SINGAPORE: NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say said
the labour movement will embrace diversity to become an independent
voice for workers in Singapore.
He said the Presidential Election was a good example
of how it can do this, as NTUC chose not to adopt a top-down
endorsement of any of the candidates.
Mr Lim said: "75 per cent of the unions decided to
endorse Dr Tony Tan as the candidate and the other 25 per cent, for
various reasons, decided to remain neutral. So to us, such a
diversity ought to be respected and accommodated.
"Yet, at the same time, just because there are differing view
between these 75 per cent of the union versus 25 per cent of the
union, this does not mean that the labour movement is
divided."
Mr Lim was speaking to reporters after the final National Day
Observance Ceremony (NDOC) organised by NTUC.
Unions from aerospace and aviation as well as transportation
clusters gathered at Crowne Plaza to celebrate Singapore's 46th
birthday.
Held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Wednesday, the ceremony wrapped up a
total of 23 NDOCs the labour movement had organised this
year.
Mr Lim also said as Singapore becomes more diverse, Singaporeans
need to work together to be united.
He added that he hoped Singapore will not be divided when it gets
its new President as well as new Parliament in the coming
weeks.
- CNA/cc/fa
