PUBLISHED ONSeptember 10, 2024 2:28 AMByLim KeweiA fiery debate erupted in Parliament on Monday (Sept 9), after Workers' Party (WP) MP Gerald Giam raised concerns of the "symbiotic relationship" between the People's Action Party (PAP) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) at the second reading of a draft law.
The Aljunied GRC MP was debating the Platform Workers Bill, which proposes better labour protection for workers such as ride-hailing drivers and on-demand delivery workers.
If the law is passed, platform workers would be able to join union-like associations, which the NTUC had said on Aug 29 that it would formally represent platform workers.
In his speech on Monday, Giam pointed out that many PAP members serve as advisors to NTUC-affiliated unions, and questioned if they could fully advocate for workers' interests.
"Over time, the deep entrenchment of PAP influence within unions could lead to the perception that unions are not independent bodies representing workers but extensions of the PAP's political machinery," he said.
An "overly close relationship" between the ruling party and the NTUC risks creating "groupthink", where union leaders are less inclined to challenge prevailing policies or explore alternative solutions, Giam added.
"While collaboration with the government can be beneficial, unions must have the freedom to challenge policies that do not serve workers' best interests, without fear of political repercussions."
MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher de Souza then raised a point of order that Giam's speech, hence far, was "predominantly an attack against the NTUC" and "completely off tangent".
Leader of the House Indranee Rajah then asked Giam for clarification on his position of whether unions must be independent of political parties and expressed how unions and political parties in many democracies around the world have close ties.
The WP MP countered that while unions in the UK support the Labour Party, they "reserve the right to state their own positions" and that there are "times when they have their own different positions".
After Giam concluded his speech, NTUC deputy secretary-general and Jalan Besar MP Heng Chee How asked for "due respect" to be given to union leaders.
"The NTUC has a symbiotic relationship with the PAP so that we can convey the views and the needs of the workers to our political partner, so that... when they win the trust of Singaporeans and have the mandate to be the ruling party, that the interests of workers in this country will always be taken care of."
Giam responded that he was not questioning the commitment or work of unions but addressing the systemic constraints, and asked de Souza to acknowledge that the first part of his speech was an important preamble to the later part.
In reply, de Souza reiterated that "60 or 70 per cent" of Giam's speech was "essentially an attack on the NTUC and by extension, an attack on the NTUC symbiotic relationship with the PAP".
As MPs Jamus Lim and Alex Yam and Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon weighed in on the heated exchange, Leader of the House Indranee rose to bring the debate topic back to the Bill.
"This is about platform workers. This is about our gig workers. This is about people who don't have much protection and who need protection, and we are trying to get this bill passed so that they can have that protection," she stated.
"Don't put the platform workers in the middle of this, don't make them the pawns or the the beating bags for this. We have a bill to pass. Let us focus on this bill, because with this bill, we can do better for our workers, our gig workers, and protect them."
"Trade unions elect their own leaders," stressed Indranee.
"It is the unions who choose whether or not they are affiliated, or work with, or have a symbiotic relationship with a political party... and we should let them continue to do and decide for themselves as they think best."
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
