The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) Vice-President Sim Teck Chua, 52, joined the union in 2008. Prior to that, he was the Singapore Air Transport Union (SATU) Branch Steward for Korean Air. Today, he continues to be a voice for his fellow workers. Currently with Korean Air as a Cargo Operations Assistant Manager, Sim Teck Chua shares with NTUC This Week the various roles he holds in SMMWU.
NTUC This Week: Why did you decide to serve the SATU, and eventually SMMWU?
Sim Teck Chua: When I joined Korean Air in 2000 as a Ground Handling Agent, I subsequently became a SATU member in 2001 and then the company’s Branch Steward in 2003. In SMMWU, while working closely with the industrial relations officers, I was actively voicing out my members’ concerns such as a better Collective Agreement (CA) and an annual increment. In the CA, I managed to negotiate with the management to include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as part of our healthcare benefits. It was not very common to have employers consider TCM in employees’ healthcare benefits. In 2010, I was nominated an executive council (exco) member.
Tell us about your role as vice president?
After serving as an exco member for two years, I was nominated vice president (VP) in 2012. Besides being VP, I also serve in the SMMWU Hardship and Care & Share committees. Just recently, I was made chairman of the Grievance Committee by the SMMWU exco. Under the SMMWU Care & Share Committee, I helped organise and participated in the yearly activities held for Rochor Kongsi Home of the Aged. Last year, we also went to MINDS to do some charity work. I am a part of the selection process for the SMMWU Scholarship and Bursary Awards each year. For NTUC’s Care & Share Committee, I am also the SMMWU Alternate Member.
Why is it important for a worker to be a union member?
Joining a union is a way to protect a worker’s welfare, especially when times are bad. I would always encourage new staff to join us because a union will provide you with more protection. In fact, many workers do not know that retrenchment benefits are not mandatory under the law. They presume that once they get retrenched, they will get paid when in fact, that is not the case. Joining a union is like buying insurance. Apart from the benefits that members can enjoy, the most important thing is having your welfare protected. I am glad to say that in my branch of about 25 workers, we have almost 100 per cent unionisation rate.
What are some other concerns you have for your branch and your union?
One concern I share with the rest of my exco members is leadership renewal. We have a good unionisation rate, but we are still urging our members to serve, especially the younger ones. Of course, serving the union is all about passion, and passion cannot be forced. We hope the younger members will have the passion to serve and lead.
