Lee Hsiang Hui, 45, will not hesitate to help make things right at work when the situation calls for it.
Mr Lee, the general treasurer of the Air Transport Executive Staff Union (AESU), is a material management executive with Singapore Airlines. He takes care of purchasing aircraft spare parts.
He has been with the union for 19 years and the general treasurer since May this year.
What prompted you to take on a leadership role with the union?
Lee Hsiang Hui: I volunteered to be one of the union’s trustees in 2014. This allowed me to have a better understanding of the role and functions of the executive council and gave me opportunities to work closely with them. I realised it was a very rewarding experience serving members. When the union exco asked me to join the executive council in 2016, I stepped up without hesitation. I now have a deeper appreciation of the unique tripartite relationship in Singapore. I strongly feel this relationship should not be taken for granted.
How is AESU staying relevant in an ever-changing work landscape?
Young professionals, managers and executives who just joined the workforce have high aspirations. They are highly mobile, exploring various career options. As a result, many of them think they do not need the protection of the union. AESU needs to evolve continuously and explore more benefits to help in the professional development of these employees and I am sure this will help to attract new members. In fact, the management has been involving AESU in its orientation programmes when new staff join. We brief the new staff about the work that the union does. What surprises me is that some young graduates have never heard of unions in Singapore. The process to educate them about unions and labour management relations never ends.
What is the union doing about the industry transformation programmes for the aviation sector?
AESU represents staff from six companies in the aviation sector. All of them support lifelong learning and continuous skills upgrading. AESU has been working closely with employers on SkillsFuture courses. Some of our member companies have also offered one for one top up of the SkillsFuture credit for their staff to encourage them to upskill and stay relevant in today’s ever-changing work environment.
What is your personal mantra on training and upskilling?
I am a firm believer of lifelong learning and my favourite programmes are documentaries which teach you constantly. To me, training is a daily affair. You can’t just restrict training to the classroom. It should be a lifelong and daily effort at improvement. On my part, I am taking a digital course and also a few online courses in the field of artificial intelligence, automation and digitisation, which are all important for the future. I am also taking up courses offered by the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute to better equip myself with leadership skills to serve the union.
Good To Know
Air Transport Executive Staff Union (AESU)
Date of Registration: 4 January 1965
Date of Affiliation to NTUC: January 1970
Membership: 1620 members
