Aiya, we all know that the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and People’s Action Party (PAP) got a special relationship, which they call it the symbiotic relationship.
They always talk about this symbiotic relationship very openly in a lot of different occasions, including at the PAP’s 36th Ordinary Party Conference Speech last week wor.
So it’s not like they 走地下情 (have secret affair) that they scared people know about. In fact, unions in many other countries also have some sort of relationships with political parties de.
In case you never study history or fail history de, NTUC and PAP already ak kah chiew ji (very friend-friend kawan-kawan) with each other since long long ago liao.
Heck, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew even started doing union work before he joined politics!
When Mr Lee Kuan Yew was still a young and shuai lawyer back in 1952, he represented the Postal and Telecommunications Uniformed Staff Union and helped the postmen to fight for better pay and terms. After that, he went on to become legal advisor to a lot of other unions.
Not just him actually, a lot of PAP’s founders were trade union leaders who were fighting for a better life for the workers before they became politicians wor.
So, not surprising about their close relationship (okok, symbiotic relationship) with one another ah. After all their roots are from union and from helping workers mah. Want to say they BFF with each other is also not wrong because of their history. Maybe that’s why people always 傻傻分不清楚 (blur blur cannot differentiate) then misunderstand and think that NTUC belongs to the Gahmen – which is not lah.
Aiya, 说难听一点 (to put it more bluntly), the simi symbiotic relationship is sound nice niah lah. More like they both make use of each other to achieve their own agenda bah.
- PAP wants Singapore to be 好棒棒 (the best) and be the number one at everything.
- NTUC wants to be the tao eh, the 老大 (boss) for workers in Singapore and help them fight for better wages, welfare and work prospects.
Actually not difficult to understand lah.
You see ah, to achieve what they set out for themselves, NTUC can only work with the current Gahmen if they want Gahmen to listen to the workers’ concerns and give them what they want.
On the other hand, since Singapore got sooooooooo many workers in Singapore leh. Can you imagine one day if all these workers in Singapore want to 造反(rebel) and go on strike???
Not only Singapore’s economy will collapse, but there could also be 惨败死伤 (death and injury) too.
Like what happened in Indonesia.
So strike 个屁 (my ass) lah, strike. Mai bo liao, mai lame k.
You see if Singapore become like that still got investors want to come here and invest or not, still got tourists want to visit Singapore a not, you still will have your rice bowl a not? You use your knee to think also know lah.
If you know better, you will understand that this is about using your brains and making use of good relationships to achieve a better outcome. No need to resort to violence when the Gahmen, Unions (aka the workers’ representative) and the tow kays can sit down and cham siong peacefully with each other.
You give in a bit here, I give in a bit there… Win-win situation.
But then hor, if one day the Gahmen decides to treat the workers badly and not listen to them, you see NTUC will 造反(rebel) and go on strike or not? Some more now the Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng not Minister liao, no need to give face.
Maybe he will leh. We wait and see?
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