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Synopsis :

At a National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Rally and Dinner at the National Theatre, NTUC President Peter Vincent congratulates  former NTUC Secretary General  C.V. Devan Nair on his appointment as the President of the Republic of Singapore. He calls Mr. Nair the father of Singapore's modern trade union movement and notes his involvement in the anti-communist and pro-independence struggles. Under Mr. Nair's  dynamic leadership, the NTUC was transformed into an organised labour movement.  He will bring qualities like the steadfast devotion of a committed leader, determination of a nationalist and compassion of an ordinary man to his new role as President. In his speech, NTUC Secretary General Lim Chee Onn recalls that the NTUC's  manifesto was first drafted in 1961 and the tripartite principle was fully accepted by unions, workers and the government in the 1970s. Devan Nair was the driving force behind the unions' efforts to modernise and look after the interests of workers. He created for the NTUC, a principal role in the political, economic and social development of the nation and helped workers see the value of trade unions in a developing society. Mr. Lim reveals that the NTUC has published a souvenir magazine called 'Devan: Nation Builder, People's President' which provides glimpses of Mr. Nair's efforts to lay a solid foundation for workers to build a progressive Singapore. Touching on Singapore's future, Mr. Lim says that in order to generate growth, Singapore faces the challenge to find better ways to plug itself quickly to a grid  that will connect it to  power stations like Japan. He also stresses on the need for workers to upgrade their skills and increase productivity.