NTUC Raises $7.25 Million to Assist Union Members in Need

Some 10,000 union members and their families have benefited from various assistance programmes in 2023

Against a backdrop of continued economic uncertainty and rising cost of living, NTUC-U Care Fund (U Care Fund) has pressed on efforts to assist lower-income NTUC union members who may need a helping hand in times of need.

$7.25 million was raised this year with kind donations from long-standing supporters as well as new donors. Some 10,000 NTUC union members and their families benefitted from various assistance programmes, which are aimed to help union members alleviate the cost of daily essentials including the needs of their school-going children.

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and NTUC Care Division Director Melvin Yong, said, “We are thankful for our generous donors who continue to support our cause despite the economic uncertainties. I am mindful that cost of living remains as one of our workers’ top concerns and the U Care Fund has pushed out additional financial assistance for our lower-income members this year. While NTUC continues to help workers improve their wages and work prospects, we are also stepping up efforts to better support the welfare of our vulnerable workers, especially those who face sudden loss of income due to unforeseen circumstances.”
 

Strengthening fundraising efforts
In 2023, some 100 donors contributed to the fund, with contributions from the Labour Movement: ¬Singapore Labour Foundation, and NTUC Social Enterprises − NTUC Income, FairPrice Foundation and Mercatus Co-operative − contributing $4.2 million in total; and NTUC-affiliated unions and associations donating close to $900,000 collectively.

As part of NTUC’s innovation culture to better serve the interests of union members and workers, U Care Fund has similarly embarked on new ways to raise funds and cultivate a wider pool of donors since 2021, post-COVID.

For example, this year marked the return of the U Care Fund Charity Golf and Dinner. The Charity Golf saw encouraging participation from 140 players, including guest-of-honour Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Desmond Tan. Other participants included members of the U Care Fund Board of Trustees, donors and partners. The top four donors − NTUC First Campus Co-operative Limited, Speedy Energy Pte. Ltd, the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and Avanda Investment Management Pte. Ltd. − contributed $250,000 to the fundraising target. Other donations and Tote Board’s one-to-one matching raised the total amount to $760,100.

 
In addition, U Care Fund expanded efforts to raise funds through digital platforms, running various online campaigns to reach out to members of the public and encourage them to donate to U Care Fund via Giving.sg. $30,000 has been raised to-date.

Assistance programmes for workers in need
The NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) programme returned this year, with a total of $3 million set aside to help union members stretch their dollar. Approximately 10,000 members and over 10,000 children are expected to benefit from this programme. Applications opened from 1 November and will continue to run till 15 December.

Amidst worries of rising cost of living, the NTUC Care Fund (Special Assistance) is a programme which provides one-time cash relief to ease their financial burden on the rising cost of living for daily essentials. Applications ran earlier this year from 5 June to 21 July. Some 7,500 members benefited from a one-off disbursement of $150/$60 (based on qualifying criteria).

Other assistance programmes that U Care Fund supported included efforts on caring for our elderly via the Health for Life Fund; the U Care Education Co-funding Scheme where U Care Fund supports the education awards for unions members’ children by providing 50 percent co-funding support of up to $50,000 per year to unions and associations; and the U Care CSR Grant which supported community service projects led by the Labour Movement.


Targeted assistance for unique needs of vulnerable workers
U Care Fund will continue to bolster its fundraising efforts, widen its donor pool and look at ways to engender public support in contributing to improve the welfare of lower-income NTUC union members. In addition, NTUC will explore ways to offer targeted assistance that meets the unique needs of specific segments, such as self-employed persons and lower-income members with school-going dependents who face sudden hardship. More details will be shared in due course.