Towards an inclusive workforce, inclusive membership and inclusive leadership
1 The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) held its National Delegates’ Conference (NDC) 2007 from 29 to 31 October 2007 at the Orchid Country Club.
INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE, INCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP AND INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP
2 At the NDC, the delegates endorsed the vision to make Singapore the first and only labour movement in the world to achieve one inclusive WORKFORCE, one inclusive MEMBERSHIP and one inclusive LEADERSHIP.
3 The delegates were encouraged by the early successes of the labour movement in these three strategic thrusts as presented in the NDC 2007 Secretary-General’s Report. They committed to strive to build on these initial achievements, and pledged to move faster, give greater focus and inject more resources towards achieving the three core priorities by 2011.
4 In this regard, the NDC decided to push ahead with the following initiatives:
Expert Group on Re-employment of Older Workers
5 To ensure the smooth, speedy and widespread re-employment of older workers, the labour movement will build up an expert group to help unionised companies to adapt to pro-business and pro-worker re-employment practices.
6 The expert group will be headed by NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How and NTUC Director of Industrial Relations Cham Hui Fong, and comprise Industrial Relations practitioners from NTUC and its affiliated unions. The expert group will share with unionised companies age-friendly employment practices gleaned from various industries.
Family Development Unit
7 To increase the employment rate of women across all ages, the labour movement will set up a Family Development Unit (FDU) headed by NTUC Childcare Chief Executive Officer Adeline Sum. The unit, together with NTUC-affiliated unions and NTUC-related units including Industrial Relations Department, Employability Enhancement Department, Unit for Contract and Casual Workers (UCCW), and Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), will support the various initiatives spearheaded by NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Halimah Yacob to support stay-in-work and back-to-work women in a holistic manner.
Portable Medical Benefits Scheme
8 Affordable healthcare and adequate medical insurance coverage have always been a concern for workers.
9 The delegates noted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comment in his keynote address at the NDC that it is time to implement means testing in hospitals. While they noted that this is one way to help lower-income Singaporeans get medical subsidies, they are uncertain about the possible impact of means testing as we move towards a Portable Medical Benefits Scheme (PMBS).
10 The delegates also recognised that progress on the implementation of PMBS has been slow despite its being first mooted ten years ago. They hoped that the pace can be quickened for more workers to be able to enjoy continued medical insurance coverage even if they switch jobs, are between jobs or lose their jobs.
11 The labour movement calls on our tripartite partners, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower and Singapore National Employers Federation, and the insurance industry, to work with NTUC to address workers’ concerns on means testing and give a stronger boost to the speedy implementation of PMBS.
Employment and Employability Institute
12 The delegates welcomed the establishment of the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to provide a one-stop centre for skills upgrading, job placement, career counseling and other employment and employability-related services for a wide spectrum of workers. They looked forward to its official launch in the first quarter of 2008. The NTUC-affiliated unions and NTUC-related units such as the UCCW, CareerLink and FDU pledged to work closely with e2i to reach out to job seekers, low-wage workers, contract and casual workers, back-to-work women, older workers and PMETs.
13 Headed by NTUC Alignment Director Zee Yoong Kang, e2i aims to be an institute that offers workers the hope of better jobs for life.
ELECTION OF NTUC CENTRAL COMMITTEE 2007-2011
14 During the NDC, 373 delegates from NTUC’s 63 affiliated unions elected, by secret ballot, the new 21-member NTUC Central Committee (NTUC CC) for the four-year term 2007 - 2011. The NTUC CC is the planning, policy and executive organ of NTUC that makes the decisions and takes action to further NTUC’s objectives.
15 The new NTUC CC has re-elected Mr John De Payva as President; Mr Lim Swee Say as Secretary-General; and Mr Cyrille Tan and Mr Thomas Tay as Vice-Presidents. Additionally, Ms Nora Kang has been elected as Vice-President.
16 The NTUC CC has endorsed the recommendation of the Secretary-General to re-appoint Mr Heng Chee How and appoint Mdm Halimah Yacob as Deputy Secretary-Generals. It has also endorsed the recommendation of the Secretary-General to re-appoint Mr Seng Han Thong and appoint Mrs Josephine Teo as Assistant Secretary-Generals. The list of the newly-elected NTUC CC members and office bearers is provided in ANNEX.
17 The new NTUC CC will push ahead to steer the labour movement towards the Labour Movement 2011 vision – Labour Movement for All, All for Labour Movement, so that working people of all collars, all ages and all nationalities can work, live and play together in harmony!
John De Payva
President
National Trades Union Congress
Lim Swee Say
Secretary-General
National Trades Union Congress
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About NTUC National Delegates’ Conference (NDC)
Under NTUC’s Constitution, the supreme authority of NTUC is the Delegates’ Conference, which takes the form of a National, Ordinary or Extraordinary Conference. An NDC is held once every four years, with an Ordinary Delegates’ Conference (ODC) held once every two years after the last preceding NDC. An Extraordinary Delegates’ Conference is held when the need arises. At the NDC, delegates from NTUC’s affiliated unions and associations will review its progress and achievements in the past two years and formulate policies, initiatives and programmes over the next four years to help workers at work, live and play, and to contribute towards Singapore’s economic and social progress. The delegates will also elect the NTUC Central Committee at the NDC.
