National Trades Union Congress

Last updated

NTUC
National Trades Union Congress
Founded6 September 1961;62 years ago (1961-09-06)
Headquarters One Marina Boulevard
Location
Members
Increase2.svg 1 million
Key people
K Thanaletchimi , President
Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General
Affiliations ITUC, PAP
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, 10 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 (PAP) since its inception in 1961. [1] [2]

Contents

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 — 1979 Phey Yew Kok
1979 — 1981 C.V Devan Nair
1971 — 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 — 1965 C. V Devan Nair
1965 — 1966Steve Nagayan
1966 — 1967Ho See Beng
1970 — 1979 C. V Devan Nair
1979 — 1983Lim 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

59 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. Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees' Union (BATU)
  2. Chemical Industries Employees' Union (CIEU)
  3. ExxonMobil Singapore Employees Union (EMSEU)
  4. Keppel Employees Union (KEU)
  5. Keppel FELS Employees' Union (KFEU)
  6. Advanced Manufacturing Employees' Union (AMEU)
  7. NatSteel Employees' Union (NEU)
  8. Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union (SMEEU)
  9. Singapore Refining Company Employees' Union (SRCEU)
  10. Sembawang Shipyard Employees' Union (SSEU-Sembawang)
  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. Creative Media and Publishing Union (CMPU)
  4. DBS Staff Union (DBSSU)
  5. dnata Singapore Staff Union (DSSU)
  6. Education Services Union (ESU)
  7. Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU)
  8. Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU)
  9. National Transport Workers' Union (NTWU)
  10. Port Officers' Union (POU)
  11. Reuters Local Employees' Union, Singapore (RLEU)
  12. Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers' Union (SATSWU)
  13. Singapore Bank Employees' Union (SBEU)
  14. Singapore Bank Officers' Association (SBOA)
  15. Scoot Tigerair Staff Union (STSU)
  16. SIA Engineering Company Engineers and Executives Union (SEEU)
  17. Singapore Airlines Staff Union (SIASU)
  18. Singapore Insurance Employees' Union (SIEU)
  19. Singapore Maritime Officers' Union (SMOU)
  20. Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS)
  21. Singapore Port Workers Union (SPWU)
  22. Singapore Stevedores Union (SSU)
  23. Singapore Technologies Electronics Employees' Union (STEEU)
  24. Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employees (SUBE)
  25. Staff Union of NTUC-ARU (SUN)
  26. Times Publishing Group Employees' Union (TPGEU)
  27. Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE)
  28. Union of Security Employees (USE)
  29. Union of Tripartite Alliance (UTAL)
  30. Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore (UTES)

Public Sector Unions

  1. Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers (AUPDRW)
  2. Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE)
  3. Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE)
  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. SPRING Singapore Staff Union (SSSU)
  12. Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union (STTU)
  13. Singapore Teachers' Union (STU)
  14. Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority Workers' Union (SURAWU)
  15. 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 Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA)
  3. National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA)
  4. Singapore FinTech Association (SFA)
  5. Tech Talent Assembly (TTAB)

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]

The list of related organizations includes: [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Action Party</span> Political party in Singapore

The People's Action Party is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and one of three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ong Teng Cheong</span> 5th President of Singapore from 1993 to 1999

Ong Teng Cheong was a Singaporean statesman, architect and union leader who served as the fifth president of Singapore from 1993 to 1999. He was the first president to be directly elected in a popular vote in Singapore's history after winning the 1993 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devan Nair</span> Malaysian-Singaporean politician

Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, also known as C. V. Devan Nair, better known as Devan Nair, was a Singaporean politician and union leader who served as the third president of Singapore from 1981 until his resignation in 1985.

