Yeo Guat Kwang
| Yeo Guat Kwang | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC (2011 - present) Aljunied GRC (2001 - 2011) Cheng San GRC (1997 - 2001) | |
| In office 2 January 1997 - present | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 January 1961 Singapore |
| Political party | People's Action Party |
| Alma mater | National University of Singapore, National Institute of Education |
| Website | http://yeoguatkwang.org/ |
Yeo Guat Kwang (simplified Chinese: 杨木光; traditional Chinese: 楊木光; pinyin: Yáng Mùguāng; born 27 January 1961) is a Member of the 12th Parliament of Singapore for the Ang Mo Kio GRC. A member of the governing People's Action Party, he has been a Member of Parliament since 1997, and is also currently serving as the Assistant Secretary-General in National Trades Union Congress.[1]
Early Life and Career
Yeo was educated at The Chinese High School, Nanyang Junior College and National University of Singapore. There after, Yeo started his career in 1987 as a teacher at Nanyang Junior College, and in 1991, he then became the Head of Department of Anderson Secondary. [2] In 1997, he joined the union as an Executive Secretary for Building Construction and Timber Industries Employess Union (BATU)and later moved on to become the Executive Secretary, Singapore Industrial and Services Employees Union (SISEU).
Career in Labour Movement and Politics
In January 2014, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang was appointed Assistant Secretary-General (ASG)[3][4] in NTUC, together with Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Mr Ang Hin Kee and Mr Zainal Sapari. Yeo will hold key priorities for migrant workers and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) outreach.
1. Migrant Workers’ Centre
The Migrant Workers' Center (MWC) was set up in 2009, and is a bipartite initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF). As Chairman of MWC, Mr Yeo has been championing for fair employment practices of migrant workers in Singapore, and providing protection and assistance to distressed migrant workers and advocating for their rights.
Opening of MWC
As Chairman of Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), Yeo spearheaded the opening of the new centre at Rangoon Road on 26 January 2014, catering to the increasing number of migrant workers who have been approaching MWC for help.[5]
Free Legal Clinic for Migrant Workers
Yeo lobbied for pro bono legal advice services for migrant workers to seek free basic legal advice and information at the Free Legal Clinic, an initiative that is jointly organized by the Law Society of Singapore's Pro Bono Services Office and Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC).[6]
Employment contracts for migrant workers
Yeo lobbied for standard employment contracts that outline specific service agreements and employment terms to discourage malpractices by errant employment agents. He also called for the granting of Change of Employer status for workers to continue working while their disputes are being resolved. [7]
2. Workplace Safety and Health
Yeo is currently the Director for Workplace Safety and Health at NTUC and has lobbied for all employers to carry out comprehensive risk assessments and enforce safety measures in view of the spate of worksite accidents in early 2014. Yeo emphasizes that it is the employer’s duty to ensure that proper safety measures are taken in place.[8]
3. Small and Medium Enterprise
NTUC SME Lead, Yeo Guat Kwang lobbied in Parliament, March 2014, for the government to help SMEs re-model and anticipate and predict future trends and challenges. He also stressed that SMEs to re-model themselves to be the “SMEs of tomorrow” through the use of government schemes, incentives and grants. [9]
