1835

Issue 003 / Young NTUC Newsletter

Keeping you up to date with our Youth Movement

ABOUT US
18.35 is Young NTUCs
publication that keeps
you up to date with
our Youth Movement!
Young NTUC is the
youth wing of the
Labour Movement in
Singapore, representing
young working adults
aged 35 years and
below.
Since our founding in
2005, we ave grown to
over 185,000 members,
making us the largest
youth movement in
Singapore. As a national
youth
movement,
we strive for fair and
just 
oppurtunity and
sustainable progress for
all young workers in
Singapore.

oung NTUC organised our first national awards for youth activists in the labour movement on Friday, 5 December 2014, to recognise young
working adults who have contributed to society and the Labour Movement. Young NTUC hopes this platform will encourage active and passionate
youth leaders to continue their good work, inspire more youths to Do More and Do Good, and develop more youth leaders to take the lead in
making a change to impact society. The awards presentation ceremony was graced by NTUC Secretary General Lim Swee Say and Special Guest,
Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo. About 200 invited guests comprising awardees and
their families were present to recognise the activists for their contribution to the Labour Movement. Youth Impact Awards comprises three award
categories; Youth Action Award, Espirit de Corps Award and Certificate of Appreciation.

Youth Action Award

The Youth Impact Awards pinnacle Youth Action category recognises outstanding
individuals who are strong advocates for meaningful causes and who have inspired
others to Do More for the community. This award was presented to Sister Lastrina,
who is the team manager of Team Young NTUC 350 Singapore.
Lastrina was selected for actively taking the lead to coordinate efforts for 350
Singapore to raise awareness of environmental issues amongst youths and
Singaporeans. As a result of her efforts to bring together more youths with ideas on
how to change the world for the better, Lastrina has reached out to 214 youths and
engaged a core team of 15 volunteers who advocate for environment sustainability.

Esprit

de corps

Award

The Esprit de Corps category award for outstanding groups, was presented to two
Youth Chapters and three Team Young NTUC affinity groups who have constantly
engaged their members through the organising of meaningful programmes; namely:
-
Young BATU (Building and Construction And Timber Employees Union)
-
Young CIEU (Chemical Industries Employees Union)
-
Team Young NTUC 350 Singapore
-
Team Young NTUC Earth Runners
-
Team Young NTUC p.L.a.Y (Performing with Love by Active Youth)

Certificate

of

Appreciation

Certificates of Appreciation were also presented to Young NTUC Committee

members and youth leaders in Team Young NTUC affinity groups.

NURTURE

RARING TO GO

A bumpy ferry ride in the middle of rough seas did not deter 38 youthful participants, including

youth representatives from the unions and Team Young NTUC activists, from coming together for the
annual Young NTUC Workplan Seminar in Pulau Tioman, Malaysia in November.
Discussions for the seminar centered around three important areas:
Work as Inspiration; Family as Foundation; and Environment as Benefaction.
< Work as Inspiration >
Workers must be inspired at work. With a clear purpose and motivation,
productivity of workers increase hence translating to a productive economy
with low employment. This will be the best protection for all our young
workers. In line with that, Young NTUC is looking to organise activities which include Industrial
Networking Sessions and Young NTUC CROSSROADS sesions. There are also plans for career related
events revolving around new job opportunities, dialogues and plenary sessions. Activists are also
encouraged to spearhead projects to excite and inspire fellow young workers about their jobs.
< Family as Foundation >
Young NTUC recognises that family must continue to serve as the
foundation stone in society to balance the economic and social demands
for the sustainable development of Singapore. This is particularly important
as our members are in that age group where such issues matter. In order to achieve this, Young
NTUC together with our activists aims to take action to bring about positive changes. Starting with a
policy caucus of 30 youths, the intent is to translate thoughts into practical action for the good of the
community..
< Environment as Benefaction >
As responsible youths, we must do our part to keep Singapore in the same
or better environmental conditions for our future generation. Young NTUC
together with our environmental activists intends to bring together NonGovernmental Organisations in Singapore in a Environmental Congress to support our aim. This
congress plans to be the key platform to lobby for and promote changes in the way Singaporeans live
their lives and to play a part in helping to raise awareness of the global warming crisis.
With Young NTUCs 10th anniversary coming up in April 2015, the national youth movement together
with our young leaders will continue to commit our focus on the outreach, engage and nurture efforts
in these three areas.
3

OUTREACH & ENGAGE

CELEBRATING WORKERS
Close to 7,000 members came together today for Singapores 49th birthday at Young NTUC Celebrates!

