Good morning,
a. Prime Minister Brother Lee Hsien Loong,
b. ESM Brother Goh Chok Tong,
c. DPM Brother Heng Swee Keat,
d. Cabinet Ministers, special mention to Minister of Manpower, Tan See Leng,
e. NTUC President Sister Mary Liew, fellow CC Members,
f. Past Sec-Gens, Brother Lim Boon Heng, Swee Say and Chun Sing,
g. Tripartite Partners and special call-out to Brother Robert Yap, President of SNEF, and all SNEF council members,
h. PAP comrades,
i. Sisters and Brothers, including honoured guests from international countries.
Introduction
A very good morning again to all of you and welcome to NDC 2023! Thank you, PM, for reinforcing the purpose of the Labour Movement, of NTUC; the encouragement and also for recognising the work of the Labour Movement’s Sisters and Brothers in the last four years.
It is with great appreciation that you came and gave such an expansive speech on the history of the Labour Movement, to the things that we have to do tomorrow. But I must tell you, PM, that it is very difficult to speak after you. I will try.
Time has really flown by since we last met in NDC 2019. Four years in the flash of an eye. The world, as PM had said, has changed dramatically.
Great power competition has entrenched and destabilised the world. This has impacted global trade and fundamentally changed many business endeavours economically. Wars have broken out in Europe and in the Middle East.
Rapid technological changes and advancements are driving major industry transformations and business changes.
Within our own shores, Singapore is at an inflexion point where we have a maturing economy after 60 years of stupendous growth; now, slowing as a matured economy and critically, with a maturing workforce and ageing demographic.
It is within this set of sombre context, that we meet this morning at NDC 2023 to elect a new Central Committee and to chart our way forward.
Take Pride: The 3Is + D Strategy Delivered
This morning, I will quickly do a quick report on the four years of accomplishments, followed by what we need to do as NTUC for the next four years ahead:
a. Scaling our innovations to make a bigger positive impact through our Labour Movement
b. Anchoring Innovation as part of NTUC’s DNA so that the Labour Movement can be agile, adaptive, and relevant to the changing needs of the workforce across all segments, and
c. Critically pushing leadership development and refresh so that NTUC can thrive in a very changed world.
Despite the very difficult conditions of the last four years amidst COVID, NTUC has
a. Placed workers at the core and heart of all that we have done, and
b. We have worked doubly hard to meet the difficult four years of COVID to realise and make real our three Innovations and Digital transformation strategy.
I am happy to report to NDC that we are well on our way towards achieving the 1.5 million membership goal we set for ourselves in 2019.
a. Our membership is expected to reach 1.27 million by the end of 2023. This marks a remarkable 30% growth in the challenging period from 2019 to 2023.
b. It is both a show of strength of what we can achieve together as a Labour Movement, and
c. Testament of how our innovations have upped our Labour Movement’s relevance to the working people of Singapore.
Today, more workers are joining NTUC. Why?
a. The answer is simple.
b. Scaling our innovations to make a bigger positive impact through our Labour Movement
c. Anchoring Innovation as part of NTUC’s DNA so that the Labour Movement can be agile, adaptive, and relevant to the changing needs of the workforce across all segments, and
d. Critically pushing leadership development and refresh so that NTUC can thrive in a very changed world.
Despite the very difficult conditions of the last four years amidst COVID, NTUC has
a. Placed workers at the core and heart of all that we have done, and
b. We have worked doubly hard to meet the difficult four years of COVID to realise and make real our three Innovations and Digital transformation strategy.
I am happy to report to NDC that we are well on our way towards achieving the 1.5 million membership goal we set for ourselves in 2019.
a. Our membership is expected to reach 1.27 million by the end of 2023. This marks a remarkable 30% growth in the challenging period from 2019 to 2023.
b. It is both a show of strength of what we can achieve together as a Labour Movement, and
c. Testament of how our innovations have upped our Labour Movement’s relevance to the working people of Singapore.
Today, more workers are joining NTUC. Why?
a. The answer is simple.
b. We have delivered the 3Ws: better wages, better welfare, and better work prospects in the last four years amid difficult conditions that PM had mentioned and recognised the Labour Movement for.
