Coffee Shop Talk - Singapore got Union meh?

It was circa 2012 when I started my very first business. And it was because of that very first business of mine that taught me a lot about being a business owner.

It's weird looking at myself in 2012. More hair, no ink, and more fats.

It's not as easy as just having capital or a good product. The amount of paperwork and procedures can be a killjoy to entrepreneurship. I've met some people telling me how they envy me that I'm brave enough to start my own business and be my own boss. The truth is it's far from glamorous about being a boss of a small company. We had to do everything ourselves, ensure there's enough on the plate for your staff, and even all the legal procedures which really stand in your way all the time.

It was because of my very first venture that I came in contact with NTUC. It was a free legal clinic for freelancers, creatives of any form, or similar. I stumbled upon a newsletter from a friend. The direct mailer caught my attention with what they had to offer, (or as much as my memory serves me)

1. FREE Legal clinic

2. Learn all about copyrights, trademarks

3. Understanding your rights as a freelancer and vendor especially when it comes to payment

4. Food and Beverages are included.

I could totally skip all these legal stuff if Harvey Specter is my friend or a real person.

It's really not easy being a young businessboy, so we try our best to get everything free lah. Don't judge.

That was probably also one of the very first time that I realised that NTUC is not just about FairPrice supermarket.

Fast forward to 2017.

I thought I was the only one who was apathetic about such things when I was younger but the truth is I'm not alone. In fact, it's scary how Singaporeans, not just youths, but also adults who are in their 30s know so little about NTUC.

I had this conversation with a few friends over beer the other day. Xiaoming* (*Names have been changed to protect identity) was sharing with us that he wants to start a new company but he has no clue about the kind of grants he can get and what help is actually available out there.

Then what seemed harmless conversation escalated rather quickly when I offered my 2 cents worth,

"You can try to check out some of the things the NTUC and NTUC’s e2i have to offer. I believe there are some useful fundings as well as courses and workshops that are very good for new business owners."

That mental image I have every time someone brings up words like funding and money. LET IT RAIN!

This other guy, Mike who thinks he knows it all gave a reply in his typical "know-it-all" manner which got me all fired up.

This is the kind of attitude that gets me all triggered. I'm totally cool with people not knowing some stuff but I think we shouldn't close ourselves up and block all possibilities isn't it?

While trying my best to keep my cool, here's some what how the conversation went. It's no transcript but I thought I want to share this with all my readers so I do not need to go through this kind of conversation again with an heartache. (I know it's kinda heavy for coffee shop talk but I guess that's kinda a work hazard for me as a writer. I cover certain stories and I remember details for a long time if I'm passionate about it.)

One of my favourite picture taken this year while covering an event by NTUC for Unscrambled.sg. Mdm Halimah was there at the event as well given her LM roots. Perks of running a news site I say?

"Singapore got Union meh? Where got such thing as Union?"

Yes, actually there are unions in Singapore. There are almost 60 unions affiliated with NTUC. I’ve covered some of their stories before and you’ll be surprised how much the Labour Movement actually has to offer.

"NTUC? That's one Union only mah. Singapore everything also monopolise lah."

Actually not true. Like I said, there are almost 60 different unions. From what I understand, NTUC is the national confederation of all these trade unions. In fact these days, NTUC is more than just about unions, it also has a network of professional associations and partners.

Each union has its own leadership teams and they make their own decisions. NTUC does not own or “operate” all these unions. However it offers resources and organisational support to help unions operate more smoothly and also facilitates communication and engagement between union leaders and their tripartite partners..

This photo was taken at FairPrice. Not NTUC. LOL. 

"All these wayang one lah. End of the day NTUC under gahment right? All controlled one lah."

NTUC's Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing is no doubt a minister in Prime Minister's Office, he’s even the party whip for the ruling party, People’s Action Party, but that doesn't make it "put their own people".

There’s something called the National Delegates Conference at NTUC. It’s like our General Election as it happens every four years and union leaders from all the different unions vote for people to form the Central Committee, which if the highest decision-making body in NTUC. Even if Chan Chun Sing is from the PAP, he still needs the unions’ mandate to vote for him in order to have cred and also to continue on.

Well, Chan had gotten the highest number of votes back at the National Delegates Conference back in 2015. So you can’t say everything’s controlled since it was a transparent voting process.

 NTUC Ordinary Delegates’ Conference 2017 (ODC) held on 15 November 2017. Image from UnusualLabourMovement Facebook Page. 

"So this unions thing actually fight for who? Got fight for us meh? I'm sure they only help those big companies right"

(To be honest, I'm quite surprised with my own tolerance over this dude. Like I could have just walked away given his attitude right.)

You are wrong. NTUC/Labour Movement supports all working people. In fact NTUC has evolved so much over the years it's no longer about banging tables, threatening to go on strikes, and rioting anymore. It's about coming to an agreement where they can come out with a win-win situation for both parties. Of course, that's when there is a dispute or sort. But on day-to-day basis, they are more progressive than that, and have different plans and programmes to help workers of different levels and different sectors.

Other than helping the rank and file workers, NTUC actually helps PMEs, SME workers and also people like myself who are freelancers and self-employed (FSEs), who are technically not unionised to begin with, and even migrant workers, helping them to know their rights, which is something that I really feel for after joining them and covering the story for this year's May Day celebrations for migrant workers.

In fact representativeness is such a big thing with them that they want to make sure they’re there to support all worker types and new forms of work.. They have set up the U FSE Unit to provide support to the emerging group of workers in the gig economy, and the National Private Hire Vehicle Association was also set up in response to the growing number of Grab and Uber drivers.

During the recent Ordinary Delegates Conference, NTUC even proposed to change its constitution to expand its network to more representativeness.

"Orh. Okay lor. So this union thing help us fight for what? Better pay? More Holiday? Got give what kind of grant?"

Actually more than just fighting for more pay and welfare with employer but the Labour Movement as a whole wants to provide an integrated suite of products and services to help Singaporeans keep up with the cost of living. It does so through its various social enterprises.

For instance, NTUC also offers help like Health Care which I've talked about before. There are other NTUC Social Enterprises to help every Singaporean stretch their dollar. One example is NTUC FairPrice’s own housebrands which is a more affordable alternative for essential products

Afterthoughts

I've no clue how much went into my friend’s head that night. I've also no idea if they will ever knock on NTUC's door for help but I've done my part as a friend sharing with him what I know. I'm totally fine with people not knowing some things, or knowing something without seeking for help but I simply can't stand people being oblivious and simply conclude that "there is no unicorn out there simple because I've never seen one." One can only offer that much help if the other ain't ready.