PM Lee holds dialogue with Young NTUC

PM Lee holds dialogue with Young NTUC

25 August 2007

Media Release 

1. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today held a dialogue with 120 youths at Scarlet City, Ang Mo Kio Hub.  The youths were participants of a forum series organised by Young NTUC titled "Youths for a Competitive and Inclusive Singapore (YCiS) ".   This is the first time that Mr Lee has held a dialogue with the youth wing of the labour movement.

2. Joining Mr Lee at the occasion was Mr Lim Swee Say, NTUC Secretary-General and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Labour MP Mrs Josephine Teo, Director of NTUC's Youth Development Unit and Advisor to Young NTUC, and Mr Edwin Lye, Chairperson of Young NTUC.

3. YCiS was launched on 5 May 2007.  It took place over a period of 3 months from May to August.  To promote self-discovery, the forum series was designed around learning journeys and “world café” dialogues, along the themes of Competitiveness, Cohesion, Compassion, Compact and Choice.  The participants visited places such as Jurong Island, Harmony Centre, Singapore Discovery Centre and Voluntary Welfare Organisations.  To gain further insights in each area, participants held dialogues with “learning catalysts”.  (Please see Annex). 

4. Mr Lye noted that the dialogue with Young NTUC comes just one week after the Prime Minister outlined major policy changes at the National Day Rally. The dialogue thus focussed on the choices Singapore had to make to move forward.  Participants engaged PM on issues  relating to the widening income gap, how Singapore could be a more compassionate society as the nation prospers and other challenges posed by globalisation and an ageing population.   

5. Mr Lye says, "One in three union members is under age 35, and born after Singapore’s independence in 1965.  It is significant that PM has made this effort to meet with our working youths.  Singapore’s future depends to a large extent on these youths, and they want to know the direction we're heading in."    

6. Participants agreed that YCiS had helped them think more deeply about opportunities and challenges for Singapore.  In his valedictory speech, Mr Kenneth Wong reflected on the learning journey to Harmony Centre @ An-Nahdhah, “Much has been done by the government to achieve racial integration, but each individual should be pro-active to appreciate other races’ culture, religions and differences. Until we are able to achieve this, we have only achieved multiracial tolerance, not multiracial harmony.”

7. Ms Sabariah Bte Kassim, another YCiS participant, summarised her learning experience from her visits to voluntary welfare organisations, “Singaporeans are provided with many opportunities to move ahead and do well.  Even the needy and the elderly are cared for by the community.  Those who have succeeded must also show that they care for their fellow citizens.  Together, we can make our society more compassionate.”  

8. Mrs Teo shared that many YCiS participants, like Ms Sabariah, had expressed keen interest to follow-up by taking up volunteering opportunities.  “It is quite heartening to see that our youths are not just concerned about themselves. The challenge is to help youths identify volunteering opportunities that are meaningful to them personally, and also sustainable given their work and family commitments.  Young NTUC is looking at ways to support this growing interest.”

9. On behalf of YCiS participants, both Mr Wong and Ms Sabariah presented PM Lee with an island map of Singapore that was formed by coloured   stickers,   representing each person's  unique contribution to making Singapore our home of choice.    
 

About Young NTUC

To ensure continuity and dynamism, the labour movement must have a strong cohort of young members. Young NTUC was launched on 30 April 2005 to attract younger members to the activities of the NTUC. Formerly known as the NTUC Youth Committee, Young NTUC is the official youth wing of the National Trades Union Congress.

With 135,000 members from 18 to below 35 years old, Young NTUC is the largest youth movement in Singapore. Working with the youth chapters of the 63 NTUC affiliated unions, Young NTUC aims to reach out to the young workforce in Singapore, representing them as a voice and thus helping to advance the cause of the labour movement here.

More information on Young NTUC and its activities can be found at the website www.youngntuc.org.sg

About National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is a national confederation of trade unions of workers in the industrial, service and public sectors representing about 480,000 workers in Singapore.  It has 63 affiliated trade unions and six associations, and 15 social enterprises, which include nine cooperatives.  NTUC’s objectives are to help Singapore stay competitive and workers remain employable for life; to enhance the social status and well-being of workers; and to build a strong, responsible and caring labour movement.

For more details on NTUC, please visit our website at http://www.ntuc.org.sg/