i am an iro

i did a lot of thinking these few days. and some soul-searching too.

why am i still in ntuc after more than 10 years, when i had changed jobs previously after barely 10 months?

it surely can't be the money - yes the money's not too bad, but ex-colleagues have left in droves, for more.

surely it can't be for prestige - some of us are too embarassed to even say that we are ntuc staff, with all the negative publicity it's been getting.

perhaps the working environment then? possibly. i love my colleagues, and i respect my boss. and though we work irregular hours, i have no complaints, cos it's all about give and take. the pro-family atmosphere is obvious here, and i'm not made to feel bad if i have to be on leave, or take a few hours off, or decide to have a baby.

but i think, and i'm really trying to put my finger on it, but i think that the number one reason why i'm still with this organisation is that i believe in the work that i'm doing. i fight for workers, simple as that. i negotiate for their annual increments and bonus, for better working conditions, for their welfare.

say we negotiate for AI. company proposed 3%. union proposed 6%. settling it at 5 % would mean that the workers in that company would get 5% more in their pay - dollars and cents that were brought about by the union leaders and ME. that's a very real difference that we've made to that worker's life. that I'VE made.

yes there's the politics, but politics is everywhere. take the politics out (and i'm as far removed from the politics as can be, as my friends would attest), and what we have is meaningful work.

could ntuc as a labour movement do more? of course we could.

we could, and probably should, have made the most noise when we come across unscrupulous employers. or when workers are unfairly treated.

be noisy so the world would take notice.

but i suspect that we had too many considerations everytime we come to a crossroad - to make noise or work quietly (but surely) behind the scenes?
would the authorities think that we're sabo-ing them?
would this be affecting labour-management relations?
will would-be investors be frightened off from investing in singapore?
would we be setting ourselves up for failure if we don't deliver?
would other groups of workers be expecting the same kind of settlements from us?
yada yada yada..and the list goes on.

and in the end, after all that, our 'public' advocacy for workers suffers.

which i think is a pity. my union leaders, my colleagues and i, we all do our best to make a difference to workers' lives. unionism is not dead in singapore, it is very much alive! how can it be dead when we have our hands full negotiating settlements, and handling grievances, and fighting fires?

so yes, i've been doing a lot of thinking. and i have decided that i shall not be 'shy' about my job anymore. i shall not think too much when i'm advocating for workers. i shall voice out for what is right, and not think too much of the consequences.

i am an iro, and i'll try my best to help you.