Media Release
NTUC Deeply Saddened by Demise of Comrade Ong Teng Cheong

The NTUC is deeply saddened by the demise of Comrade Ong Teng Cheong today. All our unions and union leaders mourn the passing of Comrade Ong.

NTUC Secretary-General Lirn Boon Heng said, "I was enormously saddened when I heard the news. On behalf of all union leaders and NTUC staff, I offer our deepest condolence to his family, I have known him for many years, including working with him during his tenure as Secretary-General of NTUC. I've seen for myself how passionately he cared for workers and how he led the labour movement in a decade of change and growth."

Mr Lim disclosed that the NTUC will be renaming the Singapore Institute of Labour Studies as the Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies. "Comrade Ong was committed to the training of union leaders. The renaming of the institute is our way of recognising his contributions to the labour movement. At the same time, the NTUC will be setting up an education fund to be named after him. The fund to support the training and upgrading of union leaders who take up high level leadership training courses or university studies. Through these, the legacy of Comrade Ong will live on in the hearts of workers," said Mr Lim.

Comrade Ong was at the Secretary-General of NTUC from 1983 to 1993. Under his leadership, the trade union movement grew in strength and stature. He took over the helm at a time where the labour movement was shaken by internal problems and declining membership. He was a man of vision and he steered the labour movement through a decade of growth and transformation. He reversed the declining membership and improved the well-being of workers in Singapore.
Comrade Ong provided strong and vital leadership in the labour movement during the recession in the mid-1980s. He realised the severity of the situation and advised unions to accept wage restraint, including deep CPF cuts. He held numerous dialogues with union leaders and workers to personally explain the situation to them. It was the sacrifices of workers that led to Singapore's quick recovery. After the recession, he saw to it that workers were recognised for their sacrifices and fairly rewarded for their economic contributions. After the recession, workers have received annual wage increases that were ahead of inflation.

To ensure that workers benefit from Singapore's economic growth, Comrade Ong established a range of recreational facilities and resorts, comparable in quality to the best in Singapore and the region, and yet affordable to the ordinary workers and Singaporeans. This significantly improved the quality of lives of workers and their families. These resorts today bear many of his architectural and artistic touches - it shows the immense extent of the impression he has made to workers and marks his legacy in improving their lives.

Comrade Ong was an approachable leader, always ready to listen to workers' problems and help resolve them. His rapport with workers endeared him to the hearts of the many workers and leaders in the labour movement. In particular, he took a deep personal interest in the lives of low-income workers. He was remembered to have visited workers in their workplaces overnight, so that he can meet them personally and discuss with them their concerns. He was also remembered to have shared his passion for the arts and culture with workers. As an accomplished musician and calligrapher, he supported the union's involvement in artistic and cultural pursuits and encouraged workers to appreciate the finer things in life.

On May Day 1994, Comrade Ong was conferred the labour movement's highest award: the Distinguished Comrade of Labour. His citation read: In the decade that he was NTUC Secretary-General, Comrade Ong Teng Cheong transformed the labour movement's dreams, and his own aspirations for workers, into reality - for the benefit of the working people in Singapore.

Comrade Ong continued to maintain close links with the union movement after he was elected President of the Republic of Singapore. He was a Patron to the Singapore Labour Foundation, the Orchid Country Club and the NTUC Club.

8 Feb 2002