SINGAPORE- The Labour movement has raised $11 million this year to help low-income union members and their family members.

The Labour Movement managed to raise slightly more than $11 million for its NTUC U-Care Fund, which is $500,000 more than a typical year, it said in a press release on Wednesday.

NTUC assistant secretary-general Zainal Sapari, who is also director of its Care & Share department, thanked donors for their support and for making the U-Care Fund's fifth anniversary celebrations "extra joyous and meaningful".

With this year's amount, more than $77 million has been raised since the inception of the NTUC U-Care fund in 2009.

NTUC President Diana Chia and NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say jointly hosted a dinner on Wednesday to thank donors. It was attended by 900 guests comprising union leaders, management partners, as well as corporate donors.

The Singapore Labour Foundation donated $3.5 million, insurer NTUC Income gave $1 million and property company NTUC Choice Homes gave $400,000.

The biggest corporate donor is taxi company ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited, which gave $130,000. In addition, 25 first-time donors also contributed more than $232,000 to help low-income union members and their families.

The funds may be used to help lighten members lighten the load for daily living expenses and pay for their children's school expenses.

Madam Aniza Mohamed, 31, who works in the education sector, said vouchers from fund has helped her stretch her dollar at FairPrice supermarkets. She also uses Back to School vouchers to purchase essential school items like school shoes and assessment books. "These really help me save a lot," she said.