April 13, 2008 – In a bid to help workers mitigate rising costs of living, NTUC FairPrice Foundation is giving $220,000 worth of FairPrice vouchers to the Unit for Contract & Casual Workers (UCCW), an NTUC unit which looks after the welfare of such employees. The grant was announced at a carnival for UCCW members in AMK Hub today.

With this grant, UCCW members whose personal monthly income falls below $1,500 or whose per capita household income is less than $500 will each be given $80 worth of FairPrice vouchers, to help them stretch their grocery dollar amid high food inflation. About 1,000 needy UCCW members collected the vouchers at the carnival today, while the remaining members will receive their vouchers at the second UCCW Carnival at Toa Payoh Hub in July.

NTUC FairPrice Foundation Director and FairPrice Group CEO Mr Tan Kian Chew said: “The donation today fulfills one of the foundation’s key objectives of advancing workers’ welfare. We hope the vouchers will help needy UCCW members offset the rising costs of living and provide some relief against high inflation rates.”

To mark the donation, Mr Tan presented a cheque to UCCW Director and Guest-of-Honour Mr Zainudin Nordin. Mr Zainudin is also Mayor of Central Singapore District and MP for Bishan /Toa Payoh GRC. As part of the celebrations, 10 UCCW recipients were invited on stage to collect their vouchers from Mr Zainudin personally.

UCCW was set up in 2006 to address the concerns of the increasing number of contract workers in Singapore. The unit looks into training, enhancement of employability, communication and advocacy for contract workers.

NTUC FairPrice Foundation is a registered charity fully funded by NTUC FairPrice. Bearing the mission to provide “A Better Life for the Community”, the foundation focuses on three strategic thrusts – to help the poor and needy, to help in nation building and community bonding and to advance the welfare of workers. The foundation has given $1 million in total to Community Chest, Eldercare Trust, Food from the Heart and NTUC Childcare Bright Horizons Fund. Board members of NTUC FairPrice Foundation comprise FairPrice Chairman Mr Ng Ser Miang, FairPrice Director Mr Willie Cheng and FairPrice Group CEO Mr Tan Kian Chew. FairPrice Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications Mrs Teo Poh Yim is the foundation’s General Manager while FairPrice Legal Director Mr Poh Leong Sim also serves as Company Secretary.

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About Unit for Contract and Casual Workers, National Trades Union Congress

Setup in June 2006, it was then called Unit for Contract Workers with the objective to assist lower income contract workers in areas relating to employability, medical benefits and fair employment terms. With more contract and casual workers in the labour scene, it was renamed Unit for Contract and Casual Workers in August 2007 to enhance the economic and social well-being of the low-wage contract and casual workforce by communicating and advocating the adoption of Best Sourcing Initiatives, enhancing workers’ welfare in areas of medical and insurance needs, as well as ensuring that workers remain gainfully employable for life with skills upgrading, re-training, and job expansion or re-design.