May Day Rally 2024

‘We have built a strong foundation for future generations’: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

In his last major speech at the May Day Rally, he asks Singaporeans to rally behind leadership team, to make the nation succeed

By Chin Soo Fang, Senior Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2024

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he has prepared a leadership team to succeed him that deserves Singaporeans’ confidence and support, and asked that all Singaporeans rally behind it to make the nation succeed.

Despite dark clouds on the horizon, the Republic has built a strong foundation for its future generations to continue to write new chapters of the Singapore story, PM Lee said at the May Day Rally on May 1.

In a valedictory speech at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, he said he felt “a sense of satisfaction and completeness” as he prepared to hand over Singapore in good order to his successor, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, on May 15.

“I have done my duty, and I am very happy I chose this path of public service all those many years ago,” said PM Lee to a standing ovation from the 1,400 unionists, business leaders and government officials who were present.

However, leading a country is never a one-man job but that of a national team, he said as he thanked MPs and union leaders, as well as Singaporeans for their trust and support.

“I have strived to lead you and to govern Singapore in the way you deserve, to mobilise Singaporeans to show what we can do together,” he said. “I have also prepared a leadership team to succeed me that deserves your confidence and support.”

‘We have improved everyone’s lives’

PM Lee, who had spoken at almost every May Day Rally since he became prime minister in 2004, said he had sought in his tenure to build on Singapore’s strengths under past leaders such as founding PM Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Goh Chok Tong.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team overcame tremendous odds to forge an improbable nation with multiculturalism as its creed, and made home ownership, education and healthcare available to all.

Mr Goh showed it was possible to take Singapore forward with a different style for a different era, and under his leadership, Singapore matured and became more vibrant, resilient and cohesive, PM Lee said.

Of his 20 years since he took over in 2004, PM Lee said Singapore has become better off.

Investments in promising sectors such as biotech, information technology and financial services have paid off, while the economic base has diversified as the country climbed the value chain, from factories to research and development in pharmaceuticals and nanotechnology.

Singaporeans’ quality of life has also improved across the board, including for those with lower incomes, he added.

New Housing Board towns with green spaces and amenities have been built, such as Punggol, which has turned from an ulu (Malay for “remote”) place to an attractive town full of young families.

Meanwhile, older towns have been kept up to date with the many upgrading programmes that made them fit for a more elderly population.

“This is why, unlike public housing projects elsewhere in the world, our HDB estates never turn into slums or ghettos,” he said.

Public transport has likewise improved, going from just the red (North-South) and green (East-West) lines to a much more colourful map today with the addition of the purple (North East), yellow (Circle), blue (Downtown) and brown (Thomson-East Coast) lines.

In time to come, there will also be a light green Cross Island Line and light blue Jurong Region Line, PM Lee added.

Singapore has also invested heavily in a first-class healthcare system to make it accessible and affordable to all, and poured more resources into pre-schools and infant care while transforming the broader education system to have more diverse pathways.

“In Singapore, unlike in some other countries, your postal code does not determine your destiny,” he said.

The Government has also made every effort to leave no one behind as the country progressed, PM Lee added, alluding to the promise he made in his 2004 swearing-in speech to forge an inclusive society.

One of his earliest moves as PM was to create ComCare, which brought together existing social programmes and enhanced them to channel more resources towards the needy.

Workfare was then launched to supplement the incomes of lower-wage workers, and the Progressive Wage Model to raise wages and skills in a sustainable way.

Today, children from disadvantaged backgrounds also get an extra boost through KidStart, while ComLink+ works with vulnerable families to put them on the path of home ownership.

Other components of Singapore’s social safety net were also strengthened, PM Lee added.

MediShield Life and CareShield Life help deal with large medical bills and long-term care costs; CPF Life and Silver Support are for retirement adequacy; and the Pioneer, Merdeka and Majulah packages take care of older Singaporeans.

PM Lee said he was also proud of the Singaporean pride and work ethic that has evolved, which the trade unions had helped to foster.

