I warmly welcome you to our May Day Dinner this year.
This May Day Dinner kicks off our May Day Celebrations this year. Last week, one journalist asked me: With Sars, unemployment and even retrenchments looming in the background, what is there to celebrate?
He missed the point. May Day is the highlight of the labour movement each year. It is the time where workers come together to demonstrate our solidarity, take stock of our achievements and chart our common path ahead. Since the NTUC was formed in 1961, we have been holding May Day celebrations every year. We will continue to do so. Sars or no Sars, nothing will stop us!
Labour movement contributes $300,000 to Courage Fund
The NTUC, affiliated unions and co-operatives will make a $300,200 contribution to The Courage Fund. We have also started a drive to encourage all union members and the public to donate generously to The Courage Fund through the donation boxes set up by NTUC Fairprice at its outlets. The contribution is a gesture of our gratitude to these healthcare workers in this trying period and our recognition to those who displayed fortitude and courage when struck by the disease.
We are facing difficult times. There is no doubt about that. The Iraq war started, ended and the re-building of the country has started. But the Sars outbreak hit us unexpectedly and hit us hard. We must stand firm. This is not the time to falter. And it is the time for all of us to rally and unite as a labour movement.
Winston Churchill
As I thought about rallying our workers to face the difficulties, I remember what I read about Winston Churchill some years back. Let me share it with you.
Many of you familiar with history will know that Winston Churchill was the British Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945, and from 1951 to 1955. His lasting legacy was to rally the British people during World War Two and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory. How did he do it?
After the war, in the Spring of 1948, Churchill was 78 years old when he published his war memoirs. It was called "The Second World War." It was heavy reading, six volumes in all! I did not read all of them! But what I wanted to share was what he wrote on the flyleaf of each volume of his war memoirs. He wrote:
"In War: Resolution
In Defeat: Defiance
In Victory: Magnanimity
In Peace: Goodwill"
Let me read these words again slowly:
"In War: Resolution
In Defeat: Defiance
In Victory: Magnanimity
In Peace: Goodwill"
These twelve words capture the essence of what Churchill believed and provided an insight to how he led the country through World War Two.
Some union leaders say that we are now at war - war against Sars, battling against economic uncertainties. They are right. And if we are indeed at war, surely we can learn something from what Churchill said. How can we adapt what Churchill said to our situation? This is my version:
"In War: Resolution
In Hardship: Resilience
In Setback: Optimism
In Peace: Preparation"
The four key words are Resolution, Resilience, Optimism and Preparation.
War against Sars, battling against economic uncertainties
We are fighting a war against Sars and battling economic uncertainties. And whether we can win depends on whether we can withstand the challenges, how we react and respond. As we face the difficulties, we must steel our backs, stand resolved and stay resilient no matter how difficult the situation might be or how worse it can get. Resolution and resilience are the critical factors.
Since the onset of the Sars outbreak, we see how resilient our healthcare workers were. They are at the forefront. In the initial stages of the outbreak where little was about the Sars virus, healthcare workers were infected in large numbers. Although the hospitals now have strict infection control measures and the infection of healthcare workers have come down significantly, there nonetheless remained risks. Our healthcare workers were dedicated and committed in providing care for the patients and combating Sars. We can learn from them.
The Sars outbreak has hit workers hard, especially those in the retail, hotel, airlines and tourism industries. The government has introduced financial measures. I am confident this will help companies tied through current difficulties. As a union leader, I urge companies to use the financial packages well and avoid retrenching workers. I know that workers are prepared to bear short-time pain because we understand the situation, but retrenching workers will cause severe financial hardship. Employers must not take retrenchments lightly. This is the time to be compassionate.
This is also the time to stay optimistic. By all accounts, Sars hasn't been completely bleak news. The government has responded swiftly and responsibility by putting measures in place to contain the spread of the disease. We were also the first country in the world to put out a financial package to help affected businesses. Our scientists have been quick to put together a diagnostic kit and set up the thermal scanners at the entry points. And the disease isn't fatal - the majority of those struck by the disease recovered. The outbreak also saw industries, communities and workers coming together - one such example is the taxi industry which put together self-help packages even before the government announced financial aid. The disease has brought families and communities closer. All in all, there are more than enough reasons for us to stay optimistic. We can contain the spread of the disease if every Singapore behaves responsibly. We will also find a cure - it is just a matter of when.
Finally, we have to prepare and prepare. Were we prepared for the virus? I wouldn't say exactly so. In fact, the outbreak took the whole world by surprise. But we responded swiftly and rationally. The systems and procedures that we have in place stood up to the outbreak. In a way, although we were not specifically preparing for a virus of this nature, we were nonetheless prepared.
So what do we do now? We have to prepare ourselves for the long haul - the virus is not going to go away overnight. Yes, the economy is hard hit now, but we have to get ready for the economic recovery. And all of us have a role to play - as individuals, workers, union leaders, in our workplaces, families and communities. The objective to contain the disease, and we can achieve that without a vaccine or cure. We can all play a part by raising our personal standards of hygiene and social responsibility. When SARS is contained, it will be no different from the other risks we face in life. And life will go on normally, the economy can return to normal and so our workers will not suffer.
In short, although we are all hard hit by the Sars outbreak right now, we have to remember and remain guided by these four key principles: Resolution, Resilience, Optimism and Preparation.
Conclusion: Time to rally workers and celebrate May Day
This is the time for union leaders to rally our workers. And this is the time for us to continue to celebrate May Day. We kick off the celebrations tonight with the May Day Dinner and by presenting May Day Awards to those who have contributed significantly to the labour movement. Tomorrow, we gather at the Singapore Conference Hall for the May Day Rally. Next week, we will present awards to model workers from the retail and textile industries.
We had originally planned two other activities: the Family Gathering & Outing for Foreign Workers at the zoo, and an Outing for Elderly and Children Home Residents. Because of the SARS outbreak, we reconsidered our plans and decided not to proceed with them. The first event is expected to draw a large crowd of more than 40,000 in the zoo and the second event involves the more vulnerable members of our society who have lower resistance to infections - the children and the elderly. However, if the situation improves later in the year, we can always organise the events again.
Yes, we have to be concerned about the Sars outbreak, but let us keep our spirits up to celebrate May Day. If we stand united as a labour movement and as a nation, we will be able to survive and thrive no matter what difficulties we might face, Sars or no Sars.
Let me now invite the Guest of Honour Dr Ng Eng Hen to address us. Please enjoy the rest of your evening.
