Workers' expectations of the Singapore labour movement.

Abstract

As the NTUC becomes an increasingly influential organization within Singapore’s economy, what is it that workers truly expect out of joining this labour union? This paper conducts a survey to identify workers’ expectations of joining the labour movement. The survey results show that workers expect labour unions to negotiate for higher salary, improved job security and flexible working hours on their behalf. As the NTUC faces free ridership problems, union members expect to be offered non-collective bargaining benefits too. Shopping discounts, subsidized healthcare and educational and professional assistance are the top few preferred non-collective benefits. In view of the workers’ expectations, we propose flexible work hour schemes, sabbaticals plans, warehouse membership shopping and an expansion of the NTUCs’ social enterprises to increase union participation rates and to help the NTUC fulfill its social responsibility at the same time.