Reply Letter to Lianhe Zaobao Forum Page Letter
1 April 2010
Reply Letter to Lianhe Zaobao Forum Page Letter
1. We refer to the letter by Lim Zhenhe, dated 29 March 2010.
2. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) set up a Unit for Contract and Casual Workers (UCCW) in June 2006 to help contract and casual workers in Singapore. We enhance their economic and social well-being by encouraging and supporting them to undergo skills training and upgrading so that they may take on better jobs with better skills. We also promote fair employment terms, Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) and other benefits especially in areas of medical and insurance needs to ensure that they receive fair treatment at work.
3. To educate the vulnerable low-wage contact and casual workers on their employment rights and benefits, including the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions and WIS, NTUC’s UCCW conducted eight seminars last year with the Ministry of Manpower and CPF Board. These seminars, attended by a total of 1,700 contract and casual workers, were conducted in four languages. We will be holding similar seminars this year to reach out to more contract and casual workers.
4. We share the writer’s concern over his friend’s situation and have contacted the writer’s friend to provide advices to him. We have also invited him to join UCCW membership so that we can provide him with a suite of services and benefits targeted at contract and casual workers. In the same light, we welcome contract and casual workers to approach us for workplace and employment-related advices. We can be contacted at 6213 8399 and uccw@ntuc.org.sg.
Zainudin Nordin
Director, Unit for Contract and Casual Workers
National Trades Union Congress