The following lists events that happened during 1961 in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lim Swee Say</span> Singaporean politician

Lim Swee Say is a Singaporean former politician who served as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress between 2005 and 2015, Minister for Manpower between 2015 and 2018, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office between 2004 and 2015, Second Minister for National Development between 2004 and 2005, and Minister for the Environment between 2000 and 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lim Boon Heng</span> Singaporean politician

Lim Boon Heng is a Singaporean former politician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was a Member of Parliament (MP) between 1980 and 2011, and had served in the Cabinet between 2001 and 2011. He also served as Chairman of the People's Action Party between 2004 and 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josephine Teo</span> Singaporean politician

Josephine Teo Li Min is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister for Communications and Information, Minister-in-charge of the Cyber Security Agency and Smart Nation Initiative since 2021. Teo is currently also Second Minister for Home Affairs, a position which she had held since 2017. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Kreta Ayer–Kim Seng division of Jalan Besar GRC since 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chan Chun Sing</span> Singaporean politician

Chan Chun Sing is a Singaporean politician and former major-general who has been serving as Minister for Education since 2021 and Minister-in-charge of Public Service since 2018. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Buona Vista division of Tanjong Pagar GRC since 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heng Chee How</span> Singaporean politician

Heng Chee How is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former police officer who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for Defence since 2018 and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress since 1999. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Whampoa division of Jalan Besar GRC since 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ong Ye Kung</span> Singaporean politician

Ong Ye Kung is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Minister for Health since 2021. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Sembawang Central division of Sembawang GRC since 2015.

Yeo Guat Kwang is a Singaporean former politician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Ang Mo Kio–Hougang division of Ang Mo Kio GRC between 2011 and 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond Choo</span> Singaporean politician

Desmond Choo Pey Ching is a Singaporean politician and former police officer who has been serving as Mayor of North East District since 2017 and Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress since 2015. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Tampines Changkat division of Tampines GRC since 2015.

Koh Poh Koon is a Singaporean politician and former colorectal surgeon who has been serving as Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment since 2022 and Senior Minister of State for Manpower since 2021. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Tampines Central division of Tampines GRC since 2020.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) spearheads the labour movement of Singapore, which represents almost a million workers in the country across more than 70 unions, affiliated associations and related organisations. Singapore runs on a tripartism model which aims to offers competitive advantages for the country by promoting economic competitiveness, harmonious government-labour-management relations and the overall progress of the nation.

The Progressive Wage Model (PWM), also known as the progressive wage for short, is a wage structure in Singapore, advocated by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the sole national trade union in Singapore. The objective of the Progressive Wage Model has been to increase the salaries of workers through the enhancement of skills and improving productivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ng Chee Meng</span> Singaporean politician and former Chief of Defence Force

Ng Chee Meng is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former lieutenant-general who has been serving as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress since 2018. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Punggol North division of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC between 2015 and 2020. He served as Minister for Education (Schools) between 2015 and 2018, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office between 2018 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Tay</span> Singaporean politician

Patrick Tay Teck Guan is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Pioneer SMC since 2020 and previously the Nee Soon East division of Nee Soon GRC between 2011 and 2015, and the Boon Lay division of West Coast GRC between 2015 and 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melvin Yong</span> Singaporean politician

Melvin Yong Yik Chye is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former police officer. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Radin Mas SMC since 2020 and previously the Moulmein–Cairnhill division of Tanjong Pagar GRC between 2015 and 2020.

Desmond Tan Kok Ming is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress since 2022.

Phey Yew Kok is a former Singaporean politician and union leader. He was the Member of Parliament for Boon Teck constituency from 1972 to 1980 and the President of the National Trades Union Congress from 1970 to 1980. He was convicted in 2016 for charges of misuse of union funds laid against him in 1979. He was on the run for 35 years before surrendering to Singapore authorities in 2015.

References

  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. ↑ Anil Verma, Thomas A. Kochan, Russell D. Lansbury. "Employment relations in the growing Asian economies".
  5. ↑ "NTUC | Every Worker Matters".
  6. ↑ "Labour chief Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister; Chan Chun Sing to be new labour chief". The Straits Times. 8 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Ng Chee Meng elected NTUC secretary-general". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. 1 2 "Organisation Directory". NTUC.
  10. ↑ "About Us | History & Core Values | NTUC Enterprise". NTUC Enterprise.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.