History of Trade Unions and the Trade Union NTUCA is an organized group of employees in a particular industry, whose purpose is to negotiate with employers about pay, job security and working hours using the collective power of members. They are funded by union members' subscriptions and often offer legal advice and strike pay during disputes when members refuse to work. In general, the union is there to represent the interests of its members and may also engage in social and political activities where legislation affects its members. During the Industrial Revolution period, workers were often exploited by their employers. Due to lack of job security, long working hours, and unsafe working conditions, workers formed unions to fight for their labor rights (Tan 1955). The first trade union in Singapore was formed in 1940 when the Trade Union Ordinance was enacted. After World War II, trade union activities focused primarily on political struggles for independence from the British colonial government (Tan, 2004). Trade union movements are segregated into different unions. Examples of such unions in Singapore include the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the Singapore Association of Trade Unions (SATU), the Naval Base Workers Union, and the Singapore Harbor Staff Association. In 1963, SATU was immobilized by the government on the grounds that they were dominated by communists. With the legal machinery working overtime against the SATU, seven SATU unions with over 50,000 members were deregistered and subsequently dissolved. Eventually the other unions slowly followed the same fate. At the same time, with the success of the People's Action Party (PAP) and the NTUC, it soon became the national union (Hatchard & Kessaris 2003... half of the document... a strong partner in Singapore's economic progress), strengthening the stability and flexibility of our economy. Unions must also be able to adapt to the knowledge economy and understand the needs of workers in this new economy. Trade unions must therefore work together with the government to achieve future success (Ministry of Trade and Industry, 2007). Conclusion Although union membership has been declining over the years, I believe that NTUC and the unions have a promising future ahead of them if they have a better understanding of the economy and the needs of workers and continue to do what they have done over the years , but use various innovative strategies and tactics to reach the new emerging generations.