NTUC has established a new foundation that will be invested to provide sustainable support to NTUC’s efforts in boosting the welfare of its members and their families.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng announced the NTUC Foundation on 1 May 2021 in his May Day Rally speech.
The NTUC Foundation was incorporated on 27 April 2021.
The NTUC Foundation will complement the U Care initiatives by providing a stable stream of income that will allow NTUC to diversify the types of support provided to members and respond to their changing needs, even in tough economic times.
Currently, NTUC provides direct support to vulnerable members through its U Care initiatives in the form of financial assistance and grants.
To fund the initiatives, NTUC relied on strong support from donors such as the Singapore Labour Foundation, NTUC Social Enterprises, affiliated unions, private sector corporations and individuals.
During his rally speech, Mr Ng said: “NTUC wants to do more to boost the welfare of our members and their families. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we have seen the care needs of our members increase, while the ability of our donors to contribute naturally declined.
“The NTUC Foundation will be well-placed to improve funding stability for valuable causes that support our members and their families through the ups and downs of life and the economy, giving hope for a better future.”
The NTUC Foundation will help fund efforts to boost the welfare, working conditions or social and economic status of its members, as well as providing lower income members’ children better start in life and education.
The May Day Rally also saw the Labour Movement mark the 60th year since NTUC’s founding on 6 September 1961.
He said: “This year is a very special year for NTUC, because we mark 60 years of NTUC of our founding and success. We have stood in solidarity with the PAP to build Singapore from the ground up; we have fought, shoulder to shoulder, for workers’ right to dignified work; Our social enterprises, led by Seah Kian Peng, have made life’s essentials universally affordable to Singaporeans, whether it is insurance, groceries, cooked food, childcare, and more.”
This year’s rally took on a hybrid approach, with some 200 key Labour Movement leaders and tripartite partners coming together at Downtown East to reaffirm NTUC’s collective commitment to advancing its workers’ interests.
On co-creation with workers, Mr Ng also touched on providing assurance and support for local PMEs. He said that NTUC wants to help mature PMEs who are displaced find meaningful work, and that it wants to level the playing field for local PMEs – for them to be recognised for their abilities.
He said: “But I need to make an appeal. NTUC can only help if our PME Sisters and Brothers join us and co-create this journey together … PMEs can be represented, and we are working to push union coverage to more PMEs.”
Mr Ng added that NTUC is also expanding its reach to more self-employed persons (SEPs), having formalised the formation of two new associations, the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (VICPA) and the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), late last year.
Citing the challenges faced by delivery riders – such as road safety issues, securing fair compensation and other fair contracting practices – Mr Ng said that NTUC will be a voice for this group of workers.
In his speech, Mr Ng also gave thanks to government partners, employers, union leaders and staff for their hard work – particularly during the peak of the COVID-19 period.
Mr Ng said NTUC, the Government and SNEF must work together to co-create in order to transform the economy, to not only benefit workers and employers, but the nation as a whole.
"We hope that the Government and our business partners in this co-creation system will see the benefits, and support NTUC in our endeavours with not just moral support but also needed partnership and resources," he said.
He recapped NTUC’s stand to protect workers’ interests through the National Wages Council; how NTUC drafted the Fair Retrenchment Framework (FRF) and incorporated the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment to ensure displaced workers were treated fairly; and how NTUC and its unions worked overtime to help save businesses and bring relief to workers.
“And now that we are back on the path of recovery, a big thank you to our government sisters and brothers, a big thank you to the employers that have supported our workers, and a big thank you to all my union leaders, and my ARU staff for the excellent work in fighting COVID-19,” he said.
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