Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Brother Lim Swee Say, Secretary-General, National Trades Union Congress and the NTUC Central Committee Brother Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister, Ministry of Manpower Brother Stephen Lee, President, Singapore National Employers Federation Ministers and Ministers of State Members of Parliament and union advisors Management partners and representatives Brother Philip Jennings, General Secretary, Union Network International and international guests Brother Richard Kang, President, The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union and fellow Executive Councillors Brothers and sisters

Good evening and welcome to The SMMWU 50th Anniversary Dinner!

1 The founder of Ford Motor Company and industrialist Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; and working together is success.”

2 Mr Henry Ford’s quote succinctly describes the long journey of triumphs and tribulations that SMMWU has gone through since its formation 50 years ago.

3 In January 1959, a group of passionate union leaders established the SMMWU amidst a turbulent period when pro- and anti-communists political parties and trade unions struggled and fought because of different ideologies. Labour-management relations were often strained because of workers’ poor working conditions, wages and welfare. Our economy and society suffered as a result. For SMMWU’s leaders, coming together then to serve our members and workers was only the beginning and seemed a monumental task.

4 With the emergence of the People’s Action Party and the National Trades Union Congress over their communist rivals in the 1960s, SMMWU persisted in keeping together as an effective union in helping our members stay relevant to the changing socio-political and economic landscape. Despite having less than cordial industrial relations with some employers then, we made progress in enhancing members’ interests by sending them for skills upgrading and training to meet new demands of the industrialised economy. We also had their welfare at heart by supporting the Labour Movement’s modernisation efforts in the 1970s, which included the setting up of co-operatives to prevent profiteering and to help members cope with high inflation.

5 Singapore then faced several major set backs in the form of the 1985 oil crisis, 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, 2001 September 11 attacks in the US and 2003 SARS epidemic. Despite these set backs, we saw success, a silver lining in the clouds. Success came in the form of a strong tripartite relationship between the employers, government and labour movement that grew based on trust and mutual respect. The close co-operation among the tripartite partners then allowed swift measures to be taken, like the cuts in the Central Provident Fund and the implementation of the flexible wage system, to save our companies and our workers’ jobs. As an NTUC-affiliate and the largest union in Singapore, SMMWU had been instrumental in this transformation from confrontation to co-operation to collaboration among the tripartite partners. And we are confident that the tripartite partners would once again steer Singapore out of the current economic downturn to emerge stronger than ever before.

6 While SMMWU has had its fair share of highs and lows in the last 50 years, I am proud to say that the fundamentals of SMMWU have not changed. Our members’ interests and welfare remain firmly our key focus, purpose and inspiration. What have changed are the approaches we took to protect and enhance our members’ rights and welfare. Industrial peace has prevailed over industrial actions. Clenched fist has given way to open hearts. For example, SMMWU is raising funds to help our needy members through our 50th anniversary celebrations, which include the Family Day carnival held on 8 March at Downtown East, and this evening’s celebrations and launch of our 50th anniversary book, “Through the Years”.

7 I am very pleased to announce that with the very generous donations from our many fellow unions and co-operatives, and management partners, we have raised a total of $500,000! Indeed, this is not a small amount in view of the current economic downturn but it is a big gesture that speaks of the many kind hearts who have made this fund raising possible and meaningful. Out of the $500,000, SMMWU will pledge $100,000 to the NTUC U Care Fund set up earlier this year to help needy union members and workers affected by the economic downturn. This is very much in support of the Labour Movement’s Care and Share initiative that goes towards helping our needy union members and their families. SMMWU will also set up a similar U Care-SMMWU fund with the remaining $400,000 to help its own members tide over the economic downturn. Please join me in thanking all our donors and sponsors!

8 As part of our fund raising efforts, we have commissioned Mr Ee Boon Lee, a former NTUC staff and an old time friend of SMMWU, to write a commemorative book, “Through the Years”, which we will unveil later this evening. In a nutshell, the book spotlights on SMMWU’s five decades of industrious achievements and turbulent struggles. It also highlights the very essence of SMMWU’s purpose and the many lessons we have learnt in terms of nation building, economic and socio-political development, government-labour-management relationships, and most importantly, what it means to do the right thing for our members and workers.

9 In the last five decades, SMMWU has also seen many selfless, passionate and caring union leaders and industrial relations officers. Through the book, we acknowledge the many invaluable contributions of our past and present SMMWU leaders like Brother Joseph Tan Meng Kwang, Brother Chan Sie Seng, Brother Joseph Tan Kee Seng and Brother Eric Cheong Yuen Chee. We also pay special tribute to the SMMWU Executive Council members and branch officials, both past and present, whose strong and faithful support for SMMWU have benefited our members, the Labour Movement and Singapore’s economy and society as a whole. We shall not forget some of the management partners that have gone through the thick and thin with SMMWU, members and workers during the good and bad times. While some of us may feel nostalgic after reading the book, I also hope that it would inspire our younger generation of union leaders, members and workers to continue to avail themselves to SMMWU in serving others.

10 Ladies and gentlemen, our Guest-of-Honour this evening is no stranger to the concept of serving others. He is an old friend of SMMWU who stepped up together with Brother Lim Swee Say and Brother Teo Chee Hean to serve our members when they were army officers in the 1980s. Let me elaborate.

11 Brother Lim Boon Heng, who was with NTUC in the 1980s, had become SMMWU’s Executive Secretary in 1981, and had been pushing for union members to undergo computer training as Singapore headed towards the information technology age. To give SMMWU’s members computer training opportunities, we enlisted through NTUC’s help three young computer specialists, namely, Brother Lee Hsien Loong, Brother Lim Swee Say and Brother Teo Chee Hean, from MINDEF to set up a rudimentary computer training centre at our Rochor Centre office.

12 Who would have known that, 28 years later, the three of them are still serving our members as well as Singaporeans! Brother Lim Swee Say, who was once SMMWU’s Executive Secretary, has become NTUC’s Secretary-General; Brother Teo Chee Hean has become SMMWU’s adviser, Defence Minister and come 1 April, Deputy Prime Minister; and Brother Lee Hsien Loong has become our Prime Minister! This evening, we are truly honoured to have the three of them join us at this dinner.

13 It gives me great pleasure now to invite our friend and our Prime Minister to deliver his Keynote Address. Prime Minister, please.

Thank you.