What I would tell you, Sisters and Brothers, is that you have innovated, and we have together restructured our NTUC into an organisation where we are now able to bring a whole integrated NTUC capability set – W.I.N. – to fulfil our agenda in the last four years and position ourselves even better for the next four.
In the course of the last four years using the new ways that you have been doing business in the new innovations, we have expanded the Progressive Wage Model and raised wages across different sectors – Retail, Food Services and Waste Management, uplifting 135,000 lower wage workers with better wages; and importantly, with the PWM also giving them the hope for a better work prospect in the career that we have charted out for them. Workers not only earn better wages today but can aspire to have better work opportunities in the future.
For the vulnerable platform workers, NTUC has successfully championed their interest for better protection and welfare, with potentially a “first-in-the-world" innovation comprising:
a. CPF contributions for the long-term planning,
b. WICA-like workplace injury benefits, and importantly,
c. Formal representation via NTUC in the near future – a world’s first.
In the mature workers’ space, NTUC and our tripartite partners have:
a. Raised the retirement age to 63 and the re-employment age to 68 respectively, and importantly,
b. For retirement adequacy, are restoring CPF contribution rates to the original numbers.
In the SME workers’ space, we have innovated our business model too and established partnerships with clos to 900 SMEs amidst COVID to serve our SME workers better. Four years ago, we have none of these partnerships.
For the PMEs, NTUC has worked closely with our Tripartite Partners to level the playing field for our local PMEs with:
a. The implementation of COMPASS,
b. The upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation, and
c. Working with SNEF and IHRP to certify 12,000 HR professionals so that we can ensure fair employment practices for our PMEs on the ground.
And for our Youths, we are working to better support youths transitioning from school to the workplace, with
a. New initiatives like our Career Starter Lab pilot that we are championing, and
b. A Starter Membership programme that we hope to answer better to the Youths’ Work, Live and Play requirements.
In the Caregivers space,
a. NTUC has not only advocated for new measures, flexible work arrangements,
b. But has launched “C U Back at Work”, a first-of-its-kind programme that offers 500 redesigned jobs, especially tailored for women that have caregiving needs to facilitate their transition back to work with the necessary balance between caregiving responsibilities and work requirements. I see Sister Wan Ling clapping enthusiastically. That is her innovation.
c. Beyond the “C U Back at Work”, we are also working with partner employers to institute paid caregivers leave via our Collective Agreements to better support this space where many of our sisters have very difficult challenges of balancing caregiving responsibilities as daughters and their workplace requirements to earn a good living. We will try to do our utmost, to do even better in the next four years.
In the top-of-mind cost-of-living issue, compared to what the Government has done,
a. NTUC FairPrice will do our best to alleviate or help the cost of living:
i. Indeed, actually at the NTUC level, FairPrice has taken significant efforts to help workers cope with rising costs. House brand products that provide over 2,000 quality daily essentials priced cheaper than national brands, at an equally good quality;
ii. Initiatives such as
• Everyday Low Price that offers price freezes on 50 popular essential items each month, and
• Price Drop, Buy Now initiative that offers weekly discounts on selected items of up to 50% discounts.
Our NTUC Care Fund has also done its utmost to disburse $24 million over the last four years to help lower-income members cope with the different challenges, including to defray the increased costs of living.
Sisters and Brothers, I think all of you can take pride in these achievements!
a. Our 3 Innovation Strategy have borne first fruit.
b. NTUC is on our way to 1.5 million members, achieving – in the last four years – good progress.
c. And all these amidst very difficult COVID challenges.
So, well done to all of you. Well done to all of you not only at the Labour Movement level, but importantly, beyond the 3Ws impact that all of you have championed workers, know too that your efforts have collectively made significant contribution to Singapore’s economic progress and social cohesion:
a. NTUC’s role in our unique tripartism, in our political economy, promotes conducive Labour-Management relations that is conducive for investments, businesses, and economic growth.
b. In other words, sisters and brothers, you have not only protected our fellow workers’ rice bowls,
c. Your collective efforts have also played a crucial role with our government and our employers to cultivate a biggest rice urn, and ensuring it is always topped up, always full.
d. Our collective voice ensures that every worker matters,
i. Has the dignity of a good job, and
ii. A fair share always in Singapore’s economic success.
iii. These were aptly demonstrated in the 4 years of difficult COVID times
iv. All your good work, including the volunteers that have made #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations come through, has strengthened the social fabric of our society and in the workplace, and made all of us Singaporeans more united.
