He learnt the value of being a union member after he was retrenched from an elevator company. Subari Samuri, 55, is the president of the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers (AUPDRW) and an Environment Health Assistant with the National Environment Agency (NEA).
AUPDRW represents low wage workers from the cleaning, environment and the incineration plants sectors.
The union has 637 members.
NTUC This Week: How did you get involved with AUPDRW?
Subari Samuri: In NEA, I used to attend classes to improve my English language. That was when I met Brother Muthukumar, our current General Secretary, who encouraged me to get involved in the union’s activities and come into the executive committee. Over the years, I rose to become the union’s General Treasurer and have now been the President for the last two terms.
What are the issues that you look out for amongst your members in your work?
A: One key concern for AUPDRW is that our union members continue working beyond the retirement or re-employment age. As long as they are healthy, we ask NEA to continue employing them. Recently we helped a group of workers who had reached 67 to have their employment extended. Due to safety reasons, they were required to go through a test where they had to go down a drain and clean it. The workers approached our union as they were facing non-extension at work and they needed the income badly. Due to their age, they found the test difficult. We spoke to NEA to reconsider to re-deploy these workers to areas that do not have drain works. Our appeal was accepted and these workers continued to be employed as they were healthy.
Q: How are your members adjusting to changes in the way work is done today with the use of more technology?
A: The union and NEA have worked together to do job re-design. Now they are trained to use a simple portable mobile device to send their report after they complete their work. They have taken the trouble to upskilling themselves. Those who are doing vector control have also been re-trained and equipped with simple portable device to improve their productivity.
Q: Have there been instances where you have helped a union member or his family facing difficulties?
A: AUPDRW extends all forms of help which the Labour Movement gives to low wage workers like vouchers and bursaries. We have gone one step further since August last year. We have also been helping some families with funeral expenses, especially when every dollar matters to the family of a daily rated worker who has passed on. We also supported families with hardship grants under NTUC Gift, a group insurance policy, to help them when members passed away.
Source: NTUC This Week
