5 surprising moments that shaped NTUC’s 65-year history

Information in this article is sourced from various NTUC newspapers over the years and the Reunion website unless stated otherwise.

• Miss Union pageants were aimed at encouraging more women workers to join unions.

• Radio Heart 91.3, which entertained and educated workers and families, turned Pamela Wildheart into one of the most recognisable voices on radio in the 1990s.

• NTUC Comfort supported cabbies and tackled the ‘pirate taxi’ problem.

• Young NTUC’s 13,000-strong human flag showed worker unity.

• The Hydril strike didn’t just make history, it underscored NTUC’s commitment to fair treatment at work.

NTUC turns 65 this year, and we’re not just about serious meetings and tough negotiations.

We’ve made some uncommon moves and created fun-filled moments, too!

Over six decades, NTUC has had beauty pageants, radio stations, record-setting human flag formations, a pirate-taxi-combating co-operative and even a legally authorised strike.

These stories may sound unusual today, but each one points to something deeper: how NTUC connected with workers, built solidarity, expanded women engagement, supported everyday needs, and stood up for fair treatment at work.

1. A union beauty pageant?

Unbelievable, but true. Miss Union 1989 was the first large-scale, formally branded pageant for female union members.

With beauty pageants all the rage at the time, the NTUC Women’s Programme Committee felt that its popularity could encourage more women workers to join unions and participate in union activities. Supporters also believed that a beauty pageant could project a more modern image of the Labour Movement and appeal to professional women.

Open to single union members aged 17 to 30, the contest drew overwhelming response, attracting 116 contestants from 20 affiliated unions.

NTUC’s first beauty pageant featured several preliminary heats and a semi-final, culminating in a grand final held during the May Day Charity Dinner on 30 April 1989. 

Contestants were judged on beauty, poise, personality, and intelligence, with subsidiary titles such as Miss Elegance and Miss Fitness.

After weeks of heated competitions, United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries’ Cerlyn Neo Ah Geok took home the crown, along with the titles of Miss Body Beautiful and Miss Elegance. She also walked away with prizes worth $10,000, including a trip to Canada, $2,000 cash, and various sponsored gifts.

Singapore Insurance Employees’ Union’s Jessica Foo Shu Wei came in second, while Singapore Bank Employees’ Union Jacqueline Foo Pey Pey was placed third.

Later, Cerlyn said the pageant taught her more about unions and NTUC cooperatives.

With the resounding success of the inaugural beauty contest, Miss Union returned in 1990, adding a Mr Union contest in 1991.

2. Did NTUC start a radio station?

True again — Radio Heart officially hit the airwaves in 1991, providing educational and community-focused content to workers and union members. It quickly became famous for phone-in audience participation and a more conversational Singaporean style.

Positioned as a “station with a heart”, Radio Heart also stood out with discussions on issues relevant to workers and families.

The station aired on 91.3 FM for English and Malay audiences. One of the main reasons for the channel’s popularity was English-speaking host Pamela Wildheart, whose firecracker personality, energetic style, and innovative programming won hearts all over Singapore. Her early morning “Sunny Side Up” programme gave many Singaporeans a good reason to wake up in the morning.

Other well-liked programmes included “Heart of the Night”, a nightly entertainment block featuring local music, celebrities, and even medical and legal content.

Radio Heart also broadcasted on 100.3 FM for Mandarin and Tamil listeners. One of its best-known Mandarin personalities was Desmond Lim, better known then as Playboy You Fa (花心尤发), who enthralled audiences with entertainment news and music.

The NTUC radio broadcaster was also deeply involved in charity fundraising campaigns as well as employment and job-matching initiatives.

A competitive media landscape in the 1990s led to falling audience numbers. Radio Heart was taken over in 2001 by UnionWorks, a joint venture between the now defunct NTUC Media and SPH MediaWorks.

3. ‘Pirate taxis’ sparked a co-operative?

Yes. And the co-operative went on to become a household name most Singaporeans know today — Comfort.

A check on ComfortDelgro Taxi’s website revealed that between the 1940s to 1960s, ‘pirate taxis’ or pao hong chia (illegal, unlicensed cars used as taxis) were rampant. They competed alongside licensed taxi drivers, sometimes engaging in unsafe practices like passenger overloading.

At the time, many licensed cabbies rented cars at high rates from fleet owners and financiers, leading to more drivers than available vehicles.

Following a push to meet workers’ practical needs through co-operatives, NTUC mooted the Workers’ Co-operative Commonwealth for Transport (Comfort) in 1970 to crackdown on ‘pirate taxis’ and help taxi drivers earn a better living.

