Planning ahead for the next four years is not easy but it has to be done. And that is what Singapore Industrial and Services Employees Union (SISEU) did recently when it elected a new 19-member executive committee at its Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference on 26 August 2016 at Fairmont Singapore.
SISEU Executive Secretary Sylvia Choo said: “Our previous leaders, over the years, have laid a very good foundation for this new committee to work on. Besides the union’s needs, we are also very aligned with NTUC. So I trust the new committee will and can continue the good work their predecessors have been doing.”
She added that she hopes the new committee will bring the union to greater heights by working on key thrusts such as leadership and membership growth and taking care of the needs of their members.
The appointments of president, general secretary and general treasurer are now held by Ms Joanne Chua of SKF Asia Pacific, Mr Philip Lee of ST Aerospace Systems and Ms Nur Rafidah Rosdi of TÜV SÜD PSB respectively.
Mr Lee formerly held the position of general treasurer, while Ms Chua was the assistant general secretary and Ms Nur Rafidah was the deputy general secretary.
New faces in the executive committee include Ms S Kamla Karen of Chiyoda Singapore and Ms Rahimah Abdullah of Keppel Logistics. Both now hold the position of committee members.
The Last Four Years
The previous four-year term saw SISEU achieve 79,200 in membership numbers – a 31 per cent increase from April 2012. Compared to 2012, the union also saw the number of branches increase from 170 in 2012 to 183 in March 2016.
As for industrial relations, SISEU has 92 collective agreements that cover 12,000 workers.
Since the enactment of the Retirement and Re-employment Act in 2012, SISEU also saw an improvement in the number of branches re-employing on terms better than the tripartite guidelines. There was an increase from 83 branches in 2012 to 97 branches in 2016. Eighty-seven of SISEU’s branches are now voluntarily re-employing workers beyond 65, ahead of the raising of the re-employment age to 67 coming into effect from 1 July 2017.
SISEU was also an early mover that supported the Progressive Wage Model when it was first mooted in 2012. Currently, 83 of the union’s branches are at various stages of implementing the PWM, benefitting more than 21,000 workers.
In his SISEU QDC message, Minister for Health and SISEU Council of Advisors Chairman Gan Kim Yong said: “SISEU’s work allows workers and companies to overcome challenges and focus on new opportunities. SISEU should continue to be a strong voice for its members.
“However, this means more than speaking up on behalf of members. SISEU must also reach out to those who risk being left behind, to help them navigate and prepare for change. To do this well, SISEU must reinforce its role as a facilitator and cultivate mindset shifts.”
What Lies Ahead
Looking ahead to 2020, SISEU said that it plans to grow its membership base further and achieve at least 100,000 in union membership, develop its pool of union leaders, strengthen communication channels between companies, union leaders, and members, and help add value to companies for the benefit of workers and labour-management relations.
“The targets we have set are challenging, but with the collective effort of our dedicated branch officials, union activists and staff, we can work together to achieve better lives for all workers,” said Mr Lim Kuang Beng, who was SISEU’s former general secretary.