National Day event held at The Promontory @ Marina Bay. Workers from three sectors cleaners,
landscape technicians, security officers, as well as their families, were invited to grace the event, which
saw over 200 Guests-of-Honour as a result.
Organised by Young NTUC and presented by NTUC Income, the annual event honours the spirit of
Singapores workforce and celebrates unity and solidarity of the Labour Movement with the nation. At
this years event, Young NTUC called on our members to be more proactive in showing their appreciation
towards the unsung heroes who have played a major role and contributed greatly towards the nation,
working tirelessly around the clock to make Singapore clean, green and safe.
These initiatives were introduced as part of our aim to complement the Labour Movements Appreciating
U movement to have more people involved in recognising the contributions of our working people to
the economy and society.

OUTREACH & ENGAGE

To

further affirm and demonstrate this outward display of

appreciation, participants were encouraged to pick-up-afteryourself so that cleaners would have a less arduous task after the
celebrations. They also shared words of appreciation and gratitude
for all the workers who kept Singapore clean, safe and green on an
Appreciating U board. Our members were reminded to continue
this positive movement in their everyday lives, including picking up
litter, doing their part to avoid damaging the floral landscapes around
them and thanking the security officers for keeping the premises safe.
Besides the Appreciating U initiatives, participants also formed a
giant human flag to showcase the solidarity of the Labour Movement
behind Singapore. This was reinforced by the signature candle-lighting
activity called A Celebration in Unity which demonstrates mutual
support of the Labour Movement and its role in nation building.

YOUNG NTUC CROSSROADS

OUTREACH & ENGAGE

Inspiring youths is the

foundation of Young
NTUC. Our Young
NTUC CROSSROADS
series
features
personalities who have
overcome the odds
to achieve success in
their own right. Young
Singaporeans
can
learn from their life
experiences and how
decisions made at key
junctures of their lives
have brought them to
where they are today.
Besides, networking
sessions are conducted
as a continuation
to these sessions,
enabling participants
to work towards their
goals. Past speakers
and participants can
also co-create Young
NTUC CROSSROADS
sessions, bringing it
across as a ground-up
effort to a larger group
of audience.

Brewing the Better Cup of Coffee

Pamela Chng, Founder of Bettr Barista Coffee Academy

With

a brain for business, a

heart of compassion and a nose
for coffee, Pamela Chng gave
up a successful boutique web
firm of eight years to pursue her
passion, with the intention of
giving back to society at the same
time. Sparked by her love for a
good cuppa, Pamela set up Bettr
Barista a social enterprise to
help transform underprivileged
women and youth-at-risk into
skilled baristas so they can secure
better work opportunities. Beyond
the skills, the one-of-a-kind
academy also trains its students
up physically, emotionally and
socially to boost their confidence
and self-esteem, with the ultimate
aim of helping them become
economically independent and
lead more meaningful lives.
Not knowing if the idea would work, Pamela said her new venture was like a big experiment. She started the business when the economy was at its
worst, but was determined to embark on this journey as she knew she wanted to use coffee to change lives. The academy today helps marginalised
women, especially, as Pamela believes women have the potential to go out to society to change lives and help many other people down the chain.
Pamela admitted that she has been privileged and very, very lucky throughout her journey, to which she is extremely grateful, and said it was
important for someone in her shoes to ask what she was going to do with those privileges and gifts given to her. She added that, in the larger
scheme of things, Singaporeans have a very good life, and urged participants at the session to take a step back and ask themselves what they could
do with their lives, to do more for others.

YOUNG NTUC CROSSROADS

OUTREACH & ENGAGE

USE YOUNG NTUC CROSSROADS TO ENGAGE YOUR MEMBERS!

FIND OUT HOW FROM YOUNG NTUC SECRETARIAT.

