National Trades Union Congress


The National Trades Union Congress, also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress internationally, is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore. NTUC leads the labour movement of Singapore, comprising 59 affiliated trade unions, 5 affiliated trade associations, 6 social enterprises, 6 related organisations and other enterprise partners.
The NTUC helms May Day celebrations and organises an annual rally in support of workers' solidarity and commitment to a tripartite partnership. Since its inception, the NTUC has had a close symbiotic relationship with the People's Action Party, the current ruling political party of the country.
WWW Official Site

History

The NTUC was first established in 1961 when the Singapore Trades Union Congress, which had backed the People's Action Party in its successful drive for self-government back in 1959, split into the pro-PAP NTUC and the non-affiliated and more leftist Singapore Association of Trade Unions. The SATU collapsed in 1963, following the now PAP-led government's crackdown and detention of its leaders during Operation Coldstore and its subsequent official deregistration on 13 November 1963, leaving the NTUC as the sole trade union centre. Currently, an overwhelming majority of union members are in unions affiliated with the NTUC.
After the PAP's decisive general election victory in 1968 where it won all seats in Parliament, the government passed the, which made a significant amendment to the legislated by severely limiting workers rights to engage in either direct collective bargaining with employers, industrial action or strike action. From 1969, the NTUC adopted, in its own words, "a cooperative, rather than a confrontational policy towards employers". The NTUC reached its target of 1 million members in 2021.

Relationship with the People's Action Party (PAP)

The PAP has governed Singapore since its general election victory in 1959. Since the NTUC's inception, relations between the PAP and NTUC are very close, and have often resulted in members concurrently holding office in both organisations. The NTUC's founder, Devan Nair, was a PAP stalwart and later served as President of Singapore. Ong Teng Cheong, the first elected President of Singapore, concurrently served as the secretary-general of NTUC and the country's deputy prime minister until his presidential election. Lim Boon Heng and Lim Swee Say, the previous secretaries-general, also became cabinet ministers. In 2015, Chan Chun Sing took over as Secretary-General from Lim Swee Say, who left the NTUC to become Minister for Manpower. In 2018, Ng Chee Meng took over as Secretary-General from Chan Chun Sing, who left NTUC to become Minister of Trade and Industry. Ng remained in this post even after he lost his parliamentary seat at the 2020 general election. Ng subsequently regained his parliamentary seat in the 2025 general election.

Reception

In 2024, the NTUC was designated as a "politically significant person" under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore) due to its "close nexus and symbiotic relationship" with the PAP. This close relationship has not come without criticism, with other political parties such as the Workers' Party viewing that the lack of a non-partisan and independent trade union centre in Singapore as being detrimental for the labour movement and workers rights in the country.

List of office holders

NTUC President

Prior to NTUC's formation in 1961, Mahmud Awang, President of the Singapore Trades Union Congress disbanded STUC to form NTUC, helming it as the caretaker president, before Ho See Beng became NTUC's first president.
In OfficePresident
1961 — 1966Ho See Beng
1967 — 1970Peter Vincent
1970 — 1979Phey Yew Kok
1979 — 1981Devan Nair
1981 — 1985Peter Vincent
1985 — 1986George Chua
1986 — 1997Oscar Oliverio
1997 — 2011John De Payva
2011 — 2015Diana Chia
2015 — 2023Mary Liew Kiah Eng
2023 —K. Thanaletchimi

NTUC Affiliated Unions and Associations

58 Trade Unions and 3 Trade Associations are affiliated to the National Trades Union Congress. The affiliated unions can be broadly categorised under Industrial Sector, Service Sector, Public Sector Unions and Omnibus Unions.

Industrial Sector Unions

  1. Advanced Manufacturing Employees' Union
  2. Built Environment and Urban Trades Employees' Union
  3. Chemical Industries Employees' Union
  4. ExxonMobil Singapore Employees Union
  5. Keppel Employees Union
  6. Keppel FELS Employees' Union
  7. NatSteel Employees' Union
  8. Supply Chain Employees' Union
  9. Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees' Union
  10. Singapore Refining Company Employees' Union
  11. Singapore Shell Employees' Union
  12. United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries
  13. United Workers of Petroleum Industry

Service Sector Unions

  1. Air Transport Executive Staff Union
  2. Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union
  3. Banking and Financial Services Union
  4. Creative Media and Publishing Union
  5. DBS Staff Union
  6. DNATA Singapore Staff Union
  7. Education Services Union
  8. Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union
  9. Healthcare Services Employees' Union
  10. National Transport Workers' Union
  11. Port Officers' Union
  12. Reuters Local Employees' Union, Singapore
  13. Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers' Union
  14. Singapore Bank Employees' Union
  15. SIA Engineering Company Engineers and Executives Union
  16. Singapore Airlines Staff Union
  17. Singapore Insurance Employees' Union
  18. Singapore Maritime Officers' Union
  19. Singapore Organisation of Seamen
  20. Singapore Port Workers Union
  21. ST Engineering Staff Union
  22. Scoot Staff Union
  23. Singapore Union of Broadcasting Employees
  24. Staff Union of NTUC-ARU
  25. Times Publishing Group Employees' Union
  26. Union of Power and Gas Employees
  27. Union of Security Employees
  28. Union of Tripartite Alliance
  29. Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore

Public Sector Unions

  1. Amalgamated Union of Public Employees
  2. Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees
  3. Enterprise Singapore Staff Union
  4. Housing and Development Board Staff Union
  5. Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union
  6. Ngee Ann Polytechnic Academic Staff Union
  7. Public Utilities Board Employees' Union
  8. Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union
  9. Singapore Interpreters' and Translators' Union
  10. Singapore Malay Teachers' Union
  11. Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union
  12. Singapore Teachers' Union
  13. Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority Workers' Union
  14. Union of ITE Training Staff

Omnibus Unions

  1. Singapore Industrial & Services Employees' Union
  2. The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union

Associations

  1. National Taxi Association
  2. National Delivery Champions Association
  3. National Private Hire Vehicles Association
  4. National Instructors and Coaches Association
  5. Singapore FinTech Association
  6. Tech Talent Assembly
  7. Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professional Association

NTUC Social Enterprises

NTUC Enterprise is the holding entity and single largest shareholder of the NTUC social enterprises.
The list of social enterprises includes:

Related organisations

The list of related organisations includes: