$10 million mark crossed for Labour Movement U Care Fund
18 April 2009
MEDIA RELEASE
1 5 NTUC social enterprises - NTUC Foodfare, NTUC Healthcare, NTUC Learning Hub, NTUC Link and NTUC Thrift - have banded to contribute towards the Labour Movement U Care fund. Despite bad times, they have stepped up their efforts to do their part for the workers.
2 Joining the collective effort of the 5 social enterprises are NTUC Foodfare’s union - the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union (FDAWU) - and the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF). Together, a total amount of $990,000 was pooled. In particular, this is NTUC Foodfare’s single largest donation of $512,000 to the Labour Movement. This latest contribution has brought the U Care fund total to cross the $10 million mark. For the breakdown of $10 million, please see Annex A.
A unique breakfast experience at Foodfare’s outlet in Simei MRT
3 To mark their significant contribution of close to $1 million, the CEOs of the social enterprises, alongside with NTUC Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) Heng Chee How and union leaders from FDAWU, dedicated their morning to prepare Foodfare's signature $1.80 breakfast set meals to walk-in customers at Foodfare’s outlet in Simei MRT station as part of their Care and Share efforts to serve the greater community. For the list of VIPs who attended the event, please see Annex B.
4 From 8.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m., they were hard at work preparing the economical breakfast sets consisting of two eggs, toast and coffee/tea. Spilt into two teams, they manned the counter, toast-making station, and eggs station. The NTUC breakfast set, introduced since 2006 at all Foodfare outlets, has gained popularity especially in recent times due to the downturn. A signature item, the NTUC breakfast set available at $1.40 for union members ($1.80 for members of the public) is reflective of NTUC Foodfare’s firm commitment to help Singaporeans stretch their hard-earned dollars with value-for-money breakfast options.
5 NTUC DSG Heng Chee How said, “Today marks the crossing of the $10 million mark in our quest to raise $20 million under the U Care Fund. Since the launch of the effort, all parties from the Labour Movement - our unions, social enterprises, associated organisations - and partners have actively gone the extra mile to raise the money. We have only 1.5 months left to double this sum to reach the target of $20 million. It won't be easy, but we are determined to help our workers in this serious downturn. We will do our very best for them."
6 The U Care fund intends to fill its financial tank to $20 million by the first half of 2009 to help lower-income members and retrenched workers facing hardship this year.
Mr Zainudin Nordin
Director
Care and Share
National Trades Union Congress
ANNEX A
ANNEX B
Names of VIPs at the event:
Guest-of-Honour:
Mr Heng Chee How
Deputy Secretary-General, NTUC
Executive Secretary, Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union
VIPs:
Mr Tan Kian Chew, Chairman of NTUC Foodfare
Mr Tan Hock Soon, General-Secretary, Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union
Mr Perry Ong, CEO, NTUC Foodfare
Mr Ryan Cheong, CEO, NTUC Link
Mr Daniel Tseng, CEO, NTUC Thrift
