Trade unionism, industrialism and the state in Singapore

[Extract] Since its formation in 1962 as a protege of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), Singapore's National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) has complied with the national development imperatives set by the government. In the 1960s the NTUC wrested power from a rival movement to become the dominant spokesman for labour. During the 1970s it cooperated with the government in moulding the labour movement into a model of non-confrontation, and in the 1980s organized labour has been restructured to facilitate the attainment of a Singaporean "post-industrial society". In spite of their incorporation, and in contrast to most Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs), Singapore's trade unions can boast of having a healthy membership density, a rational structure, substantial participation in collective bargaining, active and competent full-time officials, extensive provision of welfare benefits to members and respected participation in international labour affairs. This paper outlines the legal and institutional regulation of trade unions and industrial relations in Singapore, notes the developments which led to and subsequently maintained the dominance of the NTUC, analyses the current status of trade unionism in the city state and concludes with an assessment of its prospects in the 1990s and their implications for comparative research on the NICs of the Asia-Pacific Region