Working parents, especially mothers, can face daily anxieties as they fulfil their work, family and personal responsibilities. Friends of Working Mums (FOWM) is a new initiative by NTUC U Family to support their aspirations as a modern working mother, by offering practical solutions to help them stretch their time and dollar. As a start, U Family has partnered with Grab, the leading super app in Southeast Asia that provides everyday services, to provide exclusive benefits to eligible NTUC union members who are working mothers.
Stretching time and dollar via Grab
NTUC U Family has partnered with Grab to empower working mothers with further flexibility and time when they leverage the app. 12,000 working mothers can benefit from complimentary Grab rides and GrabFood delivery vouchers worth $9 in total. Applications can be done directly with unions or via www.ufamily.org.sg/FOWM.
Working mothers can also benefit from subsidised corporate packages that their employers, together with their unions, may purchase as a way to show support and appreciation for them in a practical manner. The $50 and $100 packages comprise ride and food delivery vouchers, and are worth $69 and $138 respectively.
Through this partnership, Grab provides affordable solutions to working mothers. This includes a range of transportation options, such as JustGrab, GrabShare or GrabFamily, for comfortable rides through the day, as well as a selection of healthy meals for the family that delivers right to their doorstep via GrabFood.
NTUC Women and Family Unit Acting Director Koh Yan Ping said, “Working mothers are highly time-strapped. For new mothers especially, the demands of motherhood and career can be overwhelming. Every bit of help means a lot. Friends of Working Mums hopes to help the working mother become more effective and productive by maximising their time and dollar, enabling them to focus better on other aspects of motherhood and their careers.”
Yee Wee Tang, Country Head of Grab Singapore says, “We are thrilled to be part of this journey with NTUC U Family in supporting a meaningful initiative that uplifts working mothers in Singapore. They are the backbone of their family and take on many roles in today’s society. Whether it’s a ride on GrabFamily, or ordering from a range of healthy selection on GrabFood, we use our technology to bring everyone closer to what matters to them. We hope to help working mothers spend more time with their families and alleviate their worries; we want to empower them to reach a better quality of life.”
Moving forward, NTUC U Family will continue to leverage the Labour Movement’s network of unions, unionised companies, social enterprises and partners, to curate more products and services as part of FOWM to address working mothers’ time and financial-related needs in the areas of family health and nutrition, personal and financial wellbeing as well as career progression.
Empowering working mothers – then and now
Back in the 70s when women begun joining the workforce due to Singapore’s industrialisation, the Labour Movement had already started to look after the interests of working mothers. Recognising the challenges due to the dual roles they play, the Labour Movement started childcare services and advocated for flexible work arrangements while also negotiating, through our unions, for employers to provide family-friendly workplace practices and policies.
Today, the female labour force participation rate is high and has remained relatively stable over the last decade. NTUC U Family, as part of the Labour Movement, is poised to do more to help working mothers achieve their motherhood and career goals. Earlier this year, U Family reaffirmed its commitment to become a stronger voice for working women’s aspirations and concerns, with a key priority to help women remain or return to the workforce while fulfilling their caregiving responsibilities.
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