Since 1999, key leaders from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have visited workers working in the essential services during the Lunar New Year to thank them for their contributions and sacrifices in keeping Singapore moving amidst the festivities.
As we celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday this year, the Labour Movement wants to show our strong appreciation to workers in sectors that have contributed to Singapore’s tremendous growth as a nation over the past 50 years. As our port has played a major role in and contributed to our economy, we visited workers in the marine, maritime transportation and port services sectors this Lunar New Year to thank them for their hard work even during the festive seasons.
This year, on the first day of Lunar New Year, Acting Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and key NTUC leaders visited over 100 workers in these sectors, including harbour pilots, marine crew, technicians, control centre operations staff, port inspectors and vessel traffic operators, from both PSA Marine (Pte) Ltd (PSAM) and The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Acting Prime Minister Teo gave out hong baos and oranges as well as cookies prepared by Mrs Lee Hsien Loong.
PSAM is unionised under the Singapore Port Workers’ Union and the Port Officers’ Union. At PSAM, Acting Prime Minister Teo met with harbour pilots, harbour craft masters, engineering officers, marine assistants and operations assistants in the Mission Command Centre who have worked tirelessly behind-the-scenes and thanked them for their contributions. Acting Prime Minister Teo visited PSAM’s Mission Command Centre to learn about their deployment. In addition, he also boarded a new tugboat, RELIANT, to observe the technological improvements over the past generations of vessels.
To cap the Lunar New Year visit, Acting Prime Minister Teo, who was accompanied by Mrs Teo Chee Hean, also visited about 40 workers who work round-the-clock to manage and control vessel traffic in the Singapore Strait and Singapore Port Waters. The employees, unionised under the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees, play a crucial role in monitoring the movements of vessels and ensuring the safe and efficient navigation of ships through our waters.
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