So, Brothers and Sisters, if I may say so again, you can Take Pride in your good work! Thank you to all our union leaders, our NTUC-ARU staff for a job well done in the last 4 years.
A special Thank you too for our Central Committee members, with special mention to those who are not seeking re-election:
a. President Sister Mary Liew,
b. Vice President Brother Hwee Liang, as well as
c. Brothers Benjamin, Ken, and Wen Sheng.
d. Thank you for your leadership and invaluable contributions to the Labour Movement!
Tripartite Partners Appreciation
Of course, all the things we’ve done the last 4 years would not have been possible without the support of our tripartite partners.
a. Thank you PM and all our Sisters and Brothers in the Public Service, for steering Singapore towards a better future, and for all the support that all in government have given to our workers. A special shout out to brother Tan See Leng for your work in MOM and all those that are in the civil service as well, in MOM, having to contend, argue and work with NTUC to co-champion a better future for all Singaporeans. Thank you to all in government.
b. Thank you, Brother Robert Yap and all our employer partners led by the Singapore National Employers’ Federation (SNEF) for being alongside NTUC in improving the lives and livelihoods of workers. And I must say Brother Robert Yap must be enjoying his interactions with NTUC because these days he’s taking money from me from the golf course as well.
c. Sisters and brothers, that is a short report of the key achievements of the last 4 years. Reaching our strategic goal, taking good care of our workers across all segments, championing and delivering on the 3Ws that we have promised and delivered. And I look forward to the next 4 years together with all of you.
Strategising for the Way Forward
But let me now shift gears and quickly cover some of the key things that we have to do in the next 4 years.
In essence, NTUC must be divinely discontent. If I can borrow PM’s words in some MDR ago, we must, as PM says, continue to reinvent ourselves to stay relevant in a rapidly changing or changed world. In this, we must:
a. aim higher in what the Labour Movement can do,
b. think bigger, and
c. explore new possibilities to find better Outcomes in the changed world that I just mentioned to you.
Let us be guided too by the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and his immense contributions not only to the Labour Movement but to Singapore. And Mr. Lee Kuan Yew said this in 1994,
a. “If you’re just realistic, you become pedestrian, plebian, and you will fail.
b. And therefore, you must be able to soar above reality and
c. Say ‘this is also possible’”. This is also possible.
In NTUC, we have embraced this attitude in 2019, with “Dream, Dare, Do”. And in the next 4 years, we must continue to display this attitude, and take action to:
a. One: Scale our work to champion workers’ interests and make a greater, broader positive impact;
b. Two: Set in place an Innovation Culture that will perpetually keep NTUC an agile, adaptive, and relevant organisation; and critically,
c. Three: Focus on Leadership Development and Refresh in order for us to thrive in a changed world.
Scale our Efforts: Leverage on W.I.N.
First, scaling our effort in areas where we are making a difference.
In our union business model, we have innovated with the formation of all collar unions to champion the interest of all working people, including PMEs.
As our workforce becomes increasingly PME-centric, this is an urgent need, that we will need to:
a. Extend our scope of representation upwards to include PMEs in our collective bargaining, and
b. Importantly, onboard PMEs into union leadership.
We have seen promising early successes:
a. ST Engineering Staff Union (STESU), a house union formed when ST Engineering reorganised its business, and
b. Supply Chain Employees’ Union (SCEU), an industry-wide union representing workers in logistics and supply chain.
Both unions are all collar unions. PMEs and rank-and-file leaders helmed the EXCO leadership together.
a. Trust has been built where the top leadership positions are drawn from both the Rank and file and the PMEs ranks.
b. The all collar unions – I'm glad to tell all of us – are doing well. There is a high inflow of members into the unions, and
c. Good net growth.
d. Workers are just as happy and have put their trust in this all-collar union setup and leadership leading them.
