insurance Employees' Union (SIEU)
  18. Singapore Maritime Officers' Union (SMOU)
  19. Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS)
  20. Singapore Port Workers Union (SPWU)
  21. ST Engineering Staff Union (STESU)
  22. Scoot Staff Union (STSU)
  23. Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employees (SUBE)
  24. Staff Union of NTUC-ARU (SUN)
  25. Times Publishing Group Employees' Union (TPGEU)
  26. Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE)
  27. Union of Security Employees (USE)
  28. Union of Tripartite Alliance (UTAL)
  29. Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore (UTES)

Public Sector Unions

  1. Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE)
  2. Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE)
  3. Enterprise Singapore Staff Union (ESSU)
  4. Housing and Development Board Staff Union (HDBSU)
  5. Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union (IRASSU)
  6. Ngee Ann Polytechnic Academic Staff Union (NPASU)
  7. Public Utilities Board Employees' Union (PUBEU)
  8. Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union (SCTU)
  9. Singapore Interpreters' and Translators' Union (SITU)
  10. Singapore Malay Teachers' Union (SMTU)
  11. Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union (STTU)
  12. Singapore Teachers' Union (STU)
  13. Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority Workers' Union (SURAWU)
  14. Union of ITE Training Staff (UITS)

Omnibus Unions

  1. Singapore Industrial & Services Employees' Union (SISEU)
  2. The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union (SMMWU)

Associations

  1. National Taxi Association (NTA)
  2. National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA)
  3. National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA)
  4. National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA)
  5. Singapore FinTech Association (SFA)
  6. Tech Talent Assembly (TTAB)
  7. Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professional Association (VICPA)

NTUC Social Enterprises

NTUC Enterprise is the holding entity and single largest shareholder of the NTUC social enterprises.

The list of social enterprises includes:[10]

Related Organizations

The list of related organizations includes:[9]

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seow . Joanna . 2017-11-19 . Crucial to build on symbiotic relationship between PAP and NTUC: PM Lee The Straits Times . 2022-06-06 . . en.
  2. Web site: 2020-11-25 . Will closer ties between PAP and NTUC really be good for Singapore? . 2022-06-06 . TODAY . en.
  3. Web site: Singapore Association of Trade Unions . 2009-09-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090401154609/http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1237_2008-11-30.html . 1 April 2009 . dmy-all .
  4. Anil Verma, Thomas A. Kochan, Russell D. Lansbury. "Employment relations in the growing Asian economies". https://books.google.com/books?id=5XYrPyL1HssC&dq=Industrial+Relations+Act+1968&pg=PA64
  5. Web site: NTUC | Every Worker Matters .
  6. Web site: Labour chief Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister; Chan Chun Sing to be new labour chief. 8 April 2015. The Straits Times.
  7. Web site: Ng Chee Meng elected NTUC secretary-general. Channel NewsAsia. en. 2019-01-02.
  8. Web site: Tan . Sue-Ann . NTUC membership surpasses 1 million, growth spurred by changes in membership model, training initiatives . The Straits Times . 6 January 2022 . 16 November 2021.
  9. Web site: Organisation Directory. NTUC.
  10. Web site: NTUC Enterprise. NTUC Enterprise.

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