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National Trades Union Congress

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Not to be confused with NTUC FairPrice, a supermarket chain owned by NTUC.

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 leads the labour movement of Singapore, comprising 59 affiliated trade unions, 5 affiliated trade associations, 6 social enterprises, 6 related organisations and other enterprise partners.

National Trades Union Congress
Malay: Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Kebangsaan
Chinese: 全国职工总会
Tamil: தேசிய தொழிற்சங்க காங்கிரஸ்
AbbreviationNTUC
Founded6 September 1961; 63 years ago (1961-09-06)
Headquarters1 Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018989
Location
Members
Steady 1 million (2021)
Key people
K. Thanaletchimi, President
Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General
AffiliationsITUC and PAP
Websitewww.ntuc.org.sg

The NTUC helms May Day celebrations and organises an annual rally in support of workers' solidarity and commitment to a tripartite partnership. Since its inception, the NTUC has had a close symbiotic relationship with the People's Action Party (PAP), the current ruling political party of the country.[1][2]

History

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The NTUC was first established in 1961 when the Singapore Trades Union Congress (STUC), which had backed the People's Action Party (PAP) in its successful drive for self-government back in 1959, split into the pro-PAP NTUC and the non-affiliated and more leftist Singapore Association of Trade Unions (SATU). The SATU collapsed in 1963, following the now PAP-led government's crackdown and 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, an overwhelming majority of union members (over 98%) are in unions affiliated with the NTUC.

After the PAP's decisive general election victory in 1968 where it won all seats in Parliament, the government passed the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act of 1968, which made a significant amendment to the legislated Industrial Relations Act of 1960 by severely limiting 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] The NTUC reached its target of 1 million members in 2021.[6]

Relationship with the People's Action Party (PAP)

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The PAP has governed Singapore since its general election victory in 1959. Since the NTUC's inception, relations between the PAP and NTUC are very close, and have often resulted in members concurrently holding office in both organisations. The NTUC's founder, Devan Nair, was a PAP stalwart and later served as President of Singapore. Ong Teng Cheong, the first elected President of Singapore, concurrently served as the secretary-general of NTUC and the country's deputy prime minister until his presidential election. Lim Boon Heng and Lim Swee Say, the previous secretaries-general, also became cabinet ministers. In 2015, Chan Chun Sing took over as Secretary-General from Lim Swee Say, who left the NTUC to become Minister for Manpower.[7] In 2018, Ng Chee Meng took over as Secretary-General from Chan Chun Sing, who left NTUC to become Minister of Trade and Industry.[8] Ng remained in this post even after he lost his parliamentary seat at the 2020 general election.[9]

Reception

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In 2024, the NTUC was designated as a "politically significant person" (PSP) under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 (FICA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore) (MHA) due to its "close nexus and symbiotic relationship" with the PAP.[10][11] This close relationship has not come without criticism, with other political parties such as the Workers' Party (WP) viewing that the lack of a non-partisan and independent trade union centre in Singapore as being detrimental for the labour movement and workers rights in the country.[12][13]

List of office holders

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NTUC President

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

NTUC Secretary-General

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

NTUC Affiliated Unions and Associations

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58 Trade Unions and 3 Trade Associations are affiliated to the National Trades Union Congress.[14] The affiliated unions can be broadly categorised under Industrial Sector, Service Sector, Public Sector Unions and Omnibus Unions.

Industrial Sector Unions

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  1. Advanced Manufacturing Employees' Union (AMEU)
  2. Built Environment and Urban Trades 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

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  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

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  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

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

Associations

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  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

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

The list of social enterprises includes:[15]

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The list of related organizations includes:[14]

  • Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF)
  • Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCi)
  • Employment & Employability Institute (e2i)
  • Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE)
  • Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE)
  • Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Seow, Joanna (19 November 2017). "Crucial to build on symbiotic relationship between PAP and NTUC: PM Lee | The Straits Times". The Straits Times. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Will closer ties between PAP and NTUC really be good for Singapore?". TODAY. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Singapore Association of Trade Unions". Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  4. ^ Thomas Kochan; Russell Lansbury; Anil Verma (14 September 1995). Employment relations in the growing Asian economies (Reprinted ed.). London: Routledge. p. 64. ISBN 9780415125840. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  5. ^ Seow, Joanna Seow (4 July 2019). "Unions' shift to collaborative approach 50 years ago changed course of Singapore's history: President Halimah". The Straits Times. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  6. ^ Tan, Sue-Ann (16 November 2021). "NTUC membership surpasses 1 million, growth spurred by changes in membership model, training initiatives". The Straits Times. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Labour chief Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister; Chan Chun Sing to be new labour chief". The Straits Times. 8 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Ng Chee Meng elected NTUC secretary-general". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  9. ^ Seow, Joanna Seow (14 July 2020). "NTUC reaffirms support for Ng Chee Meng to stay on as labour chief after Sengkang election loss". The Straits Times. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  10. ^ Chong Ming, Lee; Ng, Abigail (11 July 2024). "NTUC set to be designated 'politically significant person' under foreign interference law given close, symbiotic PAP links". CNA. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  11. ^ Ming Chong, Lee (26 July 2024). "NTUC designated 'politically significant person' under Singapore's foreign interference law". CNA. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  12. ^ Yan Han, Goh (9 September 2024). "PAP and WP MPs clash over ruling party's close ties with NTUC". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  13. ^ Tham, Davina (9 September 2024). "PAP, WP MPs clash over independence of NTUC that is 'symbiotic' with ruling party". CNA. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Organisation Directory". NTUC.
  15. ^ "NTUC Enterprise". NTUC Enterprise.

Sources

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