This year’s May Day Awards recognises outstanding men, women and organisations that have created a significant impact on the lives of workers in Singapore. And to honour them, our unions have nominated a total of 89 out of the 141 awardees this year.
Look out for more in upcoming weeks as we continue to shine the spotlight on our winners in this ongoing series. You can read their full citations here.
Gandhi Kaliappan, Executive Council Member, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union (Comrade of Labour)
Gandhi continues to play a key-role in the annual IRAS-IRASSU Bursary and Merit Awards Committee as a second Chairperson. This portrays her unyielding commitment to serve the interest of members while taking care of their welfare. She now represents the union as an alternate member in the NTUC Women and Family Unit Committee, bringing back valuable knowledge for the Executive Council and members.
Nominated by Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union
Shafari Baharawi, General Secretary, Public Utilities Board Employees’ Union (Comrade of Labour)
Shafari is a leader who pushes for career progression and skills upgrading. He believes in the need for workers to acquire the necessary skills to stay relevant and productive. In 2016, Shafari, together with his fellow union leaders, worked with management to implement the “One Engineer Scheme”. It was an important breakthrough as the scheme provided members with opportunities to progress in their careers.
Nominated by Public Utilities Board Employees’ Union
Chia Ding Shan, Committee Member/Trustee, Port Officers’ Union (Comrade of Labour)
Ding Shan oversees all Care & Share and IT-related matters. He initiated the creation of Port Officers’ Union’s Facebook page, revamped the union’s webpage for better outreach to members and organised annual union charity food fairs.
His close rapport with the ICT members on the ground and his unassuming nature has brought the union closer to the port officers. He has learnt to juggle his job and union work as a part-time union leader in order to serve his members well.
Nominated by Port Officers’ Union
Science Centre Singapore (Plaque of Commendation)
Science Centre Singapore (SCS) has always taken a collaborative approach with the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE). Examples include discussing issues and concerns that arise at the workplace. Likewise, AUPE is consulted on changes to terms and conditions related to work. SCS is also an ardent supporter of fair and progressive employment practices. Guided by the strong belief in providing equal opportunities for all, SCS employs officers with physical disabilities and gives them the option to work beyond age 62. They also extend assistance to officers to help them manage workplace stress and issues.
Nominated by Amalgamated Union of Public Employees
Road Safety Branch, Traffic Police, Singapore Police Force (Partner of Labour Movement)
The Traffic Police (TP) and the National Taxi Association (NTA) have a strong working relationship, stemming from a common mission of keeping roads safe for all road users in Singapore. NTA has nurtured close to 150 Road Safety Champions (RSC) with TP since 2014. They serve as worthy examples to the ground and help look out for the safety of fellow motorists. A major breakthrough was the installation of an alert system in the Mobile Data Terminals of taxis, informing taxi drivers of approaching red light cameras and speed cameras. This has drastically reduced accidents and infringement rates among cabbies. Close to 23,000 cabbies benefitted from this system input.
Nominated by National Taxi Association
