Singapore Federation of Trade Unions
Encyclopedia
The Singapore Federation of Trade Unions was a trade union
centre in Singapore
. It was founded in October 1945 as the Singapore General Labour Union on the initiative of the Malayan Communist Party
. SGLU was the first unit of the Malayan General Labour Union, which expanded throughout Malaya. SGLU was reconstituted as SFTU in August 1946, as the Malayan General Labour Union was divided into the SFTU and the Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions.
Politically, SFTU was tied to the Malayan Communist Party. The SFTU Central Executive Committee was dominated by Chinese MCP cadres. However, was able to recruit non-communist anti-colonial labour unionists amongst the Indian community. For example SFTU vice president P. Veerasenan and leader of the Singapore Habour Board Labour Union was a prominent Indian non-communist union leader. SFTU had virtually no presence amongst the Malay community.
By mid-1947 SFTU counted with 72 affiliated unions, out of a total of 126 unions in Singapore. The total membership of SFTU-affiliated unions stood at above 56,000.
In 1948 the tactics of SFTU changed. SFTU initiated a number of strikes, including a general strike
on April 23, 1948. These measures largely backfired, and after a call for mobilizations for May 1, 1948 the British authorities declared Emergency and clamped down heavily on SFTU. After the ban on the Malayan Communist Party in June 1948, many SFTU unions were dissolved.
SFTU was deregistered by the British authorities in December 1948.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
centre in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It was founded in October 1945 as the Singapore General Labour Union on the initiative of the Malayan Communist Party
Malayan Communist Party
The Malayan Communist Party , officially known as the Communist Party of Malaya , was founded in 1930 and laid down its arms in 1989. It is most famous for its role in the Malayan Emergency.-Formation:...
. SGLU was the first unit of the Malayan General Labour Union, which expanded throughout Malaya. SGLU was reconstituted as SFTU in August 1946, as the Malayan General Labour Union was divided into the SFTU and the Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions.
Politically, SFTU was tied to the Malayan Communist Party. The SFTU Central Executive Committee was dominated by Chinese MCP cadres. However, was able to recruit non-communist anti-colonial labour unionists amongst the Indian community. For example SFTU vice president P. Veerasenan and leader of the Singapore Habour Board Labour Union was a prominent Indian non-communist union leader. SFTU had virtually no presence amongst the Malay community.
By mid-1947 SFTU counted with 72 affiliated unions, out of a total of 126 unions in Singapore. The total membership of SFTU-affiliated unions stood at above 56,000.
In 1948 the tactics of SFTU changed. SFTU initiated a number of strikes, including a general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
on April 23, 1948. These measures largely backfired, and after a call for mobilizations for May 1, 1948 the British authorities declared Emergency and clamped down heavily on SFTU. After the ban on the Malayan Communist Party in June 1948, many SFTU unions were dissolved.
SFTU was deregistered by the British authorities in December 1948.