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Sitecore Context Id: 1729198f-44d6-429a-8a34-a7a5f04e78ea;
Though Fuji Xerox Senior Credit Management Officer and The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) Executive Council member Eveline Lee may just be 31 years old, she is fast learning the union ropes.
NTUCtw: How did you get started in union work?
Ms Eveline Lee: When I first joined Fuji Xerox about eight years ago in my early twenties, I did not know what a union was all about. It so happened that the Fuji Xerox Branch Secretary at that time was my buddy. From time to time, she would share with me about union work and this got me interested. The Branch Treasurer was very encouraging and soon invited me to join the Branch Committee to help out. I consider myself an activist and, being outgoing, I quickly got involved in many union activities at my Branch and also at SMMWU HQ, including sports events.
As Branch Secretary now, you have more responsibilities. Has it been a steep learning curve?
I am lucky because I get a lot of help, information and guidance from senior unionists at the Branch level
and SMMWU HQ. I seek help from SMMWU HQ in complicated cases, or there may be things I might not foresee or overlook which they can point out. My Branch has good interaction with the union HQ and I can tap on the experience of good mentors. It is important because we can’t always rely on ourselves as I have to honestly say that our knowledge can be quite limited.
How has the journey been so far?
Through the years, I have attended many courses that are required for union work and grew in the process to become Branch Secretary. Along the way, I have had to handle all kinds of matters that I initially had no idea what they were about. It has all been beneficial because it deepened my understanding of union work which would not have been possible if I was not a union Branch official. Now, whenever anyone has work-related problems or queries, I am in a position to advise accordingly. To keep members constantly updated, I disseminate relevant information to them in various ways including a specially created Facebook page.
What else are you involved in?
I have been active in Young NTUC for several years now and am currently Chairperson for the Services Sector. We are busy organising various activities to connect with and engage the youth, including
hosting and interacting with overseas union youth groups. Last year during the SG50 year, I was very honoured to be part of the NTUC National Day Parade contingent. It was my first involvement in a
National Day Parade and I was Deputy Commander of the contingent. It was a proud moment for me
and I hope to do more to give back to the nation and to society. Obviously, my various commitments
including on weekends take up a lot of time but I find it meaningful and do it happily.