We must press on to scale this innovation for our unions to be more representative of both rank and file and PMES. For example:
a. In the near future, like at Seatrium, may we seize the opportunity following the merger of Keppel O and M and Sembcorp Marine, how can we work together with KEU, KFEU, SMEEU, towards an all collar union that can better serve Seatrium workers – ground all the way up to the PMEs – blue collar, white collar workers coming together to champion a new workforce in Singapore, in the new environment, in the new company. We will have to push on with this innovation to include more and more PMEs into the NTUC, for NTUC to be representative of the workforce that is coming fast and furious. Many of you know that already 60% of our workforce are PMETs. NTUC we have done reasonably well in the last few years. Now we are about 40% PME representation but there is still a gap that we can grow and be representative so that we are relevant to the working people of Singapore.
So, besides our union-centric approach, we will scale our work with a Cluster-based complementary approach that overcomes some of the union boundaries issues.
a. Our traditional union turf boundaries have served the LM well with clear delineation of union boundaries so that we can operate in the allocated spaces, less quarrels.
b. But the downside is that it also silos our efforts to serve workers, and
c. Prevents innovations that can create a bigger pie or space that LM can create value, up our relevance, and importantly, capture value.
With a cluster approach, unions can muster broader networks, employ collective resources, and deploy whole-of-integrated NTUC capabilities to:
a. Hunt together as a pack,
b. Capture broader space to inflow new members beyond the current reach of individual unions, and
c. Better serve workers at an Industry level.
This Cluster approach can explore common workplans that align our efforts not just within the LM but in partnership with FEC, the government and our employers.
a. Unions can plug into the larger economic picture,
b. Keep abreast of emerging opportunities disrupted by new technologies, know what may be the challenges coming to our shores, and importantly, seize opportunities for all.
c. As the LM, we can develop training programmes together with the employers relevant to the industries that are emerging or being disrupted, and importantly,
d. Drive possibly Cluster level Collective Agreements that can benefit both the workers and the employers in a more and more uncertain space
What this means is that the complementary Union and Cluster approach can amplify the good work Brothers and Sisters are doing on the ground. Building on the strength of a union model, now hunting as a pack in the different business model to make deeper, broader, better impact for our workers. Realising a next bound of 3Ws that are sustainable together with our business partners.
We will scale this approach with the support also of our Digital Membership Platform too
a. The platform will serve as a unified front interfacing with all members, regardless of which industry or worker segment they may be from, which company you may be from,
b. Through a streamlined and coordinated membership benefit management system, we will be able to
i. Increase the inflow of members by creating a seamless and simplified sign up and onboarding process,
ii. Reduce outflow by enabling frictionless transfer across unions and associations, as well as in and out of the ecosystem, and
iii. Create stickiness by leveraging by employing AI technologies to do membership analytics to measure each and every day, what our programmes are doing for our members, and what relevance and benefits these programmes bring to our members. This digital platform is part of our digital transformation, will be a key enabler for us, to broaden the capabilities of NTUC whether it is WIN, that Brother Swee Say is helping with me, or in other spaces to produce different experience mindset possible for new NTUC. Let us therefore work hard to push this union business model and anchor this core strength of NTUC in our traditional space and broaden it to the PMEs as well
In the next 4 years, we must also scale our CTCs, we will push forward and work doubly hard to realise the CTCs, and leverage on the $100M CTC grant to make a broader and deeper impact.
Our CTCs, to my own surprise, have been a needle moving innovation that have made a real positive impact.
a. CTC was a concept that we pushed in 2019 when I was in Parliament as a pilot
b. They have brought win-win for employers and workers.
c. In the last 4 years, amidst COVID, we have established 1,700 CTCs and trained or upskilled close to 125,000 workers. Quite an achievement!
i. Employers tell us they find it useful and treasure it;
ii. Workers are benefitting from it;
iii. And importantly, our unions are able now to link industry 4.0 developments that PM has mentioned, to workforce upskilling and upgrading, in tandem and in parallel, so that any industry movements, new technologies that come through, we can utilise this CTC as business owners and as NTUC to create a win win for business, for workers to upgrade for productivity, better business for employers, and importantly, to acheive three Ws for our workers. So therefore we must redouble our efforts to scale this CTC and utilise and leverage on the Government Grant on CTC to us.