Whether they are teachers who spend their own time to help weaker students, uniformed personnel who become first responders even when off duty, or healthcare professionals who go the extra mile for their patients, Singaporeans take their responsibilities seriously even though not everyone can be at the top of the totem pole, he said.

“Ours is a society that takes pride in whatever we do and makes a point of doing it well,” he added.

“A society that is egalitarian and meritocratic in its ethos, where those who have done well feel a sense of duty to give back to the society that nurtured them.”

Next chapter of the Singapore story

The next chapter of the Singapore story is off to a strong start, though there are many uncertainties in the world, PM Lee said.

These include rising tensions and rivalry between big powers, deglobalisation and protectionism, technological advances and climate change, and questions of war and peace.

“The world has changed, and we must come up with updated creative responses, but some hard truths have not changed,” he said. “These imperatives will stay relevant in the years ahead.”

First, social cohesion is important, and race, language and religion are traditional fault lines that will never go away for Singapore.

While huge efforts have been made to build a shared Singaporean identity, the nation will always be subject to external forces that pull different segments of its population in different directions.

Singaporeans cannot disavow their diverse ethnic roots and religious affinities – Chinese Singaporeans with China, Indian Singaporeans with their various ancestral homes in India, Malay Singaporeans with the rest of the region, and with the global Muslim ummah (Arabic for community), he said.

While these can be vulnerabilities, Singapore does not want to lose these rich cultural and historical heritages.

“Therefore, for us, racial and religious harmony will always be a continuing work in progress,” PM Lee said. “Never think that we have ‘solved the problem’ and that we have left it behind.”

There are also other potential divisions, he noted, between the haves and the have-nots; Singaporean-born and naturalised citizens; conservatives and liberals; and the current and future generations.

“All these differences can be exploited politically, to pit Singaporeans one against another, and divide and weaken us,” he said. “Hence, we have got to continue to work hard to overcome social stresses and tensions, to enlarge our common space, and to strengthen our shared Singaporean identity.”

This is why the Government moved to allow Muslim nurses in Singapore’s public healthcare sector to wear the tudung, and repealed Section 377A of the Penal Code. These were controversial and difficult issues, but they were tackled instead of being left to fester, PM Lee said.

“So we prepared the ground carefully, worked out practical compromises and moved to a more sustainable, long-term position, while fostering mutual understanding and acceptance.”

Second, the PAP Government has always planned and acted for the long term. While having a vision and sense of stewardship beyond immediate problems and crises is important for every country, most find it very hard, he said.

Pointing to the rally venue, he recounted the long journey to turn Marina Bay into today’s reality.

The Government started thinking about reclaiming land there in the 1960s, and the reclamation project began in 1971. When he took over as PM, the Government started talking about integrated resorts (IRs).

“This was one of my first major decisions as prime minister – whether or not to allow IRs in Singapore, which would introduce casino gambling to Singapore,” he said. “After a full public debate, we decided to proceed, but with suitable safeguards in place.”

The IRs opened in 2010, just in time to catch the recovery from the global financial crisis, and they took off, he said. Today, besides the IRs, Singapore also has Gardens by the Bay, the Marina Barrage, Marina Reservoir and an iconic skyline around the bay.

There are more plans for Singapore in the decades ahead, he said. They include a new megaport in Tuas, a new Terminal 5 at Changi Airport, a redeveloped Paya Lebar after the airbase there is relocated, and a Greater Southern Waterfront for future generations to live, work and play.

Singapore will also reclaim a Long Island along the east coast, to protect itself from rising sea levels, and create more land and another freshwater reservoir, he added.

“I have no doubt that the next team and their successors will conceive more creative and ambitious projects, which will challenge us, inspire us and take our country to the next level,” he said.

Stability key to Singapore’s exceptionalism

The third fundamental principle is political stability and trust, PM Lee said.

Singapore’s whole system is anchored on a strong base of trust between the people and their Government: The people elect a PAP Government, and in turn the PAP Government works hard to maintain their trust and support.

