Chan Chun Sing joins labour movement

PM to announce Cabinet changes after Budget session in March
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2015

CABINET minister Chan Chun Sing has joined the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), in what is seen as a precursor to him taking over as labour chief.

Mr Chan, 45, Minister for Social and Family Development, will be with NTUC part-time with immediate effect and will be there full-time from April 1, the Prime Minister and labour movement announced yesterday.

He will be appointed NTUC's deputy secretary-general next week, and is slated to run for union elections later this year, moves that signal the start of a leadership transition process in the labour movement.

These make him the likeliest candidate to succeed current labour chief Lim Swee Say.

Mr Lim turns 62 in July next year and will not be able to serve beyond then due to an NTUC rule to encourage leadership renewal.

* Labour chief Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister; Chan Chun Sing to be new labour chief

Mr Chan's surprise move was announced to about 150 union leaders at NTUC Centre yesterday. At the briefing, Mr Lim said that Mr Chan joining the NTUC will beef up its leadership ranks.

Post by Chan Chun Sing.

Responding, Mr Chan said that he was "humbled" that union leaders welcomed him.

"The priority is to get to know the unions and the people," he told reporters after the briefing.

He added that he will leave the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) "with a tinge of sadness" in a few months' time, but added that he is confident the ministry "will be in good hands".

NTUC's central committee formally wrote to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday to request that Mr Lee consider releasing Mr Chan to join the labour movement as early as possible.

Mr Chan, the 17-member committee said in the letter released to the media, was a suitable Cabinet minister who "can strengthen labour leadership at the NTUC" and help ensure effective tripartism - ensuring the interests of workers, businesses and the Government were aligned.

The move will "put in place the succession for the NTUC secretary-general", the letter added.

In his reply released to the media, Mr Lee said he supported the NTUC's choice.

"I agree fully that tripartism is a key asset of Singapore. I also agree that we must continue to strengthen the NTUC's leadership and maintain its strong links with the People's Action Party government," Mr Lee wrote.

"I am confident that in the NTUC, Chun Sing will make a positive contribution in all these respects," he added.

Mr Lim became NTUC secretary-general in January 2007, taking over from Mr Lim Boon Heng, who led the NTUC for 13 years.

Mr Chan, who is also the Second Minister for Defence, was the youngest member of the Cabinet when he was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports after the May 2011 General Election.

Mr Chan is not new to union circles. He is the chairman of the National Taxi Association, which has more than 13,000 members.

Unionists at yesterday's briefing were surprised by the sudden announcement but said Mr Chan was a natural fit. "He is very sincere, we feel that he will have the heart for working people," said Mr Ma Wei Cheng, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees.

PM Lee said on Facebook that Mr Chan will continue in MSF and Mindef till April 1, and remain in the Cabinet with Mr Lim.

"He will leave gaps when he goes over to NTUC full-time. I will announce Cabinet changes to fill the vacancies after the Budget session," Mr Lee added.

Minister: I'm a very simple person
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2015

CABINET minister Chan Chun Sing yesterday displayed the informal demeanour that has endeared him to many in the social sector when he met union leaders.

The 45-year-old, expected to be the next labour chief, raised his hand cheekily in response to current chief Lim Swee Say's humorous suggestion to "kee chiu" - Hokkien for "hands up". When Mr Chan used the phrase at a PAP rally during the 2011 general election, it drew derisive comments from some netizens.

It has stuck as a nickname for him online.

In a brief speech to the unionists, Mr Chan described himself as "a very simple person", and recounted growing up in a single-parent home.

He wanted to be a librarian and hoped to receive bursaries to get through school.

"I hope to do whatever I can to contribute back to this country that has given me these opportunities," he said.

"I hope all our Singaporeans, all our workers, will be able to enjoy good opportunities and a better quality of life."

Mr Chan joined politics in 2011, after 24 years in the Singapore Armed Forces, where he rose to become Chief of Army.

He was elected MP of Tanjong Pagar GRC in the May 2011 election, and was immediately appointed Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and concurrently, Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts.

