Media briefing on NTUC National Delegates' Conference 2007
25 October 2007
Media Release
1 The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will be holding its National Delegates’ Conference (NDC) 2007 from 29 to 31 October 2007 at the Orchid Country Club, with Guest-of-Honour Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony on the first day.
2 The purpose of the NDC 2007 is for the labour movement to review its progress and achievements in the past two years and to chart its direction over the next four years in helping workers at work, live and play, and in contributing towards Singapore’s economic and social progress. Delegates (elected union leaders) will also elect the new 21-member NTUC Central Committee (NTUC CC) for the four-year term 2007-2011 at the NDC 2007.
3 About 1,000 delegates, observers, tripartite partners, local and international guests and NTUC staff will be attending the opening ceremony. They include about 376 delegates and 357 observers from NTUC’s 63 affiliated unions, six affiliated associations, 12 social enterprises and three related organisations.
4 The information on the NDC 2007 in this media release is for the media‘s reporting unless an embargo has been indicated.
NTUC National Delegates’ Conference and NTUC Central Committee
5 Under NTUC’s Constitution, the supreme authority of NTUC is the Delegates’ Conference, which takes the form of a National, Ordinary or Extraordinary Conference. A NDC is held once every four years, with an Ordinary Delegates’ Conference (ODC) held once every two years after the last preceding NDC. An Extraordinary Delegates’ Conference is held when the need arises.
6 At the NDC, delegates from NTUC’s affiliated unions and associations will formulate policies, initiatives and programmes to help workers at work, live and play, and to contribute towards Singapore’s economic and social progress. The delegates will also elect the NTUC Central Committee.
7 The NTUC CC, which holds office for a four-year term, is the planning, policy and executive organ of NTUC. It makes all decisions and actions it deems fit to further NTUC’s objectives (please see ANNEX A) and subject to the overriding authority of the Delegates’ Conference, have all powers of the Delegates’ Conference.
8 The NTUC CC consists of 21 members elected by secret ballot by the delegates at the NDC from among the candidates nominated by the delegates. The elected NTUC CC members will then elect among themselves one President, one Secretary-General, three Vice-Presidents, one Secretary for Financial Affairs, up to three Deputy Secretary-Generals and up to five Assistant Secretary-Generals.
9 At the NDC 2007, 23 union leaders will be vying for 21 seats in the new NTUC CC. On the election of the new NTUC CC, NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say said, “As an inclusive labour movement, I hope that the new NTUC Central Committee will also be an inclusive one that will continue to stay relevant in serving the labour movement, union members and workers for the next four years. This means having a good mix of established union leaders re-elected to form the core NTUC Central Committee leadership; younger union leaders elected to ensure leadership development and renewal; and male and female union leaders, representing workers of all ages, all collars and all nationalities, including low-wage workers.”
NTUC National Delegates’ Conference 2007 Discussion Topics
10 The labour movement has set out in 2006 on achieving the Labour Movement 2011 (LM2011) vision of moving the entire labour movement towards realising the vision of a better and more meaningful life for workers of all collars, all ages and all nationalities. During the NDC 2007, delegates from NTUC’s affiliated unions and associations are likely to discuss strategies in developing programmes and initiatives that focus on workers, members, unions, social enterprises and global relations to build a future in 2011 that will see the young and old, high-wage and low-wage earners, foreigners and locals work, live and play together.
a) Worker-Centric
The labour movement looks after the interests and welfare of workers, helping them secure better jobs, betters skills and better pay, so as to lead a better life. Likely issues to be discussed by union leaders at the NDC 2007 include re-employment of older workers beyond the retirement age, employability and welfare of low wage, contract and casual workers, helping more women to get back into the workforce, and fairness at the workplace.
b) Member-Centric
To create a better and more meaningful life for all union members and their families, the labour movement aims to grow union membership with a greater sense of inclusiveness and dynamism so that more union members would come from varied professions at all levels and cut across all age groups. Likely issues to be discussed by union leaders at the NDC 2007 include recruitment and retention of members, enhancing membership benefits, and broadening our reach.
c) Union-Centric
Unions form the very heart of the labour movement, as they are the main avenues through which the labour movement serves its members. Thus, strong support is needed for the development of the unions to ensure that they remain successful. Likely issues to be discussed by union leaders at the NDC 2007 include attracting younger leaders and women leaders, effective adaptation of unions to changing needs and times, development of union leaders, and alignment of LM2011 vision for a better future for our workers.
d) Social Enterprises
NTUC’s 12 social enterprises play an integral role in achieving the LM2011 vision and in making a greater social impact. Each enterprise’s social mission is to create an impact in helping workers stretch their dollar and improve their quality of life. Likely issues to be discussed by union leaders at the NDC 2007 include strengthening the role of NTUC co-operatives in helping better the lives of workers and their families.
e) Global-Centric
Today, the Singapore labour movement continues to play an active role on the global stage to advance and protect the interests of workers in the spirit of international solidarity. Likely issues to be discussed by union leaders at the NDC 2007 include strengthening our global relations in the international labour movement arena.
f) Tripartite Partners’ Support
Many of the labour movement’s achievements would not have been possible if not for the strong tripartite partnership that the labour movement, employers and Government share here in Singapore. Likely issues to be discussed by union leaders at the NDC 2007 include deepening and broadening tripartism in preserving industrial peace, attracting investments, creating jobs, and dealing with economic crises and economic restructuring.
Heng Chee How
Deputy Secretary-General
National Trades Union Congress / Chairperson
NTUC National Delegates’ Conference 2007
Organising Committee
Halimah Yacob (Mdm)
Assistant Secretary-General
National Trades Union Congress / Co-Chairperson
NTUC National Delegates’ Conference 2007
Organising Committee
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ANNEX A
NTUC’s Objectives
The objectives of the NTUC under its Constitution are:
Principal Objectives:
i) to improve the working conditions of workers and enhance their economic and social status, and
ii) to achieve the raising of productivity for the benefit of workers, the employers and the economy of Singapore through the promotion of good industrial relations between workers and their employers.
Other Objectives:
iii) to serve as the national centre of the democratic, non-communist and patriotic trade union movement;
iv) to maintain and uphold the right of labour to freedom of association;
v) to strive for the abolition of all discrimination based on religion, racial origin, sex and social status;
vi) to promote and assist in the formation of trade unions and to secure the effective and complete organisation of all workers;
vii) to encourage the regrouping and restructuring of unions with a view to setting up one union for one industry or establishment, as the case may be;
viii) to promote a democratic, socialist society and to resist anywhere and everywhere the economic and social exploitation of man by man;
ix) to assist and to represent affiliate unions in any or all of the functions of the unions;
x) to promote, organise and operate co-operative enterprises or commercial and industrial undertakings on a co-operative basis or otherwise, provided that such enterprises or undertakings are affected in accordance with the relevant provisions of the laws of the Republic;
xi) to promote and organise cultural, educational, industrial, recreational, social, benevolent and other activities for the benefit and welfare of workers and their dependents and to establish such trust funds and other schemes as the Central Committee deems necessary and expedient for this purpose; and
xii) generally, to do all that is necessary, incidental or conducive, to the attainment of any of the aforegoing objectives as the Delegates’ Conference or the Central Committee may from time to time decide upon.
