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The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has submitted its nomination of union leader Mr Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab, to the Special Select Committee of Parliament, for nomination by the committee for appointment by the President as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP). Mr Samad, 48 years old, is the Vice-President of NTUC and General Secretary of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE).
Mr Samad first joined UPAGE as a union member in 2003 and was elected as a union leader in 2006. Over the years, he rose through the ranks from being an Executive Council member to the position of General Secretary in September 2015, a post he holds till today. In 2015, Mr Samad was elected into the NTUC Central Committee and in 2019, became the Vice-President of NTUC.
Mr Samad’s unwavering dedication to champion the interests of workers has earned him the respect of not only his union members and peers, but also the management as he led UPAGE to forge a strong labour-management relations over the years which is crucial in resolving ground issues concerning workers. A selfless leader who always puts the interests of others above his own, Mr Samad played an instrumental role in the formation of the Market Development and Resilience Scheme launched by the Energy Market Authority in 2018 to secure bonuses, increments as well as training funds for workers in the industry. As a strong advocate for workers’ training and skills upgrading, he was a key driver behind the setup of Company Training Committees with employers to implement training plans for workers across the power and gas industry, in tandem with the industry’s transformation.
Within the Labour Movement, Mr Samad provides leadership and guidance to various NTUC committees on a diverse range of issues from industrial relations and training to membership.
If selected by the Special Select Committee of Parliament, Mr Samad would be the 13th union representative since 1992 to be nominated for appointment as an NMP. Please see Annex A for more information on Mr Samad, and Annex B for the list of former NMPs from the Labour Movement.
Mr Samad’s Response to NTUC’s Nomination as Labour NMP
In response to being nominated by NTUC, Mr Samad shares, “I am humbled and honoured for this opportunity to be an additional voice for the Labour Movement who will speak up for workers in Parliament. Should I be appointed as a Labour NMP, I would leverage my unionist experience and push for changes and improvements based on the real needs of workers on the ground. Among the issues I would address are strengthening the Singaporean Core, preserving jobs and expanding the Progressive Wage Model to more sectors. With the pandemic affecting lives and livelihoods, I would also focus on providing much needed help for our workers especially the middle-income sandwiched group, be it in areas of employment, training or coping with the cost of living.”
Added Mr Samad, “I am very thankful for the support and trust the Labour Movement has given me. If appointed, I would do my best to serve in my new role and contribute in meaningful ways to shape policies for the betterment of workers’ lives.”
NTUC President Mary Liew’s Response to NTUC’s Nomination for Labour NMP
NTUC President Mary Liew shares, “As an experienced, caring and dedicated union leader, Brother Samad has extensive experience in engaging workers on the ground and understanding their needs. We strongly believe that Brother Samad will serve the workers and Singaporeans to his best ability as a Nominated Member of Parliament as he is someone who truly embraces the principles of servant leadership. His inputs in Parliament would be valuable in shaping policies that would benefit our workers. Coming from a union that has a harmonious labour-management relations with management and as someone who has worked closely with tripartite partners, Brother Samad understands the importance of tripartism in Singapore. We believe he will continue to strengthen the tripartite relationship to create a win-win-win scenario for our workers, employers and Singapore as a whole.”
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