The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) central committee has released a statement in support for former Member of Parliament Ng Chee Meng to remain as the secretary-general of NTUC.

Ng could retain NTUC secretary-general position without cabinet seat

"The members of the NTUC Central Committee stand in unanimous support for Brother Ng Chee Meng as Secretary-General of NTUC," wrote Mary Liew, the President of NTUC.

Ng, who helmed the team representing the People's Action Party (PAP) at Sengkang GRC during the 2020 general election, lost to the Workers' Party (WP) team at the polls.

As a result, Ng, who was a Cabinet Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) between 2018 to 2020, will not retain his position in Cabinet as he has not been elected as a Member of Parliament (MP).

NTUC sec-gen has been cabinet minister by request

In 2018, Ng succeeded Chan Chun Sing as secretary-general, after the latter became Minister for Trade and Industry.

If Ng remains as the NTUC secretary-general, he will be the first one in 40 years to not hold a cabinet position concurrently.

Over the last 40 years, the position of the NTUC secretary-general has also been a member of the Cabinet at the NTUC Central Committee's request.

Whilst the two roles have been inextricably linked, they are independent of each other.

Ng's efforts for the workers

Liew also praised Ng for his work at NTUC.

She highlighted his efforts to advocate for workers' training by setting up Company Training Committees where union leaders and company management work together to assist in upgrading their workers' skills.

Ng also spearheaded the NTUC Job Security Council efforts to help workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, matching 12,000 workers to new roles.

Read the full statement by Liew:

For the past almost 60 years, workers have been at the heart of NTUC, our affiliated unions and associations. We protect the rights and advance the interests of our workers. We also support working families through the various stages of their lives; and through NTUC’s social enterprises, moderate the cost of living for all Singaporeans. Helping workers achieve better wages, welfare and work prospects have been and will continue to be central to our identity, and our key mission.

The NTUC Secretary-General has, over the last 40 years, also been a member of the Cabinet. It is upon the NTUC Central Committee’s request and mutual agreement that a Cabinet Minister is seconded to NTUC. Whilst the two roles have been inextricably linked, they are in fact independent of each other. The role of the NTUC Secretary-General is elected by union delegates once in four years at the national level. This happens at the NTUC National Delegates’ Conference, where union delegates elect a 21-member NTUC Central Committee to oversee the work of the Labour Movement.

The Central Committee members elect among themselves the President, Secretary-General, the Secretary for Financial Affairs (Treasurer) and Vice-Presidents amongst other principal office bearers. At the most recent National Delegates’ Conference (NDC) held in October 2019, the new 21-member NTUC Central Committee for the four-year term of 2019 to 2023 was elected.

In this regard, Brother Ng Chee Meng has played an instrumental role in pushing forth various initiatives to help secure workers’ livelihoods. For a start, he championed workers’ training at the institutional level, through the setting up of Company Training Committees, where union leaders and management partners work hand in hand to ensure that workers’ training needs are not forgotten.

To provide greater assistance to workers impacted by the fallout brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brother Ng Chee Meng led the charge on providing timely assistance to at-risk workers through the NTUC Job Security Council. To date, some 12,000 workers have been matched to new roles. Time and again, he has shown his heart in caring for workers and proven his mettle.

The results of Singapore’s General Election 2020 have brought to the fore the position of NTUC Secretary-General. As an NTUC elected position, it is a position which stands independent of political appointments. The members of the NTUC Central Committee stand in unanimous support for Brother Ng Chee Meng as Secretary-General of NTUC. As we head into more challenging times ahead, we remain resolute in our mission to help workers. Brother Ng Chee Meng has over the last two years pushed for many good initiatives for workers and this is work that must continue. We stand in solidarity as we continue this journey together.

Top image via Mothership.sg