“It shows, through words and through deeds, that it has the nation’s best interests at heart and is improving your lives,” he said.

At each election – 15 times in a row – the PAP has won a renewed mandate, fair and square, and continued to deliver results for Singaporeans, he added.

“Getting our politics right is absolutely crucial,” he said. “Please understand: We have succeeded, and Singapore has made exceptional economic and social gains, because our system is exceptional.”

The system does not have to fail outright for Singapore to get into trouble – as a 700 sq km island without a hinterland or natural resources, just being average means that the Republic will be worse off than other countries, he stressed.

“Graver still, if our system malfunctions – becomes beset by populism, tribalism, nativism, or obsessed by short-term gains, like some other countries – then we will certainly be sunk,” he said, on why it is crucial that Singaporeans uphold an ethos of excellence and to maintain political stability.

Concluding, he urged the people to make the most of the advantages that Singapore has accrued – adequate reserves, international respect, a cohesive society, and a vibrant and inclusive economy – without taking them for granted or tossing them away.

PM Lee, who was also marking his 40th year in politics, said that having done his best to lead a team that has stewarded Singapore and safeguarded its future, his successors must do the same.

“That is our path forward: For each generation to steward Singapore to the best of its ability, so that the next generation can take on a better Singapore, and, in turn, lead our nation onwards and upwards.”

May Day Rally 2023

‘We will always have your back’: 4G team will look after workers in these dark times, says DPM Lawrence Wong

By Goh Yan Han, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 1 May 2023

Amid global economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that he and his 4G team are fully committed to looking after workers and helping them earn a better living.

They will do so by working closely with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the labour movement, to ensure sustained growth and good jobs for all, he said.

“In these dark times, this is my promise to you,” said Mr Wong at the May Day Rally on Monday where he was the main speaker.

“Come what may, we will always be there with you, for you, and we will always have your back,” he said, addressing about 1,400 labour movement leaders, workers and tripartite partners at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.

In his speech, Mr Wong elaborated on points made in April by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the multiple global storms ahead. He also spoke on how the nationwide engagement Forward Singapore exercise will help workers.

“As we grow the economy, we will also fight the ills of inequality,” he said.

“Singapore must never succumb to the kind of harsh inequality we see in so many other countries. However treacherous the terrain ahead, so long as Singapore continues to progress, all Singaporeans must continue to progress – no one must be left behind.”

This is why the Government is undertaking the Forward Singapore exercise, he said. The exercise, launched in June 2022, will culminate in a report in the second half of 2023.

Mr Wong said that in its Forward Singapore review, the Government is studying how it can invest more in every worker – to help them take ownership of their own careers, continuously reskill and upskill, and take up better jobs and opportunities throughout their working lives.

One way is by shifting SkillsFuture to a “higher gear”, he said, and making skills training and lifelong learning a key pillar of the refreshed social compact with every worker.

Another is by paying special attention to those in vocational and technical roles, as well as Institute of Technical Education and polytechnic graduates.

“We will help them deepen their skills through different pathways, so they can secure better salaries and career paths in the professions they have trained for and have the aptitude for,” said Mr Wong.

He added that professionals, managers and executives will also have to reskill and upskill themselves – given the rapid technological advancements such as in artificial intelligence, which suggest that more human tasks could be taken over by machines.

Noting that it can be hard to juggle work and family responsibilities while studying, Mr Wong said the Government will reduce costs and lower barriers to training.

The Government is also looking at how to further uplift lower-wage workers and professionalise skilled trades, provide more support for those who lose their jobs and enable all workers to meet their retirement needs. It is working closely with the NTUC on the possible solutions, he said.

Acknowledging that workers are concerned about other things apart from jobs, such as the cost of living, Mr Wong said he had implemented comprehensive support measures, including those in Budget 2023.

“We have done everything we can to lessen the stresses and strains that people feel on the ground, and we will continue to do so,” he said.