The response to our CTC Grants in its first year of implementation has been encouraging.
a. A total of 120 business transformation projects from 94 unique companies have been approved.
b. Companies leverage the grant to introduce new tech to up productivity;
c. Workers, including PMEs, appreciate the opportunities to upskill, and
d. Look forward to wage increases on top of their annual increments.
e. In the crop of current approved projects, workers, including PMEs, enjoy an average of committed 5.2% wage increases on top of their annual increments.
We will scale the CTCs to make a bigger impact. We hope to have more positive stories like Chew’s Agriculture and DynaMac.
DynaMac Executive Chairman and CEO Lim AC openly declares he “loves NTUC and the CTC”:
a. You see, when AC took over DynaMac, it was struggling to survive in the badly hit Marine, Oil and Gas industry. They were down to the last dollars.
In his effort to revive the company, he had to do many things. One of the best things he says he did was to partner NTUC and SMEEU to start a Company Training Committee.
Through the CTC, DynaMac embarked on a journey of transformation-
a. It tapped into the Operations Technology Roadmap (OTR) under its CTC.
b. When Management-NTUC-Union came together, generated many ideas and identified areas for improvement.
One key need the OTR identified was to enhance DynaMac’s Employee Value Proposition. Management and union agreed that this was a key driver to achieve its goals.
Thus, DynaMac set out to upgrade its employee-facing systems. And with the CTC Grant, they were able to offset the cost of implementation:
a. With the CTC and many hours of hard work, DynaMac was not only able to track back towards a positive business trajectory;
b. But have also build a trusting labour-management relationship.
c. AC and his people know that that they are in the business together,
i. He knows that his people have sacrificed much to reset the business, and
ii. His people know that AC will take care of them too.
d. Both AC and his workers, PMEs and rank and file, know that NTUC is alongside them too.
Today, DynaMac is doing much better. With the CTC grant project,
a. DynaMac has committed to a 4% increment to all 24 employees upskilled with better productivity.
b. This 4% wage increment will be on top of their annual increment cycle.
I hope Brother AC will not only profess his love for NTUC, but use every opportunity to spread the word, tell his story of how NTUC, our unions, and our CTCs can partner businesses to foster win-win outcomes.
So Brothers and Sisters, let’s scale our CTCs in the next 4 years:
a. I hope we will redouble our efforts and see if we can exceed our earlier goals of 2,500 CTCs by 2025.
b. It is not about the number, but the good we can do for our workers in better wages and better work prospects.
Anchoring An Innovation Culture
Let me come to my second point – Setting in place an Innovation Culture in NTUC to keep the Labour Movement agile, adaptive, and relevant to serve the needs of our workers across all collars.
Our innovations are gaining traction – our business models across the different workforce segments and the CTCs are clear examples.
In order to nurture this innovation culture, NTUC will set up an Innovation Lab to:
a. Put in place an institutional innovation capability to build on what we have,
b. Survey the best ideas from different parts of the world and apply to our NTUC context.
c. Partner with academia and other stakeholders across society to ideate and test potential solutions to immediate and longer-term problems.
This is an important capability that we must develop so that we can:
a. Not only respond to complex challenges, but
b. Proactively anticipate and seize new opportunities to positively impact our workers.
