NTUC a colossal failure- 20% of union members are low income.

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

What kind of fucked union is this? 20% of its members are classified as low income families earning $2800 a month. How to support family after paying for mortgage/rent, food, transport costs, etc.? They are more interested in making money thru their taxi, supermarket, insurance etc. businesses.



SINGAPORE: The Labour Movement has disbursed S$8.89 million to low-income union members and their families in 2014, through its NTUC U Care Fund.

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Zainal Sapari gave this update on Saturday (Dec 13) at the NTUC U Care Back to School Fair held at the National Library Building. The NTUC U Care Fund was established in 2009 and has since disbursed over S$67 million, said Mr Zainal.

Organised by the NTUC, this Back-to-School Fair is a one-stop centre for parents and children to shop for school supplies, in preparation for the new school year starting next month. The items are sold at a discount - part of NTUC's efforts to help low-income union members defray their children's educational expenses.

But more than just assisting with school-related costs, the Labour Movement has also disbursed S$1 million via its U Care Fund to its Eldercare Trust this year, to support seniors in 10 NTUC Health's day care centres.

A total of S$2 million was disbursed this year to help some 24,000 families through initiatives such as NTUC's U Stretch vouchers. The vouchers can be used at selected NTUC social enterprises including its Fairprice supermarkets, Unity pharmacies and Foodfare food courts.

Another S$3.3 million went to support 26,600 needy children via back-to-school vouchers, which help them defray their school expenses. The rest of the money goes to initiatives such as bursary and scholarship programmes, and NTUC's Bright Horizons Fund - which funds pre-school education for children from low-income families at My First Skool centres.

The money is also used to organise six runs of the Family Recreation & Fun Carnivals, held for lower-income members and their families to promote stronger family ties. To benefit more individuals, the Labour Movement is reviewing the income criteria of beneficiaries.

"Our qualifying criterion is based on the 20th income percentile, which means that the gross household income should not be more than S$2,800,” said Mr Zainal. “However, based on the figures released by MOM's household income survey, the 20th percentile income has increased and hence, we are actually reviewing our qualifying income criteria."

The income criterion was last raised in 2012, from a gross household income of S$2,200 to the current S$2,800. And when the fund was established in 2009, union members could only qualify for the vouchers if their gross household income was S$1,800 and below.

The Labour Movement says if a new income limit is set, the announcement will be made before the middle of next year, when the next round of applications for the vouchers opens.

- CNA/rw/ec


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