NTUC affiliate union, other bodies call on ex-True Group workers to seek assistance amid company liquidation

[SINGAPORE] The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU) – an affiliate union of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) – and other non-governmental bodies have called on former employees of True Group to seek required assistance.

This comes as True Fitness and True Yoga are non-unionised, but there are workers who are members of SMMWU, a statement on Monday (Sep 14) said.

The affiliate union is in the process of assisting affected union members to provide them with essential support.

It added that a job-matching session organised by NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), the National Instructors and Coaches Association and SMMWU for former employees of True Fitness and True Yoga will be held on Thursday.

Andy Lim, secretary-general of SMMWU, said that union members and workers can receive job-matching assistance, guidance and advice on workplace matters through the session.

Additionally, an SMMWU membership team will be on site to support members.

Eligible workers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents can also receive more employment support through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support (JS) scheme by participating in e2i’s job-search activities.

“The JS scheme provides temporary financial support of up to S$6,000 over six months for involuntarily unemployed individuals,” said Lim.

As at end-2025, True Group parent company Kontafarma reported 257 employees in its Singapore fitness business, according to its annual report.

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Industry associations, such as the fitness and wellness not-for-profit association Singapore Fitness Alliance (SFA), have also offered support to affected members.

In a statement sent to The Business Times, Sean Tan, president and co-founder of the SFA, said that the association is working with partners to assist staff, employees and freelancers that were with True Group to find new employment.

Partners that SFA are working with include the National Instructors and Coaches Association, as well as NTUC’s e2i.

SFA counts most of the gyms, studios and boutiques in Singapore, including Fitness First, Virgin Active, Anytime Fitness, Yoga Movement, as its members.

However, Tan added that the association will not be involved with any efforts to recover unpaid salaries or commissions for the staff, employees or freelancers.

“Provisional liquidators have been appointed and distribution, if any, will be as per their procedures which will be in accordance with the relevant insolvency provisions,” said Tan, who was also True Group’s chairman till 2022.

Other associations are also extending support to consumers affected by the sudden closure.

The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has reached out to the provisional liquidator of True Group, and said that it will continue to seek clarification on the arrangements for affected consumers, including “information required for consumers to lodge their claims”.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Case president Melvin Yong said that those who have unutilised memberships or prepaid packages with True Fitness or True Yoga can approach the association for assistance.

BT has reached out to the Ministry of Manpower for comments on support for the former employees of True.

On Sep 10, True employees received an e-mail from the company’s human resources department that True Fitness and True Yoga were winding up, and that provisional liquidators had already been appointed.

The appointed liquidator RSM SG Corporate Advisory met former True employees in three batches on Sep 11 at True’s corporate headquarters at 8 Claymore Hill.

However, no company representatives of the company were present to answer the questions these former workers had.