A year later, in 1971, the first fleet of 1,000 Comfort Morris Oxford cars and 196 minibuses hit the roads, ComfortDelGro Taxi said, boosting licensed taxi numbers in Singapore.

Comfort made it more affordable for over 14,000 taxi licence holders to rent and drive taxis. It also gave cabbies a path to taxi ownership, access to CPF contributions and savings schemes, as well as insurance and welfare benefits. This was comparatively more secure and stable livelihoods than the earlier rental-based taxi system. 

According to ComfortDelGro Taxi, Comfort grew to become Singapore’s largest taxi operator in 1979. By 1993, it was corporatised and renamed Comfort Transportation, marking its transition from co-operative into a corporate transport operator.

The 2003 merger of the Comfort Group and DelGro Corporation into ComfortDelGro Corporation transformed what used to be a humble NTUC taxi cooperative into a global multi-modal transport operator spanning taxis, public transport, and private-hire cars.

4. Did 13,000 people really form a Singapore flag?

Absolutely.

The year was 2011 and the Young NTUC Celebrates! National Day event on 9 August was at full swing at the Padang.

Around 13,000 workers, union members, families, tripartite partners, and membership communities’ representatives gathered to form a giant human Singapore flag. It set a new Singapore Book of Records entry for the largest human flag formation, smashing Young NTUC’s 2008 record of 11,500 people for the same feat.

And for the first time, Young NTUC’s (now NTUC Youth) 2011 human flag featured the Labour Movement’s signature U Hallmark in red, glowing brightly against a white background.

More than a fun way to mark the nation’s independence, the flag formation was framed by then Young NTUC Executive Secretary Steve Tan as symbol of workers, communities and tripartite partners standing united behind Singapore. The event also demonstrated that Labour Movement solidarity can be more than a slogan — it is a real action of people physically rallying together for a common cause.

Fun fact: Team Singapore athletes, including swimmer Rainer Ng, bowler Cherie Tan and gymnast Lim Heem Wei, were also at the celebrations.

In recent years, NTUC Youth has returned to large-scale National Day events with two youth-centred carnivals spread across The Promontory @ Marina Bay over 2024 and 2025, as part of expanded National Day Parade celebrations.

More than just birthday parties featuring popular local entertainers, booths and installations; the festivities were designed as a platform for young voices – whether it is showcasing their talents on stage or highlighting programmes to help young people transition from school to work.

5. Did NTUC really authorise a strike?

Yes, the Hydril workers’ strike in 1986 made Singapore history as the first legal strike since 1978.

The story of the problems between workers and American oilfield equipment company Hydril started in 1983 when workers voted by secret ballot to be represented by the Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees’ Union (SMEEU), effectively compelling the firm to accept union recognition.

Continuing poor relations led to Hydril sacking six union officials 1985, refusing repeated requests from SMEEU for discussions and displaying a hostile attitude towards the union. 

The trigger point for the strike? The union’s perceived unfair dismissal of Hydril Branch Treasurer Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid, who lost his job as storekeeper in December 1985.

SMEEU carried out another secret ballot. This time to garner members’ support to take industrial action against the company’s anti-union stance and unfair worker treatment.

Then NTUC Secretary-General Ong Teng Cheong endorsed the union’s decision to strike on 2 January 1986.

According to a report by The Business Times, 61 Hydril workers participated in the work stoppage.

The strikers demonstrated their unhappiness by lining Hydril’s Jurong plant with posters protesting the company’s irresponsible behaviour.

Then Ministry of Labour quickly intervened The Straits Times reported, putting forward proposals after six hours of conciliation talks to resolve the situation.

The strike lasted two days, with management agreeing to reinstate the sacked Branch Treasurer and compensate other workers who did not return. 

The end of the strike marked the beginning of a new chapter in industrial relations.

The Hydril case signalled the Labour Movement’s zero tolerance towards mistreatment of members and unions, serving as a powerful reminder that workers must never be taken for granted.

Today, unions draw on the Hydril strike as a reminder to build strong labour-management relations, prioritise industrial peace, and use industrial action only as a last resort.

More than odd facts, a lasting impact on workers

These are not just odd NTUC facts in the past 65 years. They are snapshots of how the Labour Movement connected with workers, built solidarity, created practical solutions and stood up for fairness.

As Singapore looks toward the future, NTUC will continue to embark on new movements, milestones and moves to help workers navigate challenges along the way and thrive in the new world of work.

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