Confident and articulate with a big heart for his union members, 35-year-old Asrudin As’ad has been playing an active role in the Singapore Shell Employees’ Union (SSEU-SHELL) as a vice-president.
Process technician at Shell by day, and unionist whenever he is off shift, Asrudin prefers to be known as just another colleague, albeit the one colleagues should turn to whenever they have issues.
Union work was something he only got to know about recently, when a colleague invited him to become a delegate with SSEU-SHELL and eventually an office bearer in its executive committee. Snatching an hour in between a union meeting at Shell’s office, Asrudin tells us his story.
NTUC This Week: What was your first impression as a unionist?
Asrudin As’ad: I have always been fond of talking to people, which could be why I was asked to participate. I had no idea what was a delegate because prior to joining Shell five years ago, I had spent 13 years serving in the army as a sergeant major. For me as a unionist, every day is a learning experience on the job.
How has that impression changed?
I take care of my guys, in terms of negotiating benefits and helping them through changes, addressing grievances and making sure that they are not taken advantage of. People can sometimes be too compliant, whereby if the boss says something, they must do it or risk losing their promotion or get into trouble. I will tell them to come to me should they have any problems. Sometimes, members may be too aggressive in their approach, but I will speak in a language that the company management can understand.
What’s your secret to building rapport?
We need to speak to different people differently. Some people grew up a certain way and you just adapt and speak to them the way they are. Instead of jumping to conclusions about a person, I will get to know the person myself, understand his or her point of view. I believe that we have to be fair to both parties, and get sentiment from all parties involved. But you can’t win everybody’s heart.
How do you balance your roles as a process technician and being a unionist?
The good thing is that I’m on rotating shifts and I can’t bring my work home. Once I’m done with work, I’ll go do my union work. You could say I’m disciplined, or lazy, because once I’m in a family mode, I will shut off everything and focus on them. I have a three-year-old daughter, so even if I can’t shut off everything, she will do it for me, and all the attention goes to her.
What are some challenges you encounter as a unionist?
It would be managing emotions. Not mine, but that of others, and their expectations. You can never make everyone happy, and one way to manage is by telling them facts and show them the reality to help them understand.
What’s been the most satisfying aspect of your journey so far?
It would be working together with the current executive committee team. One recent case was being able to extend our representation to include professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). While the Government has that direction and vision to represent PMEs in the workforce, we were able to convince the company that we are able to adequately represent them as a union. It’s a good feeling to be able to make a difference, take the lead as a team, get involved and make the change.
