Opening Address by Mr Mohd Rasi Taib, Cluster Chairman for Transport & Logistics Services Cluster at Transport and Logistics Employment Fair, 4 July 2012, Wednesday at Bedok Central

Welcome

Brother Lim Swee Say, NTUC Secretary-General, MP for East Coast GRC

Brother Ong Ye Kung, NTUC Deputy Secretary-General

Brothers and Sisters from the Cluster Unions

Representatives from WDA, MPA, Trades Association and Employers,

A very good morning to all of you. Thank you for taking the time off to grace today’s event. The Transport and Logistics Services Cluster will be launching the Training Programme for Class 3 and Class 4 Driving Licence to kick-start our collective efforts in providing better jobs for workers in the sector, working towards developing a Singaporean Core.

Under the Labour Movement family, we have gathered the strengths of 10 unions to form the Transport and Logistics Services Cluster. In this cluster, the 10 unions are namely:

• Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE)
• National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU)
• National Taxi Association (NTA)
• Port Officers’ Union (POU)
• Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU)
• Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU)
• Singapore Maritime Officer’ Union (SMOU)
• Singapore Organization of Seamen (SOS)
• Singapore Port Workers Union (SPWU)
• Singapore Stevedores’ Union (SSU)

Together, may we bring about a bigger impact to our workers from the Transport & Logistics Services industry.

As a union leader, I can fully comprehend some of the difficulties and issues that are faced by our workers when we walk the ground. As much as we can resolve some of these issues within the union, there are bigger challenges that could be more complicated and impact not just us, but other related sectors in the industry.

I am glad that with the formation of the Transport & Logistics Services Cluster, we can gather our heads and resources to find better solutions to tackle cluster-wide issues such as manpower crunch and productivity, in turn improving the sector with better jobs and pay.

The collective effort from the 10 unions will allow us to approach the various partners - government, associations and employers with greater strength, offer more sustainable solutions and benefit more workers across the cluster.

I come forward to seek support from all our brothers and sisters from these 10 unions to move in tandem, and help our workers to progress in their jobs to earn a better living. Together, we believe strength lies in unity!

Now, may I invite our brother, Desmond Choo, who is the Cluster Lead to share in greater details what the cluster is planning to do.

Brother Desmond, please.