Of Rights and Responsibilities

Tong Yee, Director of The Thought Collective

How real should I be? Tong Yee, Director of The Thought Collective discusses about

values, ideals, and our forgotten responsibilities. He began his session at Young NTUC
CROSSROADS with a lowdown on his life experiences, sharing key episodes that shaped
him to become the person he is today.
The Thought Collective is a group of five social enterprises that aims to make Singapore
a better place, and the brainchild of someone who once struggled in school, both socially
and academically. Today, Tong Yee is a social entrepreneur determined to nurture our next
generation of thought leaders and youth change-makers through developing the skills,
empathy and leadership necessary for Singapores future.
At the session, Tong Yee took each question from participants with a pensive pause, with his
genuine responses coming from his hard lessons learnt and occasional modest successes.
He shared honestly, and many times vulnerably, about his journey through hard decisions
that have led to a life well transformed. While he was brought up knowing values, he said he
never truly embodied them and thus, got through the first part of his life being an efficient
liar. He underwent the worst of experiences from meaningless relationships, a teenage
pregnancy, and even a criminal record, to sitting on the edge of a building at the brink of
suicide. He woke up every day at one point with a constant death wish.
Attributing his redemption to several guardian angels who crossed his path, Tong Yee turned his life around following his mothers pleas to do something about his life, which
she saw was an empty shell. Tong Yee eventually found his place in teaching when he was given the chance to study at the National Institute of Education (NIE). Having greater
aspirations for society, he set up School of Thought first as a repeat student programme, as he empathised with young people who fell through the cracks because he himself
was a repeat student both at the O and A Levels. The school now conducts civic education programmes under the guise of English tuition to impart values to students and give
meaning to learning.
Responding to questions about what motivates him, Tong Yee shared that he strongly believes he, like many of us, was given the right and privilege to live his life the way he ought,
so the onus fell on him to fulfill his responsibilities in return. Tong Yee shared that most of us know our rights, but not necessarily our responsibilities, and those who complain
in life are often conscious of the former but not the latter. He also shared that many of us have forgotten, as we grow and achieve things in our lives, that there are in fact multiple
hands that feed us.
There is a certain gratitude I have with life. A genuine gratitude I live a day at a time, but I live each day well. As a word of advice to those who are at a crossroad in their lives,
Tong Yee said the important thing to do is to question who we are as a person, and ask what our responsibilities are. He believes that it is not the job that makes the person, but the
experience and interpretation of those experiences that do.
7

NURTURE

Family as Foundation Roundtable

Through

our Young NTUC dialogue

sessions for Our Singapore Conversations
in 2013, young adults have expressed
concerns about socio-economic policies.
Many have cited comparisons with
countries such as Finland, Denmark
and Switzerland and how Singapore can
emulate some of those practices. Young
NTUCs Family as Foundation Roundtable
saw many passionate activists coming
together to discuss related issues and family
was identified as the key motivator and
foundation of life to achieve economic and
social objectives in Singapore.
Young NTUC Activist Daniel Yap said:
We cant choose our family so it is really
something that we live with as a core part
of our lives.
Young NTUC is a great platform to see
change happen. On my own I am just one
voice and one thought, but by working with
brothers and sisters in Young NTUC I can
fill in the gaps in my thinking and reach out
to more people to share in a vision
A policy caucus of 30 youths was formed
through this Roundtable and many stepped
up, proposing feasible actions that can bring
about positive changes to Singapores social
fabric. Moving forward, these individuals
will be leading various projects with the
support of Young NTUC.

YOUTH CHAPTER

OUTREACH & ENGAGE

Through

the Youth
Chapters
of
our
affiliated
unions,
young union leaders
are better able to
engage fellow youths
at their workplace.
With the support of
the Young NTUC Seed
Funding Scheme, our
young union leaders
are provided with
resources to facilitate
outreach programmes.
This allows youths in
unionised companies
to learn more about
their rights and to get
help when needed.

Outplay, Outwit, And Outlast Green Thumbs Up for Appreciation!

