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Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean’s wife, founder of a stroke support charity, dies aged 67

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Ms Chew Poh Yim, the founder of a stroke support charity who held leadership roles in NTUC FairPrice and the wife of Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, died peacefully on Sunday (Oct 31). The 67-year-old founded Stroke Support Station (S3) in 2015, an initiative that was started by volunteers to support stroke survivors and caregivers. S3 programmes are supported by medical professionals and therapists from various acute and community hospitals in Singapore. Ms Chew started the charity after realising that there was a need for increased community support to reintegrate stroke survivors into society and ensure their well-being. She helmed various portfolios at NTUC FairPrice, including in procurement and marketing and corporate communications, and was general manager of NTUC FairPrice Foundation. She had more than 25 years of experience in management, marketing and branding in the consumer and retail market. Ms Chew was a supporter of community programmes for the elderly through collaborations with institutions such as the National University Health System and People's Association. She was also on the board of trustees of SingHealth Foundation (now known as SHF-Foundation) a...

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More than 32,000 workers matched to new jobs by NTUC’s Job Security Council

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - More than 32,000 workers have secured new jobs with the help of the Job Security Council of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to date, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said on Thursday (Aug 5). This means that about 4,000 workers have been matched with jobs since the start of this year, when Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat last gave an update on the scheme. The council, set up in February last year, helps displaced workers or those at risk of losing their jobs move to new roles or secure temporary secondments. The bulk of these workers were placed in new jobs last year, at the height of the pandemic. More than 10,000 companies now form part of the council's network, up from just 4,000 when it started. In a National Day message, Mr Ng highlighted three groups of workers who are "still reeling from the prolonged effects of the pandemic" and need extra help. These are lower-wage workers, freelancers and PMEs - professionals, managers and executives. For lower-wage workers, NTUC is working to speed up the expansion of the progressive wage model so that wages, welfare and work prospects can improve, he said. He also highlighted the efforts of the Tripartite Workgroup o...

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Shoppers with Chas Blue cards to get 3% discount at FairPrice on Thursdays till end of year

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) Blue cardholders can enjoy a 3 per cent discount at all NTUC FairPrice outlets every Thursday, from July 15 till the end of the year. Shoppers with the card can present it to enjoy the discount at all 149 FairPrice stores, the FairPrice on Wheels mobile truck and 84 Unity pharmacies here. The discount is capped at $200 per transaction each day, NTUC FairPrice said in a statement on Monday (July 12). This is the fourth discount initiative to help seniors and low-income families cut costs at FairPrice, adding to the Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and Seniors discount schemes, which also provide price cuts of up to 3 per cent. The Blue card discount scheme will cost FairPrice an estimated $500,000 this year, in addition to the roughly $10 million passed on to seniors through its existing programmes annually, it said in the statement. NTUC FairPrice group chief executive officer Seah Kian Peng said: "The prolonged uncertainties brought about by Covid-19 have affected the lower-income families adversely. "FairPrice's Chas Blue discount scheme will complement our various discount programmes by serving a focused and targeted segmen...

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Chee Hong Tat to replace Koh Poh Koon as NTUC deputy secretary-general on May 15

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Senior Minister of State for Transport and Foreign Affairs Chee Hong Tat will join the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on May 15 and become its deputy secretary-general, replacing Dr Koh Poh Koon, who is Senior Minister of State for Health. In a statement on Thursday (May 6), NTUC said Mr Chee - who is relinquishing his appointment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Cabinet changes announced last month - will be co-opted into its central committee. The 47-year-old will also take on the role of group director of NTUC's training and transformation group. In addition, he has been appointed as a cadre member of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (Upage) and an executive secretary in the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI). As part of the Cabinet reshuffle, which will take effect on May 15, Dr Koh will take on a new appointment in the Manpower Ministry as Senior Minister of State, in addition to his role in the Ministry of Health (MOH). The 49-year-old will be relinquishing his positions in the labour movement. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had written to NTUC president Mary Liew on April 21 to request that Dr Koh return fu...

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May Day Rally: Protecting vulnerable groups in society a key priority, says PM Lee Hsien Loong

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Protecting vulnerable groups in society is a key priority for the Government, which has also been working with employers and the labour movement to expand the Progressive Wage Model, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (May 1). It has been working with these tripartite partners to extend the model - a wage ladder tied to skills and career progression - to more sectors like food sectors and retail. "This is not just a theoretical exercise, but a practical, effective strategy to improve the lives of more lower wage workers. And we plan to more than double the number of workers covered under the Progressive Wage Model over the next few years," he said. "We are working on some other plans to support lower income workers too," added PM Lee, who said he intends to speak about these plans at the National Day Rally in August. Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad is coordinating this effort from the Manpower Ministry, and NTUC is also involved, said PM Lee. He was addressing unionists at Downtown East as well as virtually at the hybrid May Day Rally, where he also underlined how workers need the right skills to benefit from future opportunities. The Gov...

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NTUC sets up foundation with $250 million to be invested to fund assistance schemes, grants

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2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The National Trades Union Congress has set up a foundation with an initial funding of $250 million which will be invested to fund financial assistance schemes and grants to support its members. Announcing this in his May Day Rally speech on Saturday (May 1), labour chief Ng Chee Meng said the NTUC foundation, which was incorporated on Tuesday, will provide a steady stream of income for NTUC's financial assistance schemes and grants. Currently, these schemes and grants are funded with the help of donors, including the Singapore Labour Foundation, NTUC Social Enterprises, affiliated unions, private sector corporations and individuals. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the needs of its members have increased but the ability of NTUC's donors to contribute has naturally declined, said Mr Ng. The foundation will complement these efforts, providing a stable income stream that will enable NTUC to take care of the needs of its members, even in economically difficult years, he added. The foundation will also better enable NTUC to diversify the type of support provided and respond to the changing needs of members through economic ups and downs, said NTUC in a statement. "Efforts wi...

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NTUC Income to double its licensed financial advisers

elean
1 minute

Insurer NTUC Income plans to double its licensed financial advisers in the next few years, as part of a broader effort to transform the business and reach out to younger customers. Chief executive Andrew Yeo, 49, told The Straits Times this month that many young clients knew about Income through their parents, who buy insurance for them. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

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PAP conference: Vital to strengthen ties between PAP and NTUC as S’pore tackles Covid-19 crisis, says PM Lee

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4 minutes

SINGAPORE - People's Action Party MPs who serve as advisers to various unions should go beyond advising and help out on the ground and engage workers directly, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (Nov 8). The PAP should also recruit more union leaders to join it, and have more party activists within the unions so that ties are kept warm and close at the working level, said PM Lee, who is the party's secretary-general. In making these points, he stressed how it is especially vital to strengthen the partnership between the PAP and the National Trades Union Congress in a time of crisis. Ties between the ruling party and labour movement remain very strong at the leadership level, he said, but the engagement is "not as deep" on the ground between PAP branches and individual unions as well as union branches. Urging PAP MPs to engage workers, he said: "That way when worker issues arise, PAP MPs and leaders will have a solid feel and understand the ins and outs of issues and why workers are worried, what their concerns are. And PAP MPs can speak up on behalf of workers in Parliament, and show them that they have a voice in the PAP." PM Lee was speaking at the biennial PAP confere...