The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) proudly welcomed its 700,000th union member recently, with sights set on hitting the 1 million mark in membership by 2015.
The 700,000 membership landmark was celebrated at the U Summit 2012 event held at Downtown East this evening, drawing over 1,500 union leaders and members.
NTUC aims to reach out to as many people as possible so that more members and their families can benefit from the initiatives and services offered by the Labour Movement (LM).
The LM crossed the half million membership mark in 2007. Membership grew by 3.5 per cent to 528,000 in 2008 through the collective recruitment efforts of unions, NTUC Social Enterprises and partners.
The financial crisis in 2009 did not dampen the growth of NTUC membership, as it reached 540,000 with various schemes rolled out to help workers and their families through the difficult times.
By the end of 2010, the LM saw the strongest membership growth since 2007, with numbers reaching 615,000 as nEbO became the junior membership arm of the LM.
Today, with 700,000 members, the LM will be rolling out more initiatives to serve the varying needs of members at different life stages as it moves closer to 1 million members by 2015.
According to NTUC, union membership represents more than just a number. It is about real members who need support and care from the LM. A larger membership base would also mean a stronger LM that can better represent its members with a stronger voice in the areas of work, live and play.
NTUC said it has also been seeing a steady growth of members made up of Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs). PMEs members make up 23 per cent of its membership number today, compared to 20 per cent in 2009.
Mr Vivek Kumar, Director, NTUC Membership said: “NTUC Membership strives to be future-ready. PMEs now account for over 70 per cent of new entrants to Singapore workforce. We are engaging thousands of PMEs through new channels such as U Associate & Union Professional Chapters. Our PME member base has grown strongly from 130,000 in 2010, to over 160,000 in 2012.
“On the other hand, with an ageing society, we seek to create Lifelong NTUC Membership by introducing rebates under the U65+ program. Together with extended insurance coverage up to 75 years of age for NTUC Members, we aim to support our members from teenage till they comfortably retire!”