Organised

by five different unions Young

Building Construction and Timber Industries
Employees Union (yBATU), Young Chemical
Industries Employees Union (yCIEU), Young
United Workers of Electronics and Electrical
Industries (yUWEEI), Young United Workers
of Petroleum Industry (yUWPI) and Young
Singapore Refining Company Employees Union
(ySRCEU) members, representing the Industrial
Sector to engage youth members and saw them
complete the Sisters Island Survivor Challenge!
Participants bonded over a series of witty games
from gathering sticks and starting a fire, meals and
simply time spent together! Initially planned for a
simple bonding session involving the committee
blossomed into one involving some 50 participants
and strong bonds forged thereafter.

In line with NTUCs Appreciating U

Movement, Young AUPE (yAUPE)

representatives spent a day out in
nature with Singapores horticulture
specialists. Venturing into the
gardening hub - Hort Garden,
members of yAUPE experienced
a typical work day of a Landscape
Technician. By giving youths the
opportunity to experience the
daily work done by the Landscape
Technicians, it is yAUPE Youth
Representative and Vice-Chairperson of Young NTUC Committee for Public Sector - Sis
Surianahs hope that they can learn to be better customers and be more able to express their
appreciation especially for the Pioneer Generation in our midst. Simple words like Thank you
and gestures like a hand shake goes a really long way in appreciating those around us, quipped
Sis Surianah.

Tending to the Heart

mongst numerous appreciation

lunches, the Appreciation Lunch
for
Landscape
Technicians
organised by the Young BATU was
none like the others. The lunch
saw members picking up skills
such as fertiliser mixing from the
technicians first hand as technicians
share the passion behind their
work. Over a two hour session led
by several professional landscape
technicians, members learnt to
clear garden debris, loosen the soil and plant shrubs. Young BATU youth representative, Bro
Narindas shared, These workers work hard to keep our city green and leafy. So we have to
appreciate what they do and learn to treasure our surroundings.
9

TEAM YOUNG NTUC

OUTREACH & ENGAGE

Team

Young NTUC
brings together youths
of similar interests
and causes. Youths
come together as
affinity groups to lead
initiatives which they
are passionate about.
From environmental
issues,
volunteering
to performing arts,
we help our members
make a difference to
themselves and the
society.

Gear Up!

Active Youth for Active Seniors

Team Young NTUC Volunteers

organised a carnival for some
70 elderly at NTUC Eldercares
SilverACE @ Redhill on 20th
September.

Team Young NTUC Earth Runners was started by

Young NTUCs activist, Bro Lincoln and his team of

core pacers from RUN 350.
The group aims to spread the message of a sustainable,
green and clean environment through running. Earth
Runnerss first running clinic kicked off in November,
bringing together novice and seasoned runners for a
session to help them gear up for their upcoming races.
Participants hear from speakers on tips to help clock
the time that they aim to achieve, and was led on a
5km run around the Central Business District. Green
initiatives such as Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) was
incorporated to the running clinic to educate more
runners to do their part to lower their carbon footprint
for a greener future.

With the carnival running, the

entire centre was instantly filled
with energy and laughter with
people moving from one game
station to another. The 12 game
stations that the volunteers had
come up with are suitable for
all the elderly to take part, be it
if they are mobile or wheelchair
bound - From Golf Range to Guess the
Number, from Egg Relay to Match the
Cards. The seniors readily took up the
challenges for good fun and simple prizes.
It was a great opportunity for the seniors
to catch up with each other and also the
regular volunteers from Young NTUC.
The centres atmosphere almost feels like an Olympic Games of sorts. The seniors were
seen concentrating hard on their next move, wanting to beat the games fair and square
and set their personal best record. Each of the seniors displayed their sportsmanship,
even berating the volunteers if they gave them leeway to win the station.
Liew Sher Tian, 27 years old, looked back after the activity and said, When my friend
(Jasmine Ang) told me about this carnival for the elderly, I jumped in to help with a Just
Do It spirit! As I was manning the Golf Range game station, I have to position the golf
balls for the elderly and just that squatting movements gave me sore muscles the next day.
But it was all worth it. Ill be back for the next activity by Volunteers if my schedule allows
cause it feels great to be contributing back!

10

NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard,

#11-01 One Marina Boulevard,
Singapore 018989
E youngntuc@ntuc.org.sg
W www.youngntuc.org.sg
FB www.facebook.com/yntuc