SINGAPORE : Paying one more dollar to get much more in return --
that is how the National Trades Union Congress explains the union
membership fee increase from January.
Unionists will have to pay an extra $13 dollars annually for
membership fees.
At the same time, the labour movement says its key focus remains
helping lower wage workers.
It has unveiled the first of such measures -- a new S$1.15 million
"Back-to-School" programme for the children of needy members.
If you are a union member, you would have received a personal
letter from the leaders of the labour movement explaining why they
took what they called the "difficult decision" to increase union
membership fees from S$8 to S$9 a month, after deferring it for
four years.
Explaining the decision to union leaders at the NTUC pre-ordinary
delegates conference, labour chief Lim Boon Heng said the hike had
been resisted earlier due to the Iraq war and the SARS
crisis.
The membership fee is based on the median wage of the workers and
that has increased to S$1,800 monthly.
So NTUC says the increase in membership fee is inevitable.
Said Mr Lim, "Membership fees account for 19 percent of our
operating costs; so in other words, 81 percent of our costs would
depend on our cooperatives and our social partners. I think if we
were to continue this trend and become overly dependent on our
social partners, the danger is that we will do less for the workers
or become less effective as an independent voice."
And lower income workers will actually benefit from the membership
fee increase.
Mr Lim said, "Yes, they will be paying one dollar more but in terms
of benefits both tangible and intangible, they are going to get
even more."
Union leaders echoed the same sentiments.
Said union leader G Muthukumarasamy, "We said the money is coming
back to you
to save and help lower income groups."
This includes the "Back-to-School" initiative for more than 10,000
children of some 5,000 needy unionists.
They will get vouchers worth $100 for each school-going child to
help them buy school uniforms, books and shoes for the new school
year.
Applications for the "Back-to-School" vouchers will open from
September 26.
Union members with a monthly household income not exceeding S$1,500
or a per capita household income not exceeding S$450 (if their
monthly household income exceeds S$1,500) can apply for
assistance.
The programme will start in December. - CNA /ct