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NTUC
National Trades Union Congress
Founded6 September 1961; 62 years ago (1961-09-06)
HeadquartersOne Marina Boulevard
Location
Members
Increase 1 million
Key people
K Thanaletchimi , President
Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General
AffiliationsITUC, PAP
Websitewww.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]

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]

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]

Related Organizations

The list of related organizations includes:[9]

See also

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". [1]
  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. ^ a b "Organisation Directory". NTUC.
  10. ^ "About Us | History & Core Values | NTUC Enterprise". NTUC Enterprise.

Sources

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