The Labour Movement celebrates the SG50 milestone with its first mega party - “Appreciating U – Our Pioneers”, for Singapore’s Pioneer Generation who have contributed greatly to nation building and its accomplishments today. 7,000 Pioneer Generation union members and their families were treated to a 1960s-themed carnival for a night of fun and nostalgia experience.
Held at The Promontory, the Pioneer Generation members and their families relished in a wide array of old school carnival games, activities and traditional performances where the young got to experience the sweet and simple life in the yesteryears, while the elderly reminiscence the good old days.
“Appreciating U – Our Pioneers” was organised in line with the Labour Movement’s recent roll-out of the nationwide “Appreciating U” movement, which encourages the appreciation of all working people, in becoming Better Employers, Better Workers and Better Customers.
It also coincides with the International Year of the Family, which seeks to promote strong family ties through love and respect, commitment, and big-heartedness. Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, who are Singapore’s pioneer generation, play an important role in raising families. Their hard work, sacrifices and commitment built strong foundations for our families, and the Singapore of today. As a society, let us cherish and honour them with our love, respect and time, and draw inspiration from their experiences and stories.
Labour Movement’s “Thank You” to Our Pioneer Generation
As a form of “Thank You”, the Labour Movement plans to honour and appreciate the Pioneer Generation with a series of special promotions and offerings that will recognise and give our pioneers, including the Pioneer Generation union members, a meaningful experience.
The NTUC social enterprises will start this off in September 2014 under the aegis of NTUC Enterprise, the holding entity of the social enterprises which include NTUC Fairprice, NTUC Income, NTUC Unity Healthcare, NTUC Foodfare, NTUC First Campus and NTUC Eldercare. The group plans to run the programme until the end of 2015.
Said Mr Tan Suee Chieh, Group Chief Executive of NTUC Enterprise, “The NTUC social enterprises have come together to collectively honour the pioneers of Singapore through the many touch-points we offer on a daily basis – our supermarkets, food courts, insurance, childcare centres, pharmacies, dental clinics and Family Medicine Clinic, and eldercare centres. We want our pioneers to have a positive experience at our social enterprises.”
Some of the initiatives and events that the social enterprises will announce from September onwards include:
NTUC Pioneer union members will not be forgotten. The Labour Movement will be putting together special privileges for these members as well.
“The Labour Movement is committed to do more for Pioneer Union Members. 40 of our unions have now joined a landmark U65+ programme launched last year to recognise and reward over 10,000 Pioneer union members who have stood in solidarity with their union over time. In addition, we are rolling out exclusive privileges, such as $5 consultation every Tuesday at Parkway Shenton Medical Group clinics island-wide, and subsidised air travel on Tigerair for hundreds of Pioneer union members.” said Mr Vivek Kumar, Secretary of NTUC Membership Council.
Details of these offerings will be announced on a later date.
Mr Lim Swee Say, Secretary-General of NTUC concluded, “We have come a long way in 50 years. As we celebrate SG50, our biggest “Thank you” must go to our Pioneer Generation of workers and unionists. If not for them, we won’t be working and living in the Singapore of today. We hope members of our Pioneer Generation and their families enjoy the time and the fun together at this carnival. We also look forward to bringing the gesture of appreciation from the NTUC and its affiliated social enterprises in honour of our Pioneer Generation.”
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