Mohamed Sophian Rafiai and Siti Zarina Jamil, both 37, are not only a husband and wife team, they are also both leaders of the Singapore Industrial & Services Employees’ Union (SISEU).
Sophian is currently a vice president for SISEU and branch chairman for CGG Services (Singapore) while Zarina is a branch secretary for CapitaLand.
They shared the ups and downs of leading a married life, raising a family, union responsibilities and how the situation brings out the best in both of them.
Becoming Leaders
The couple became husband and wife first before becoming union leaders. They got married in 2004.
Sophian started union work as a branch official (BO) a year later and became a SISEU executive committee member in 2007.
Zarina joined the union after Sophian became a branch official in 2005. One of the reasons she joined the union was to be a representative for women at work.
She added: “As my husband subsequently became an exco member, I began to see his involvement in union work and how much the union can help workers.”
She became the branch secretary in 2011, a position she holds to this day.
More than Married Couple and Leaders
Not only are the married couple both union leaders, they are also parents to four children.
It was not easy for them both to juggle their careers, union work and being parents, especially when their children were younger.
Sophian said: “Initially, it was tough. But once you get the hang of it, and you know you’re doing it for a good cause, I think it becomes tireless.
“At the end of the day, what you are doing is to get people to live better lives – through any areas that we can help. We all need some kind of help from someone else.”
They are thankful for having supportive parents who can take care of their children when a lot is going on.
Infusing Union Work, Family and Career
For Sophian and Zarina, they infuse all their commitments of union work, family and work together.
Sophian said: “Normally, what I tell my children is that ‘Daddy is like a prefect in school’. Prefects are not paid but, at the same time, they have to do an additional job.”
The couple also tries to involve their children in certain union activities such as family days or National Day.
Zarina said: “This way, the children can see first-hand what we do in the union – even though if it’s a small thing like distributing door gifts at events.”
And although they are from different branches of the union, they were both part of Young SISEU when they were younger, which was where they get to work together organising union activities.
Being a couple and union leaders have helped them to see things from a different and better perspective.
Sophian said: “Being equipped to help our fellow workers to embrace change and prepare for the future, we also teach our children to be workers of tomorrow. That starts at home.
“Sometimes the kids will say, ‘Daddy, I don’t like these changes in school’. And I will say, ‘Give it a try. If you don’t try, you’ll never know’.”
Zarina added: “We also understand the need for open communication, and we share with the family the importance to never stop learning and doing something new.”
