HOUSE UNIONISM IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

In April 1981, a Committee on Productivity was formed to find ways of improving the productivity of workers in Singapore. One of the recommendations made was the formation of house unions. A house union is a form of labour organisation whose membership is open to only confirmed employees of the company. It is believed that house unions would help workers "identify with the company and its future" and, thus, would lead to an improvement in their work attitude, productivity, and labour-management relations.

The house union recommendation by the Committee on Productivity was accepted by NTUC. The NTUC, in turn, played the major role in promoting the house union concept to its affiliates. It is the house union which is the focus of this academic exercise.

Chapter One traces the general development of trade unionism in Singapore, and then focuses on the growth of house unionism in Singapore. Chapter Two looks into the advantages and disadvantages of house unions as explained by trade union officials. The following chapter deals with problems faced by NTUC in promoting the formation of house unions and then considers the remedial measures taken by NTUC. Chapter Four presents the experiences of house unionism through a survey of four house unions, followed by the conclusion on house unionism in Singapore in Chapter Five.