Our Labour Movement cannot just merely react to changes, be price takers, but must be at the frontier of all the different changes in the world, so that we can best enable our workers. We will continue to protect workers’ interest. But how can we enable workers to seize new opportunities together with our tripartite partners. Let me illustrate quickly with a possibility:
a. Earlier in PM’s speech, PM spoke about the Job Security Council (JSC), an innovation we piloted in 2020.
b. Our JSC gained traction because it was able to match workers in distress to new jobs quickly during the height of COVID.
c. But the question then is:
i. whether we should be happy with the JSC as it is now,
ii. or can we innovate further so that we can expand the JSC, to enable workers beyond matching workers and jobs?
d. In our youth segment, can we top up the current job placement capabilities with enhanced services that the youths are looking for:
i. Career trials,
ii. Career coaching,
iii. Career mentorships, and
iv. Career health planning for all youths, in conjunction with what MOM wants to do
e. This is a possibility that the Innovation Lab can explore to put a full suite of services with the youths at the centre,
f. We can foster this Innovation Lab ecosystem with partners ranging from Government, Academia, Foundations, employers, and expert agencies like IHRP to collectively explore and co-create how we can put some of our EWMC recommendations into action. EWMC Report should not just be a document. How can we take actions in this space for
i. Older workers, in the areas of fair employment and retraining, upskilling and training opportunities within a multi-generational workforce,
ii. How can we take good care of caregivers? Caregivers, in the areas of providing them with greater support to balance them within their filial duties, work and caregiving workplace responsibilities, and
iii. Mid-careerists even PMEs, how can we help them build career resiliency and support them in the acquisition of deep skills in the AI world.
Sisters and brothers, all these are the possibilities within the Innovation Lab eco system. If we can successfully build such a laboratory.
a. This capability will ensure NTUC will Innovate, Innovate, Innovate so that we are always agile to adapt to meet the changing needs of our workers and importantly play a meaningful role in conjunction with our employers and government. NTUC must charge our way forward so that we have a rightful place at the dining table. Holding our own, championing worker interest, in the way like our Prime Minister has articulated just now as well.
Leadership Development And Refresh
Let me now move to my third point: Leadership. In my view, this is the most important work we will have to do in NDC 2023 and in the next four years of the CC term.
Our leaders are ageing. On top of that, fewer younger ones are stepping into the Union leadership roles. There is no doubt in my mind that we will have to:
a. Induct more leaders to lead our ground;
b. Train and develop these leaders to be representative and be effective for the diverse ground that we serve;
c. And discover the right blend of veteran leaders with the experience and practical wisdom on the one hand,
d. While inducting younger leaders with the youthful dynamism and ideas to lead younger leaders on the other hand,
e. If we fail in this endeavour, the LM will weaken.
How can we go about with this leadership development and refresh that? We must redouble our efforts to recruit, develop and groom our leaders so that they can contribute to championing our LM cause, and importantly, to build organisational capabilities in a meaningful, sustainable way so that we can occupy a larger space, a different space in the workforce.
Today, our leaders are operating in an increasingly complex environment. There is an urgency for us to equip our leaders with the relevant knowledge and compentency beyond the traditional scope of IR and collective bargaining so that they are able to be effective advocates for our workers on the ground. Yesterday was the first meeting of the OTCi under the new chairperson Ms Josephine Teo. We were very ambitious in looking at how we can strengthen the leadership positions for all our union leaders, from traditional spaces all the way to technological possibilities.
I think we have the ambition to do so to equip our leaders. Can we as leaders, sisters and brothers in the LM, put our personal best in this endeavor to upgrade ourselves, but importantly, bring in new union blood into the system so that we are not only going to be strong for the next four years, but in the long term to come. Bringing this blend of leaders, veterans, younger ones, is critical to NTUC’s longer term success. To support our leaders in this endeavor, NTUC's OTCi will organise courses, talks and workshops to provide our leaders with insights into the global economic and industry trends, workplace related issues such as new technologies in performance management systems, PDPA, WSH, and all the different things we have to do on the ground, and importantly, in union leadership areas such as governance and stewardship, and LM initiatives such as PWM and CTC implementation.
All these will be done with an emphasis on practical application:
a. Through case studies and role playing,
b. Contextualising issues.
c. So that our union leaders can better:
i. Understand the nuances and complexities of workplace issues, and
ii. Provide effective support to members on the ground.
Apart from upping our leadership quotient, we must also re-double our efforts to bring youth leaders into the ranks of union leadership so that we can:
a. Better connect with our youths, and
b. Have the right blend of leaders to lead and serve workers of all ages,
c. From the mature workers,
d. To the mid-career ones,
e. To the young workers NTUC is moving to serve better.