Then aged 41, he was the youngest minister in the Cabinet.

In August 2012, he was appointed Senior Minister of State for Defence.

In November, he became Acting Minister for Social and Family Development.

Then, in September 2013, he was promoted to full minister, making his rise among the swiftest in the group who entered politics in the 2011 election.

Now, about 15 months later, he will become a deputy secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress - which is seen as a prelude to stepping up to the top post.

His new role will stretch him further as he works on strengthening links between workers, businesses and the Government.

Mr Chan was awarded a President's Scholarship and a Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship in 1988 to study economics at Cambridge University.

Last night, reflecting on his time in the ministry, the father of three wrote in a Facebook post that he was grateful to have worked with "passionate and professional people".

"They have taught me much. They have given me the confidence and conviction to do many of the things that we believe in."

Chun Sing 'has right qualities but must win over leaders'
Unionists say he has 3 qualities - he cares, is ready to learn and has a heart
By Toh Yong Chuan, Manpower Correspondent And Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2015

UNION leaders said yesterday that they felt Cabinet minister Chan Chun Sing had the right qualities to join and lead the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

But they noted that he still has to win the hearts of union leaders in the coming months to get their votes to enter the NTUC's top ranks, a key step to being appointed labour chief.

Said veteran unionist Cyrille Tan: "He has three qualities: he has a heart, he cares and he is prepared to learn."

"It's important for him to learn the ropes now and get to know as many union leaders as possible so he can prepare himself for the election," Mr Tan added.

While Mr Chan will be appointed to NTUC's highest decision- making body, its central committee, next week as a deputy secretary-general, the committee will be dissolved when its term ends by the end of this year.

Like others vying for a spot in the new committee, Mr Chan has to win the vote of union leaders. But those who have worked with him cite several qualities that stand him in good stead.

"He can connect with workers by speaking English, Mandarin, dialect and Malay," said labour MP Ang Hin Kee, who is the executive secretary of the National Taxi Association (NTA), where Mr Chan has been chairman since 2013.

Taxi driver Ken Chin, an NTA branch official, said Mr Chan made it a point to have coffee with taxi drivers regularly.

"He helps us make appeals to the taxi company and the authorities on matters like taxi rentals and Electronic Road Pricing charges," said Mr Chin.

Mr Chan's personal touch has also left an impression on National Transport Workers' Union general secretary Fang Chin Poh.

He was surprised to get a call on his mobile phone from Mr Chan in 2012, to discuss a speech Mr Fang was to make at the People's Action Party conference that year. "I thought for a minister to look for my mobile number and call me shows he is a man with no airs," he said.

Mr Fang added that Mr Chan's time in office as Minister for Social and Family Development has prepared him for the new role, saying: "I believe he can use his experience to raise issues that low-income families and workers face."

At age 45, Mr Chan is one of the youngest ministers. This could be a plus point when reaching out to workers, added Mr Mohamed Yusoff, a branch chairman and executive committee member of the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union.

"I think he will connect better with the next generation of workers," he said.

ESM Goh: Chun Sing poised for a bigger role
By Lim Yan Liang, The Sunday Times, 25 Jan 2015

Minister Chan Chun Sing is set for a bigger role in Singapore politics, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday.

A day after the news of Mr Chan joining the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Mr Goh said on Facebook: "He led an army; he is leading a ministry; soon, he will lead the labour movement. With this array of experience, he is poised to play a bigger role in Singapore politics."

Mr Chan was army chief and became the youngest member of the Cabinet after entering politics in the 2011 General Election.

He will leave the Ministry of Social and Family Development when he joins the NTUC full-time from April 1. He has already started at the labour movement part-time, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the NTUC said last Friday.

Mr Chan, 45, will be named deputy secretary-general on Tuesday, and is slated to run for union elections later this year. That puts him in line to succeed labour chief Lim Swee Say, who turns 62 next year.

Mr Goh's advice for Mr Chan: "Keep your feet firmly on the ground, open your heart to the people and work to advance their and the country's interests. Singapore needs to look forward."

