NTUC thisweek - Gritty Nithi

Gritty Nithi: The Remarkable Life of Nithiah Nandan – Comrade & Champion

“Few outside the unions appreciate the human drama that unfolds from time to time in labour management relations because they have not been reported. Now, an outsider can get a glimpse from this story of Nithiah Nandan’s battles, and understand how unionists make a difference to the lives of workers.” - Lim Boon Heng, NTUC Secretary-General (1993-2006)

“Gritty Nithi” is available in major bookstores.

Chapter 1: “The Unlucky Pauper”
I hadn’t seen Nithi for two years, since the May Day Dinner of 2005. Vice-President Michael Tan and General Treasurer Mohammed Salleh Kassim of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE), and Quek Poh Huat the Singapore Power Group Chief Executive Officer, were presented May Day Awards that night and I remember a very joyous Nithi being congratulated by his fellow unionists.

Chapter 6: “The Sharp Strategist”
This chapter is about the retrenchment exercises that the energy generation companies carried out and how Nithi and his fellow unionists at the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE) helped affected members cope with the loss of jobs and secured for them compensation packages that defined the difference between union members and non-members.