We live in fast-changing times, where technology plays a pivotal role in either enhancing our ability to complete our day-to-day tasks at work, or completely disrupting the process.
We can choose to either disrupt or be disrupted. In opting for the former, the Labour Movement has been prepping itself to be relevant.
While advancing the interests of workers in Singapore remains its sole mission, the Labour Movement has had to adapt to keep pace with an evolving worker demographic.
Five Complementary Limbs
This evolution has seen the Labour Movement grow from a single rank-and-file union limb to a network of five complementary limbs to look after the needs of an ever-evolving workforce.
This includes professionals, business owners, freelancers and the self-employed, as well as domestic employees and migrant workers.
Another limb is the U Associate, a network of professional guilds and associations that shares the interest of advancing workers with the development of skills and network opportunities.
Preparing For The Future
Given the extent of the Labour Movement’s network, collaborations can go a long way in helping workers cope with current challenges and harnessing opportunities amidst changing times.
“Unions have a penetration of more than 500,000 members across various sectors and industries, but there are over 3 million working people in Singapore. For the Labour Movement to have in-depth knowledge of issues facing workers in the industry, we need to extend our network beyond just the unionised sectors.
“Engaging the U Associates, workers in small- and medium-sized enterprises, migrant workers and the self-employed who work in these sectors will enable us to deep dive into the sectors to work on getting our workers future ready,” said NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Cham Hui Fong.
Leveraging The Network
When asked how such collaborations could materialise between unions and Labour Movement partners, NTUC Assistant Director-General Vivek Kumar said the unions’ excellent mobilisation structure through their branches and strong industrial relations expertise can be supported by the industrial knowledge, professional networks and skills development available through the U Associates.
An example of this is the recent Union-U Associate alliance between the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) and Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors Singapore. For a start, the strategic partnership will see both parties work together to create greater awareness of mental wellness and boost the recognition of professionals such as counsellors and psychotherapists.
“Each union is also supported by an account manager from NTUC Membership’s Organising Resource Centre who will be able to assist in different areas of membership growth and value creation,” added Mr Vivek, pointing out other avenues of collaboration within the Labour Movement network such as U Associates and with U Startup.
