Singapore Federation of Trade Unions

The Singapore Federation of Trade Unions was a trade union centre in Singapore. It was founded in October 1945 as the Singapore General Labour Union on the initiative of the Malayan Communist Party. SGLU was the first unit of the Malayan General Labour Union, which expanded throughout Malaya.^[1] SGLU was reconstituted as SFTU in August 1946, as the Malayan General Labour Union was divided into the SFTU and the Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions.^[2]

Politically, SFTU was tied to the Malayan Communist Party. The SFTU Central Executive Committee was dominated by Chinese MCP cadres. However, SFTU was able to recruit non-communist anti-colonial labour unionists amongst the Indian community. For example, SFTU vice president P. Veerasenan and leader of the Singapore Harbour Board Labour Union was a prominent Indian non-communist union leader. SFTU had virtually no presence amongst the Malay community.^[2]

By mid-1947, SFTU counted with 72 affiliated unions, out of a total of 126 unions in Singapore.^[1] The total membership of SFTU-affiliated unions stood at above 56,000.^[1]

In 1948, the tactics of SFTU changed. SFTU initiated a number of strikes, including a general strike on 23 April 1948. These measures largely backfired, and after a call for mobilisations for 1 May 1948 the British authorities declared Emergency and clamped down heavily on SFTU.^[1] After the ban on the Malayan Communist Party in June 1948, many SFTU unions were dissolved.^[3]

SFTU was deregistered by the British authorities in December 1948.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Sandhu, Kernial Singh, and Paul Wheatley. Management of Success: The Moulding of Modern Singapore. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1989. pp. 144-145
^ ^a ^b Political Development of Singapore, 1945-1955, p. 217
^ Tan, Kelvin Y. L. Marshall of Singapore: A Biography. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2008. p. 269
^ Barr, Michael D., and Carl A. Trocki. Paths Not Taken: Political Pluralism in Post-War Singapore. Singapore: NUS Press, 2008. p. 210

Communism in Malaysia and Singapore

Wars and incidents

Wars

Malayan campaign
Vietnam War
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Communist insurgency
- Sarawak
- Malaysia (1968-1989)
- Thailand

Malayan Emergency	Background and causes Briggs Plan New village Special Operations Volunteer Force Commonwealth Military Involvement Southern Rhodesia Australia New Zealand

Incidents

Organisations

South Seas Communist Party
Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army
Malayan National Liberation Army
- 10th Malay Regiment
Malayan Communist Party
Min Yuen
Revolutionary Faction
- MPLF
CPM/ML
Malaysian Communist Party
Singapore Federation of Trade Unions
North Kalimantan Communist Party

Key people

Peninsular Malaysia	Chin Peng Abdullah CD Lai Teck Shamsiah Fakeh Ahmad Boestamam Rashid Maidin Mokhtaruddin Lasso Kamarulzaman Teh Abu Samah Mohd Kassim S. A. Ganapathy Suriani Abdullah Lau Yew Lee Meng Chen Tien Yeung Kwo Fong Chong Pik Eu Chooi Yip Lim Chin Siong Wahi Annuar Mat Indera R. G. Balan P. Veerasenan Devan Nair
Malaysian Borneo	Bong Kee Chok Yang Chu Chung Wen Ming Chyuan Yap Choon Hau Lam Wah Kwai Ang Chu Ting Wong Lieng Kui Cheung Ah Wah