Kristen Ng
NTUC Scholarship
Now: Singapore Management University
From: St Joseph’s Institution
Growing up, I’d always wanted to become a lawyer – admittedly initially because of the glamorous portrayal of lawyers on screen, and eventually also because I was drawn to the great discipline and rigour of the field.
Now that I’m studying to be one in the capacity as an NTUC scholar, I’ve realised how meaningful the work can be, and how much I can give back to society.
Advocacy and fairness in the real world
I used to think that advocating for someone meant standing up for them to help them solve their problems and protecting their rights when they didn’t know how to for themselves. This was probably a rather narrow understanding, gleaned from textbooks and my own experience with oral advocacy as a student in debate.
However, upon embarking on my two-month internship with the Healthcare Services Union last May, I’ve since learnt that true advocacy isn’t just about speaking up reactively – there’s a lot of work involved behind the scenes, both work on the ground and policy work to pre-empt problems and maintain relationships.
I also realised that being fair isn’t simply about giving in to all requests, reasonable as they may seem. There’s so much more nuance involved, having to take into consideration all the resources available and consider what is fair for the employer too.
And even more importantly, I’ve learnt from my internship experience the importance of exercising tact and empathy in communicating all these across, and to be prepared for a not-so-favourable response from the workers after everything. After all, these are real workers whose lives are impacted by the outcomes of negotiations.
Small amount, big impact
Among the cases I had the chance to listen to were requests for wage increment. I remember that the actual amount requested was not large at all, between $20 to $30. However, negotiations had stalled, and I couldn’t understand why that seemingly small amount carried so much weight.
It was only after I spoke to one of the Industry Relations Officers (IROs) that I understood that this increment was actually really significant for a lower wage worker, and could make a meaningful difference in their lives.
Furthermore, I saw that these negotiations were actually about setting a long-term standard for these workers, and represented the future for them: if their wages or bonuses are not increased this year, it would mean that there isn’t a need to increase that in the years to come either.
This really opened my eyes to see that when I advocate for change, I must look beyond the actual dollar amount and see things from a much larger and further perspective.
Privileged to be an NTUC scholar
Having had the chance to sit in at negotiations; hearing from both the workers and the Union IROs alike, has been a great privilege for me as an NTUC scholar.
I also had the opportunity to work on a research project as part of the internship, suggesting possible reforms to the employment act. This has helped me see how some of the theoretical knowledge you acquire may not actually be cohesive with how things actually work in the real world.
Additionally, my mentor has been a great help in showing me what a career in NTUC could possibly look like, sharing with me her experiences and journey so far. I’m glad to be able to say that from where I stand, a career in NTUC looks like a meaningful, exciting, and impactful one.
It’s been a really eye-opening journey for me so far, and really made me more convinced than ever that this is what I want to do with my abilities – making a positive difference in the labour movement through legal advocacy and policy work.