• The precursor of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) was the Singapore Trades Union Congress (STUC), which was established in 1951.
• In 1961, there was a split in the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which resulted in the dissolution of the STUC. Members who supported the PAP went on to establish the NTUC in September that year.
• In the 1970s, NTUC established various social enterprises, such as NTUC Income, NTUC Comfort, and NTUC FairPrice (formerly known as NTUC Welcome), to provide affordable insurance for workers and help Singaporeans cope with the cost of living.
• NTUC also supported the Government’s economic policies over the course of Singapore’s development. With the gradual decline in labourintensive industries, workers without basic education faced employment issues. In response, the labour movement offered training classes for such workers and established childcare facilities in Housing & Development Board (HDB) blocks and office areas for the welfare of their families.
• In 2008, NTUC launched the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), which provides training and job opportunities to job seekers.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Modernisation Seminar, NTUC will hold an exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore from today. The exhibition showcases the evolution and development of the trade union in Singapore, as well as the figures who have contributed greatly to the labour movement. (Lianhe Zaobao, 4/7/2019)