HSEU hits 50,000 membership target five years ahead of time

The Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) has achieved its 50,000-membership target five years ahead of time.

HSEU Deputy General Secretary Kamaliah Mohamed announced the membership milestone on 20 August 2025 at the union’s Special Delegates’ Conference at the NTUC Centre.

The membership goal of 50,000 by 2030 was set during the union’s Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference in 2023.

Since 2024, the union has organised 64 companies across diverse healthcare subsectors and partnered professional healthcare associations to expand its reach beyond the public healthcare space.

With its healthy membership numbers, HSEU now represents nearly one out of every two healthcare workers in the public sector and around one in three of the overall healthcare workforce. 

“A growing membership means a stronger voice, a louder presence, and a greater ability to protect and champion the interest of workers,” said Ms Kamaliah, who is also the union’s Membership Subcommittee Chairperson.

Growing Membership: More than a numbers game

In the broader context of the Labour Movement, HSEU President K Thanaletchimi explained that bigger membership numbers better reflect the workforce and strengthen the union’s position in the eyes of employers and the Government.

“It is important to show the employers and the Government that we are truly a representative Labour Movement.

“If we can’t get the numbers, either you’re weak or people think that we are weak. Weak in a sense that we’re not able to support or help our working population. The Ministry of Health often engages the union because they know we have a [good] spread of members,” said Ms Thanaletchimi, who is also NTUC's President.

She added that higher membership numbers are also essential in maintaining a healthy union leadership pipeline.

Innovating recruitment strategies

During the COVID-19 period, union membership took a hit amidst the uncertain and volatile environment. However, post-pandemic, Singapore began sourcing talent from several countries to meet the increasing demand for healthcare services amid a rapidly ageing population. The union capitalised on this opportunity to tap into the growing workforce to expand its membership.

Upping engagement, reducing retention

To increase membership numbers, Ms Thanaletchimi shared that the union adopted the “One HSEU” philosophy. This approach encourages branches to view themselves as part of a single HSEU family, fostering a sense of unity and treating all members as their own, regardless of their branch affiliation.

“We want to treat a member the same way in any part of Singapore. Don’t identify yourself as a branch, then you will not turn down any members from other branches who come to request for services,” she explained.

The union also focused on retaining members through regular engagements, be it informal gatherings, branch-level activities or union-wide excursions. Such engagements help members bond and provide a platform for raising concerns and issues.

One branch that employed this strategy was JurongHealth Campus, which bagged awards at the Special Delegates’ Conference for recruiting 173 members between 2023 and 2024. JurongHealth Campus comprises the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital.

“We brought lunch or food for members and just talked to them about what we do to create awareness of the benefits. We also flag that we’re there for the hard times, too. If you’ve got an issue, and want it to be anonymous, then share with us on the ground. We can talk to HR and try to make a change.

“We want [the workplace] to be a happier, better place where everybody is treated well and heard well,” said JurongHealth Campus Branch Chair Ita Coffey-Aladdin.

HSEU also recognised the efforts of recruiters by incentivising them with benefits, like FairPrice vouchers.

Tapping into greenfield markets

The longstanding union also stepped-up efforts to reach out to private sector workers, which was once an underserved market.

HSEU Executive Secretary Steven Gohshared that the union formed the Healthcare Professionals Community in 2024 to support the growth and development of some 9,000 workers affiliated with healthcare professional associations. These workers gained access to HSEU’s and NTUC’s network and resources for better training, development and welfare support.

Through this initiative, the union successfully brought in companies like Q & M, one of the largest dental groups with over 100 clinics. Bringing Q&M into the HSEU fold could potentially lead to 700 new members.

Launch of the Healthcare Professionals Community in 2024. 

Mr Goh said that the union also upped the value of its membership by providing members with upskilling courses curated with NTUC LearningHub. For instance, HSEU’s Healthcare Academy has been providing sustainability courses for union leaders and members in a bid to reduce the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint.

Creating value through CTC partnerships

HSEU’s Mr Goh also credits the NTUC Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative as a catalyst for boosting membership growth. Companies recognised the value of partnering with the union to transform their business and workforce, resulting in more companies joining the union and more workers becoming members.

Are you a healthcare worker desiring a better career? Become a HSEU member to gain better wages, welfare and work prospects today!