NTUC Membership Surpasses 1.4 Million Ahead of May Day

While workers are better off, labour chief warns current tariff war is raising anxiety

- Sharon Salim

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) now has more than 1.4 million members, its secretary-general, Mr Ng Chee Meng, said on April 20.

The number has grown by more than 55 per cent, up from over 900,000 memberships when he took on the labour chief role. The labour movement has set a goal of reaching 1.5 million members by 2030.

Mr Ng joined NTUC as deputy secretary-general in April 2018, before getting elected as secretary-general a month later.

"We have made a real impact on workers' wages, welfare and work prospects. But we cannot rest," Mr Ng said in a press statement. "We know the global situation is increasingly uncertain, with the tariff war between the US and other countries."

NTUC is part of the national task force set up to help affected businesses and workers navigate the uncertainties sparked by US tariffs on Singapore goods, and it is closely monitoring the situation. It has pledged to intensify efforts and step up measures should the need arise.

Speaking at the first press conference of the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce on April 16, Mr Ng acknowledged the anxieties faced by union leaders, specifically about the direct impact of the US tariffs on Singapore's electronics, chemicals, logistics and transport sectors.

Out of 200 union leaders polled, 11 per cent had heard about possible retrenchments, with 50 per cent worrying about rising production costs.