Well-known for his outspokenness, Mr Joseph Yew was not afraid speak his mind on issues that affected the workers.
In this interview, he shares how the situations he faced in his 35 year union journey have fed his enthusiasm and shaped his personality.
NTUCtw: How did you join the union?
Mr Joseph Yew: My colleague, K Govindasamy, kept talking to me about the union, and initially, I did not pay much attention to it. However during the 1980s recession period, I was convinced to help the workers as the company was in the midst of some major changes. My theorem has been that workers should be respected and given a fair bargain. That’s where I came into the picture.
NTUCtw: Was it difficult to speak to the management about unionism?
At the start, there was no union office for the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) Staff Union*. So when I became the union’s president, I pushed the management to give us an office space at the premises of Caldecott Broadcast Centre so that a union official can be there full time.
It wasn’t easy; we encountered some bumps along the way. But we persevered and maintained our integrity. To put it simply, the relationship between the management and the union is a love-hate one. Having said that, both parties do value each other’s opinion.
*In 1994, SBC was privatised. Following that, SBC Staff Union restructured into SUBE and continues to represent the broadcasting employees of MediaCorp.
NTUCtw: How did you handle such challenges?
To me, strong leadership is about standing for what is right and that includes learning to assess the situation. If something has to be done, it has to be done.
By nature, workers will ask for all sorts of conditions. As a unionist, you must know where to draw the line and negotiate practically with the other side of the table. I also learnt that to be respected by the management, you must be good in your vocational profession first. Otherwise, they would not take you seriously.
NTUCtw: What have you gained from your union journey?
It has been rewarding and I loved every part of it. If I didn’t achieve a win-win deal for the workers, I wouldn’t have been able to get over myself.
Source: NTUC This Week
