to cover migrant workers against critical illnesses, non-work related deaths, with the employers needing to pay premiums of $9 a year per worker. The NTUC reached its target of 1 million members in 2021. Trade unions in Singapore Trade unions in Singapore are run along democratic lines, and membership is voluntary. Major decisions on industrial actions are taken only with majority support expressed through secret ballot. There are three tiers of union leadership, all elected via secret ballot. Workers in a company elect their branch leaders. The next layer is the executive committee of a union. Officials from the executive committee are drawn from the branches. At the national level, there is the Central Committee of the NTUC. The 21-member Central Committee is elected every four years. Union leaders and employers serve on key institutions such as the National Wages Council, the Economic Development Board, the Central Provident Fund and the Singapore Productivity and Standards Board. Government and employer representatives also serve on the boards of the cooperatives, business ventures and other organisations controlled by the NTUC. NTUC Central Committee At the national level, once every four years, the union delegates elect a 21-member NTUC Central Committee to oversee the work of the labour movement. The Central Committee members will then elect: President, Secretary-General, Secretary for Financial Affairs (Treasurer) and vice-presidents among themselves. Thereafter, the Central Committee will appoint other principal officeholders. Union leadership includes Members of Parliament (MPs) from the People's Action Party (PAP), as part of a symbiotic between the PAP and NTUC. MPs who are part of the NTUC are called "labour MPs", not to be confused with the Labour Party MPs in the United Kingdom. These MPs are subject to elections, just as the other grassroots unionists are. Many other MPs, including Cabinet ministers, serve as union advisors. NTUC Executive Committee At union headquarters level, key branch officials represent their branches at Union Headquarters as delegates. They have a right to vote or stand as candidates in elections to the Union Executive Committee which is responsible for the effective operation of the union. Affiliated unions are represented at the NTUC Delegates Conference, the supreme authority of the labour movement. The Delegates Conference is held once in two years. During this conference, delegates review the work of the NTUC and map out future directions for the labour movement. Union membership In April 2016, the total Union Membership