The move is spurred by its success in attracting almost 8,000 engineers and estate agents over four months, after it opened its doors to professional associations.

Now, NTUC is eyeing professionals in four other industries: health care, infocommunications, financial and entertainment.

As for uniformed personnel, it will be wooing SAF, police and civil defence regulars. As these men cannot be union members, they will be enticed to join its leisure and entertainment unit, the NTUC Club.

Doing so will give them a foretaste of what unions can offer, said NTUC director Yeo Khee Leng, as many will retire early and go on to a second career outside the uniformed services.

Mr Yeo was outlining to reporters NTUC's latest moves to boost membership under its new '3R' Membership strategy - to recruit and retain members, and strengthen their relationship with each other.

The strategy, announced on Saturday, follows a three-month recruitment campaign that ended in August.

In targeting professionals, NTUC's first success, in July, was The Institute of Engineers, and then the Institute of Estate Agents in September.

Their members were offered associate membership at NTUC, entitling them to such benefits as higher fixed deposit rates and special life insurance plans.

Mr Yeo believes the professionals will be drawn to such benefits as petrol discounts and golfing privileges.

Read the full report in The Sunday Times.