robertteh SG NTUC is a government organization not a workers' organization. Look at the past ministers in charge like Lim Boon Heng, he will talk about tripartism but in actual fact when the recessions come he had only one solution - to ask workers to sacrifice pay rise, cut CPF and accept painful retrenchments without any solutions. The ordinary workers everywhere can be sacked or mal-treated by employers without any remedy. When one is not represented by collective agreements one can lose his rights like having his 13th month forfeited while civil servants enjoy 7th and 13th and 14th months or have his contract of employment terminated by so-called notice without any hearing by anyone. A worker who is not in the government or covered by collective agreements simply has no right and if he is ill-treated he has to employ a lawyer and sue but normally he has no monies to do so. Lim Boon Heng and Lim Swee Say both kept quiet about such problems faced by the ordinary workers. Are they representing the ordinary workers' employment or contractual rights or any moral rights at all under the so-called tripartim which they often claim to be benefiting the workers. It will be seen that today, NTUC's role is to glorify all the ministers, senior civil servants and praise them and give them medal awards to cover up problems. During the whole period of recessions it was found the EDB was sleeping and did not do anything to help lowering costs of doing business or encourage practical knowledge or technology start-ups but were merely engaged in unnecessary verbal antagonism with certain scholar bond breakers due to myopic pro-foreign policies of the past. Singapore lost its lead in economic restructuring to catch up with countries like Finland and South Korea, Taiwan, China, India and Hong Kong in restructuring to a value-adding technology-driven technology. Yet today NTUC just announced after awarding Lim Boon Heng for such lack of insightful leadership to upgrade motivation and innovation of ordinary workers yet another award lately to Phillip Yeo for such lack of initiative and leadership ability. So which ministers and durains will be on the waiting lists of more doggie awards one would wonder. Back to top
