We last spoke with Shamsul Kamar in 2015, when he first joined the Labour Movement after moving on from an 18-year long career as a teacher.
Shamsul has since grown and developed as a unionist.
He’s now the deputy executive secretary of the Education Services’ Union (ESU), the industrial relations consultant with the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority Workers’ Union (SURAWU), and also the executive director for the Centre for Domestic Employees. These are several among many other portfolios Shamsul holds.
But no matter whether it’s in his work with ESU, SURAWU, or even CDE and the Migrant Workers’ Centre, Shamsul today does his part to ensure the lives and livelihoods of all workers are taken care of.
We recently caught up with him to find out more about his journey in the Labour Movement.
How has your experience been since joining the Labour Movement in 2015?
Shamsul Kamar: The last four-and-a-half years since I joined the Labour Movement have been very exciting. Most importantly, this journey has given me greater insights into the economy and society. This viewpoint I gained is very much different from my previous experiences as an educator, where I broadly understood concepts such as tripartism and the general direction the country is heading.
One of the things why I joined education in the past, entered politics and eventually, the Labour Movement was, in my view, the endeavour of how we can build a robust social compact. And for us to do so, we must have an understanding and appreciation of how society connects, with its many ecosystems and functional parts.
My experience in the first 18 years of my career gave me greater insight into the education sector. But the years in the Labour Movement has given me a better and bigger picture of what our country is all about.
In my view, the tripartite relationship helps our country’s effort to strengthen our social compact. So by gaining a better understanding of how the education system works, how the social sector works and how they are related to the Labour Movement, I can better serve my country in one way or another.
What have you learned?
In the Labour Movement, what I thought was useful is the networking and the relationships formed between the many ecosystems in this diverse network.
We have our employers with their own ecosystem, the Government with its own infrastructure processes, and we have the unions and workers. And this relationship between the three is, in my view, very unique. And I think it is not an easy relationship to balance, but we have done so well enough.
The underlying glue that sticks this relationship firmly is the trust we’ve built over the years. Trust doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to agree with one another on everything.
I think the partners have disagreed on many fronts and occasions over the 50 years they worked together. But in every aspect of it, they have come to agree based on the larger mission of ensuring that Singapore prospers. And this has translated very well on the ground.
In my work on the ground in ESU, SURAWU, MWC and CDE, the tripartite relationship never seems to go away. It is always there, it is involved.
In the sectors I’ve worked in, all its leaders, and its union leaders use tripartism as a fundamental mantra. And it has helped in some way to resolve issues, propagate our plans and directions, and most importantly, build trust.
You are involved in taking care of the public sector workers, migrant workers, domestic employees. Each worker group comes with its own set of challenges. How do you address them?
That is where I bring my educational approach to handling matters in any work that I do. As an educator, we must centre around the core constituent.
For me, when I was in education, my fundamental philosophy was about making a difference to others, especially students, so they can live better lives.
When it comes to the Labour Movement, the same approach is used for workers. Whatever you do, it is really about understanding the needs of the worker. Once you understand that, whichever segment the worker is in, you’re then able to assist in his or her well-being.
When we first spoke with you in 2015, you said that the training and education of workers are fundamental needs. Do you still find that true?
Of course. I hold that line strongly.
When I was in the education service, lifelong learning was a mantra of the work that I did. When I joined the Labour Movement, I found that the mantra became more important, and I’m glad that the Government is making an effort.
I’ve also worked with SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore, and the Labour Movement is making a significant effort to get our people upskilled. And because of this, I’ve seen workers benefit in terms of pay and progression.
We’ve been following your Facebook account closely, and we always see you busy with grassroots work, advocating for domestic employees, or doing union work. Where do you find the energy?
I think, to be honest, it’s the sense of mission and the belief to uplift lives. And I think if you’re passionate about your work, you believe in your work and if you really find the work meaningful, you will be driven to do it to the best of your ability.
I am happy and blessed because so far, I have been working in sectors that are very much aligned to my personal mission to make a difference to others and to help uplift lives.
When I joined the Labour Movement, it was meaningful because I got a chance to meet people, listen to them and the challenges they face, knowing that I’m able to help.
I see a relation between my grassroots work and NTUC. Residents are also mainly workers. Because of the network in the Labour Movement, when there are residents who have lost their jobs, who are earning low-incomes and don’t have work stability, I can help connect them to NTUC.
And you see, and that’s where I find meaning. And that’s why I want to help others to the best of my ability.
I enjoy the work. At the end of the day, just like when I was a teacher, nothing beats when your students visit you at your school to thank you or tell you that you’re doing right. So it’s the same thing for my work on the ground.
I really appreciate it when I have helped resolve some issues, a worker comes to say thank you for the help. It’s very intangible, but there’s this sense of fulfilment. And that’s what drives me to do whatever I do to the best of my ability.
