Former NMP Mary Liew elected as NTUC's second female president

The labour movement got its second female president on Oct 29 with the election of former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Mary Liew. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The labour movement got its second female president on Thursday (Oct 29) with the election of former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Mary Liew to lead the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)

The 52-year-old takes over from Ms Diana Chia, 59, who has decided not to seek re-election because of her age.

Ms Liew, the general-secretary of the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union (SMOU), was elected in a closed door meeting by a new 21-member central committee.

The central committee, which is NTUC's highest decision making body, was earlier elected by 400 union leaders to lead the NTUC over the next four years.

Besides Ms Liew, Cabinet minister Chan Chun Sing was also elected secretary-general by the central committee.

The president and secretary-general are the two highest offices in NTUC. The secretary-general heads a full-time secretariet to support the central committee in implementing policies and programmes in the labour movement.

Ms Liew, a veteran unionist of more than 30 years, became the first woman to helm SMOU in 2013. She also served as an NMP from 2012 to 2014.

In 2010, she became the first woman from South-east Asia to be elected into the International Transport Federation (ITF) Executive Board representing the Asia-Pacific region, and is at present involved in the ITF Women Transport Workers' Committee.

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