Unions will be tough testing ground, say observers
By Rachel Chang and Tham Yuen-C, The Straits Times, 24 Jan 2015

RALLYING workers amid slowing wage growth and painful economic restructuring will be a key challenge facing Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing as he prepares to become the next labour chief, political observers and MPs said yesterday.

The growing complexity of workers' issues and the requirements of a role that demands persuasive charisma as much as policy smarts make the NTUC a tough testing ground for a man also at the core of the next generation of Singapore's leaders.

"The labour movement is entering a critical phase and labour issues now impact on many different facets, from productivity to immigration," said Singapore Management University law professor Eugene Tan.

"For someone likely to take a bigger leadership role in the future, the exposure in the labour movement would benefit the Cabinet and it would also let him connect with more Singaporeans."

Added Marine Parade GRC MP and NTUC FairPrice chief executive Seah Kian Peng: "NTUC's representation now covers a much bigger group, with PMEs coming into the fold. And when there are different groups, they will have different needs and concerns, so the complexity just multiplies."

Others said the role of labour chief is an unconventional stop on the way to a top post in government. Several previous occupants came into the post after relatively long connections with unions.

Current NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say was deputy-secretary general from 1997 to 1999 before stints as Environment Minister and Second Minister for National Development. He became secretary-general in 2007.

In Mr Chan's case, he entered politics in 2011 and has helmed his ministry only from 2013.

"NTUC is not traditionally seen as the training ground for something bigger, but we don't have that many examples to go by," said NUS political science academic Reuben Wong. "The question is, is (Mr Chan) being prepared for something bigger?"

With political renewal now having to take place in a compressed timeframe, the answer may lie in his performance as the expected next labour chief, observers said.

A key test is if he can go beyond being a good technocrat and mobilise the ground, they added.

"The importance of the union in winning the vote for the PAP cannot be underestimated," said former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin. "The ability to bring in votes and mobilise public opinion is what matters."

The union testing ground has yielded mixed results.

Mr Lim Chee Onn, who was labour chief from 1979 to 1983, had a difficult relationship with the rank-and-file and asked to leave the position. In contrast, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, who succeeded Mr Lim, went on to become Deputy Prime Minister in 1985. He wore both hats until 1993, when he resigned to run for President.

Mr Chan's imminent move also opens up the position in the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). He is also Second Minister for Defence.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook note last night that he would announce who would fill the vacancies after the Budget debate.

Observers said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu is a possible candidate for the MSF. She is also Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Environment and Water Resources.

"Chun Sing left a strong foundation for the next minister in a society where there is rapid ageing, declining birth rates and an increasing gap between those who are skilled and mobile and those who are not," said MP Denise Phua, who heads the government parliamentary committee on social and family development.

"The next minister should be a right balance of competence and compassion."

NTUC appoints Chan Chun Sing as deputy secretary-general
The Straits Times, 27 Jan 2015

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on Tuesday appointed Cabinet minister Chan Chun Sing as its deputy secretary-general.

It also passed a resolution to co-opt Mr Chan, 45, into its central committee.

"The central committee warmly welcomed Mr Chan onboard the tripartite journey towards better jobs for all," said NTUC President Diana Chia and secretary-general Lim Swee Say in a statement.

This came after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed on Jan 23 to the central committee's request for Mr Chan, who is Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for Defence, to join NTUC to help strengthen labour leadership. Mr Chan, who started serving NTUC part-time with immediate effect, will do so full time from April 1.

He is slated to run for union elections later this year, in what is seen as a precursor to him taking over from Mr Lim as labour chief. Mr Lim turns 62 in July next year and will not be able to serve beyond then due to an NTUC rule to encourage leadership renewal. Mr Lim became NTUC secretary-general in January 2007, taking over from Mr Lim Boon Heng, who led the NTUC for 13 years.

Mr Chan will continue in the Ministry of Social and Family Development and Ministry of Defence till April 1, and remain in the Cabinet with Mr Lim.

Mr Chan's replacement will be announced after the Budget debate.

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