Branch Committee

At the branch level, branch officials are elected by unionised employees of the branch. Their duties are to serve members at the branch, or company level:

• try to resolve grievances through negotiations with management
• form part of the union delegation at collective bargaining sessions
• serve as links between workers and leaders at union headquarters and the national centre
• help explain labour and national issues to workers
• get feedback on implementation of policies and matters of concern to workers
• help mobilise workers for mass activities

Union Executive Committee

At union headquarters level, key branch officials represent their branches at Union Headquarters as delegates. They have a right to vote or stand as candidates in elections to the Union Executive Committee which is responsible for the effective operation of the union. Each Executive Committee appoints committees to deal with specific areas such as industrial relations, organising, financial matters, education, skills upgrading, occupational health and safety, social and welfare services, culture and recreation. The duties of the Union Executive Committee are to:

• coordinate the work of the various branches and maintain close contact with the NTUC
• guide the Branch Committees in industrial relation and other matters
• take an active role in collective bargaining. Where necessary, the Committee can tap NTUC’s expertise in carrying out complex negotiations

Affiliated unions are represented at the NTUC Delegates Conference, the supreme authority of the labour movement. The Delegates Conference is held once in two years. During this conference, delegates review the work of the NTUC and map out future directions for the labour movement.

NTUC Central Committee

At the national level, once in four years, the union delegates elect a 21-member NTUC Central Committee to oversee the work of the labour movement. The Central Committee members elect among themselves the Secretary-General, the President, the Secretary for Financial Affairs (Treasurer) and Vice Presidents. The Central Committee appoints other principal office bearers.

Union leadership has been strengthened by the induction of professional, including Members of Parliament. These Members of Parliament are subject to elections, just as the other grassroots unionists are. Many other Members of Parliament, including Cabinet Ministers, serve as union advisors.

The Secretary-general, who is the Chief Executive of NTUC, and members of the Central Committee have regular dialogue sessions with leaders from affiliated unions to discuss important issues. Leaders from union headquarters hold similar sessions with branch officials, who in turn keep the ground posted on current developments. In the course of these discussions, the national leaders are kept informed of ground feelings on various issues.

Go To List of Unions