NTUC Membership 2024: Complete Guide to All the Benefits You Will Receive

With the increasing price of goods and services today, it’s crucial to do everything you can to save money. This is where NTUC membership comes into play. If you’re curious about the list of benefits you can get from being an NTUC member, you’re on the right page.

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In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about NTUC, including what it is, the monetary and non-monetary benefits you can get from it, and how you can be a member.

• NTUC Membership: A Little Background
• What Is NTUC Membership?
• NTUC Membership Eligibility
• What Are the Benefits of NTUC Membership?
  • Monetary Benefits
    • NTUC Plus! Rewards Programme
    • Cash rebates and dividends from NTUC FairPrice
    • Discounts and other perks
    • Union Training Assistance Program
    • Core assistance programs
  • Non-monetary benefits
    • Legal clinics
    • Workplace representation
    • U network
    • Employment Support

To better understand NTUC membership, you first need to know what NTUC is.

Growing up, a lot of people in Singapore thought NTUC was the name of a supermarket. However, it is an acronym for National Trades Union Congress.

Traditionally, these unions were formed to help protect workers and negotiate higher salaries and better working conditions. While some unions are dubbed “enemies” of corporations and the government, that’s not the case in Singapore due to the country’s positive business environment.

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Here, NTUC operates as a tripartite partner with the Singapore National Employers Federation and the Ministry of Manpower. What this means is the three work together to find the ultimate solutions for workers.

NTUC is a confederation of trade unions that includes more than 70 unions, organisations, and professional associations.

There are two kinds of NTUC membership.

The first NTUC membership is the Ordinary Branch where you are represented by the union that deals with workplace issues and wage negotiations. For this tier, you can enjoy FairPrice rebates, chalets, NTUC LinkPoints, and other social benefits.

There is also the General Branch tier where members are not represented in workplace issues and wage negotiations. However, these members still enjoy the same benefits as the other tier.

For individuals to become an Ordinary branch member, their workplace must be part of a union and the job should be one where the union can bargain on their behalf. If not, they can only be eligible to become a General Branch member.

To be eligible for NTUC membership, you must be at least 16 years old, and you must not be part of the Singapore Armed Forces, Narcotics Service, Singapore Prisons, Civil Defence, Singapore Police Force, and Auxiliary Police Bodies. Foreign domestic workers are also not allowed to be members of NTUC.

For the NTUC membership fee, individuals must pay $9 a month, although the month of December is S$18. This brings the annual total to S$117. You will be issued an NTUC membership card after.

NTUC membership comes with tons of perks. In this section, we’ll discuss the monetary and non-monetary NTUC membership benefits you can get.

The Plus! Rewards Programme by NTUC subsidiary NTUC link is one reason why NTUC is so popular with everyone.

You’re probably familiar with collecting and redeeming points at supermarkets. With NTUC, you can earn points when you shop at partner merchants such as Unity Pharmacies, NTUC FairPrice, GetGo Carsharing, KrisFlyer, and Prism+. Then, you can use these points to make your next purchase cheaper.

If you have NTUC membership, you will get 0.5 LinkPoints for every $1 you spend at NTUC FairPrice supermarkets, and you’ll earn 0.83 points for every $1 you spend if you meet the S$400 monthly minimum spend at Cheers, Unity, FairPrice, and other affiliated outlets. FairPrice points redemption will be credited the following month.

If you’re eligible, you can also sign up for the Trust Link credit card. This will give you additional benefits such as 20% off fuel savings at Caltex, as well as up to 21% savings at FairPrice grocery and food spend on top of the usual benefits you get from NTUC.

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NTUC members are also entitled to dividends and cash rebates from purchases made at Unity Pharmacies and NTUC FairPrice. These rebates are based on a 2% rebate on purchases up to S$6,000 in the last year, and it is distributed annually along with dividends to the members.

Keep in mind that you must be an NTUC FairPrice member to be eligible for the dividends and cash rebates.

If you’re interested in this NTUC membership perk, simply subscribe to 20 NTUC FairPrice shares at only S$1 each. This NTUC share price is extremely affordable considering all the returns you can get in the future. Then, you must pay the one-time entry fee of only S$3. You can also take advantage of the “Join Now Pay Later” scheme where you pay for the entry fee and 20 shares with the rebates you will earn at a later point.

If you’re an NTUC member, you can also enjoy tons of discounts and other perks from over a thousand outlet partners in lifestyle, dining, and entertainment. You will also have exclusive birthday treats.

Perks include 12% off Zalora with 5% cashback, 10% off Yole, discounted rates, and exclusive coupons on TribeCar and FoodPanda, among other platforms. You can even get rebates when you sign up for insurance with MoneyOwn. You can access all these perks in the MyNTUC app.

NTUC social enterprises also offer additional perks in the form of discounted rates. For instance, parents can have additional LinkPoints for MyFirstSkool enrolment, a special rate for home care from NTUC Health, and 15% off value NTUC value meals that NTUC FoodFare.

The Union Training Assistance Program is one of the best NTUC membership benefits. This gives members 50% unfunded course fee support under the courses in UTAP.

This subsidy is capped at S$250 annually, and members 40 years old and above can take advantage of a higher support cap of up to S$500 per year for courses they attend up to 31 December 2025.

To be eligible for this perk, you must get the minimum attendance for the duration of the course, sit for all prescribed exams, and submit an application within 6 months of completing the course.

The U Stretch Programme helps members cope with daily necessities through the voucher. The voucher gives a S$2.50 discount for every S$5 purchase at NTUC social enterprises. Applicants can get up to S$100 worth of vouchers if they have dependents living in the same household. If there’s no dependent, they can get S$50.

Meanwhile, the Back to School Voucher Programme allows NTUC members to cover their child’s school expenses. Perks of this programme include vouchers worth S$125 for each eligible child.

NTUC members can take advantage of free basic legal advice thanks to volunteer lawyers at Law Works Initiative, a partnership between the Law Society of Singapore and NTUC. Members can also expect legal primer talks to targeted groups of workers and monthly legal clinics for general legal guidance on matrimonial issues, wills, and other personal matters.

It’s important to note that this NTUC membership benefit is limited. For instance, each session only lasts 20 minutes, and it does not include the drafting of letters and other documents.

You can take advantage of the NTUC online portal where members can seek assistance and advice on workplace and employment-related concerns. If you’re an Ordinary Branch member, you can get representation for negotiations and issues. Those who need immediate assistance can visit TADM@NTUC located at Jurong East. This way, you’ll be served on the same day.

If you’re a General Branch member, there’s no need to worry. You can still get professional advice from experienced relations practitioners at another NTUC online page here.

U Network is a Labour Movement initiative that helps professional development through job placement, networking opportunities, and training for individuals in various sectors.

The U Network is composed of affiliated associations and unions. Members can interact with fellow unions and associates to share best practices and exchange ideas.

Professionals, managers, and executives (PMEs) can access the NTUC U PME Centre which is a one-stop advisory for this group. Simply book an appointment to talk to a consultant who can give personalised individual advice.

NTUC also gives support to help individuals enhance their employability, as well as gives platforms to seek career opportunities. Perks include employability workshops, career fairs, and career support programmes.

Now that you know the comprehensive list of benefits that comes with your NTUC membership, you can finally maximise your membership in the best way possible. Keep in mind that to make the most out of your NTUC membership, you should take advantage not only of the monetary benefits you can get but also non-monetary benefits, especially those that help you get better at your career.  

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