I am glad that some of our unions have started to heed this call.
a. Creative Media and Publishing Union (CMPU) is a case in point.
i. I met Sister Cherlyn in a company visit when she gave me a brief on her company’s operations. In her early 30s and a mother, I persuaded Cherlyn that she can contribute to champion and make a difference for other working mothers like her in CMPU.
ii. I told her frankly that NTUC needed young leaders like her to better relate to and serve young workers.
iii. Brother David, President of CMPU, came forward and expressed support and encouraged Cherlyn. Cherlyn said she would think about it.
iv. Today, I am happy that she is a serving EXCO member in CMPU, contributing her time and effort to better the lives of many working people, including young mothers in the workforce.
b. In AREU, we have Brother Zaid
i. Brother Zaid is a PME in his 30s,
ii. He was brought into the EXCO as an internal auditor since 2015 when he was still in his 20s,
iii. Since 2018, he has served as a Young NTUC leader, championing youth related issues,
iv. Within his own branch, the American Club, he actively advocated for the formation of a CTC and encouraged the company to embark on OTR,
v. Within AREU, he played a leading role in AREU’s CSR efforts, and
vi. With the guidance of the more seasoned AREU EXCO leaders such as past-President Brother Hassan, he also given the opportunity to move up the ranks of union leadership. Today, he is the General Secretary for AREU.
vii. Brother Hassan himself has flowed on, but I am glad he is there as an advisor to guide and be a role model.
viii. A good blend.
Let’s put our hands together for our AREU and CMPU Sisters and Brothers.
In the next 4 years, let us continue to strengthen this pipeline of young leaders, flow them up our union leadership ranks so that they can learn from our veterans, practise leading, and build trust with our younger generations of working people, including PMEs.
For NTUC’s continued relevance and success, at the heart of it all:
a. We will need future leaders who are anchored on our Purpose to better the lives and livelihoods of our workers.
b. Leaders who will strive towards a high-Performing NTUC that effectively champions the interests of our workers, and;
c. Leaders who are always People-centred in what we do.
Conclusion
Sisters and Brothers, let me conclude.
In the last 4 years, we have innovated our Business, Membership and Training Models to create a positive impact to the lives and livelihoods of our workers.
In the next 4 years, we must continue to:
a. Champion workers’ interest and make a greater positive impact
b. Institute an innovation culture to stay agile, adaptive, relevant, and
c. Focus on Leadership Development and Refresh as priority
We have accomplished a great deal over the last 4 years, with our Dream, Dare, Do spirit.
I hope that all of us here can all take Pride in knowing that:
a. We are not only purpose driven;
b. But have built a new Whole-of-Integrated NTUC suite of capabilities;
c. To effectively champion our workers’ interests across all collars.
And, while we are heading in the right direction, let us also have the humility to know that there are segments of workers who are underserved where we must do better.
Each time Brother and Sisters, you wear this red U-tee, wear it proudly:
a. Knowing that we Dare:
i. Having the matter to innovate to break new grounds, and
b. That we Do:
i. Using our heads, our hearts, and hands, and
ii. Each day doing, making it our NTUC habit always matter to better lives and livelihoods of workers in tangible ways - better wages, welfare and work prospects.
Let us therefore Take Action and make the next 4 years count,
a. With a single-mindedness to put the people we serve and our people at the centre,
b. Achieving high performance as NTUC in all that we set out to do,
c. And always, always, having our Purpose etched in our hearts.
Why? Simply because Every Worker Matters.
Thank you.
Let us put our utmost, for the next 4 years, where we Dream, Dare, Do. There will be areas that we will fail, never mind. In our NTUC Culture where we have Dream Dare Do, remember what I say to you all the time, if we can succeed 70% of the time, we will always be that world class Labour Movement that everybody will look up to, compared to the rest of the Labour Movement around the world. And we will always be that equal partner to our Government, to our Symbiotic partner, PAP and to our employer partners. May we make the next 4 years count.
Thank you very much.
