Thanaletchimi, K



Encyclopedia of Singapore Tamils

Centre for Singapore Tamil Culture

K Thanaletchimi (b. 1966) is the first Tamil female President of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and was a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) from 2016 to 2018, in the 13th Parliament of Singapore. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of Bradford, UK, and a master's degree in Health Science Management from the University of Sydney, Australia, in addition to several diplomas. She has been serving the public healthcare sector for more than two decades. 

Beyond her professional career, Thanaletchimi has been actively involved on the union front, holding several leadership positions. She was elected President of the Healthcare Services Employees Union, which she helped form. She was first elected to NTUC’s Central Committee in 2015 and became one of its vice-presidents in 2019. She has also served as Chairperson of the NTUC Women's Committee, the Healthcare Cluster and the NTUC Membership Committee. Her deep engagement in the labour movement led to her appointment as an NMP, in which role she advocated for women's workforce participation, gender equality, and other labour-related concerns. 

Thanaletchimi's commitment extends to public service roles, including her membership in important councils and boards such as the MediShield Life Council, the People's Association Board of Management, and various tripartite committees promoting fair employment practices and workplace integration.

Thanaletchimi’s dedication to the healthcare sector and the labour movement earned her the National Day Efficiency Award in 2002, as well as the NTUC Comrade of Labour Award in 2006.



For more information
“K. Thanaletchimi”, WIkipedia. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Thanaletchimi 
“K. Thanaletchimi is Labour Movement’s Latest NMP,” National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), 18 March 2016. https://www.ntuc.org.sg/uportal/news/K-Thanaletchimi-is-Labour-Movements-latest-NMP/ 
“Veteran Healthcare Union Leader K Thanaletchimi Elected NTUC President,” CNA, 23 November 2023. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ntuc-labour-movement-veteran-healthcare-union-leader-k-thanaletchimi-elected-president-3941956 

தமிழில் வாசிக்க

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.



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