Another concern is public housing, where the Government has been ramping up the supply of Build-to-Order flats, but there are still worries about affordability.

Mr Wong asked Singaporeans not to look just at the headline price of a Build-To-Order flat, but to also consider how prices relate to income and the proportion of income needed to service the housing loan.

For example, a four-room BTO flat in a new town cost about $40,000 in 1980. Median household income then was around $900, and a typical household would use about a quarter of its income to service the loan.

Today, the price of a four-room BTO flat in a non-mature estate like Bukit Batok costs about $350,000, said Mr Wong.

While the price of the flat has risen nearly 10 times, so has median household income from $900 to $9,000, he added.

In addition, there are housing grants of up to $80,000 for first-timers, said Mr Wong.

“Affordable and accessible public housing – like access to first-rate education and healthcare – will always be a key part of our social compact in Singapore,” he said.

“As long as the PAP (People’s Action Party) remains in charge, we will ensure quality public housing that is affordable and accessible for our children and future generations.”

In his speech, Mr Wong also noted the global storms ahead that PM Lee had warned of – the Russia-Ukraine war, US-China tensions, and increasing protectionism undermining the multilateral global trade system.

These developments will make it harder for Singapore to compete, grow its economy, create jobs and earn a living. But what it must have enough of are “ingenuity and innovation; guts and gumption”, he said.

“That’s the only way we can and will prevail, even when the odds are stacked against us.”

He said that tripartism is one of Singapore’s greatest and most sustainable competitive advantages.

Noting how other First World countries have seen industrial relations break down, Mr Wong said Singapore must not allow that to happen.

“Businesses and governments will push back, further fuelling deep divisions in society. Then it becomes a vicious cycle, because once trust is lost, it’s very hard to recover,” he said.

“Fortunately, Singapore is on the right track. We have a lot going for us, and our tripartite approach ensures that Team Singapore has the best chance of overcoming challenges and seizing new opportunities.”

Mr Wong said this was not the first time Singapore has had to respond to grave challenges.

“Each time we were pushed to the limit, we did not fold and crumble. Instead, we gritted our teeth, worked even harder to defy the odds, and bounced back stronger. That’s how we built today’s Singapore, and that’s how we will keep on making it better.”

May Day Rally 2022

Singaporeans must be prepared for more economic challenges in the year ahead, says PM Lee Hsien Loong

By Justin Ong, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 1 May 2022

Singaporeans must be prepared for more economic challenges in the year ahead even as the Government does all it can to cushion the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, especially on the cost of living, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday (May 1).

"The fundamental solution... is to make ourselves more productive, to transform our businesses, to grow our economy, to uplift everyone," he noted. "Then our incomes can go up, and that can more than make up for higher prices of energy and food. Then we can all become better off in real terms."

PM Lee was addressing unionists at the May Day Rally at Downtown East, with some attending the hybrid event virtually.

In his speech, he outlined the Government's measures to alleviate cost-of-living pressures on Singaporeans. These include the $560 million Household Support Package announced at Budget 2022, which comprises U-Save and service and conservancy charges rebates and Community Development Council vouchers to reduce living expenses for nearly all households - with lower- and middle-income households receiving more.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has also tightened monetary policy to reduce imported inflation, leading to the Singapore dollar appreciating.

Singapore is also taking steps to secure its own food and energy supplies, in the event of these being disrupted by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on Feb 24.

"All this will help, but we must be prepared for more economic challenges in the year ahead," said PM Lee, pointing to inflation remaining high and central banks in developed countries tightening their monetary policies and raising interest rates.

"Global growth will be weaker, and there may be a recession within the next two years," he warned. "We have to face up to these realities."

Singapore, with its tight integration in the global economy and small size, will always be a price taker when it comes to world markets, said PM Lee. "We have very little bargaining power. If the prices go up, our prices go up. If supplies are short, we are squeezed. We cannot avoid these global headwinds."

Noting that Singapore imports nearly all its supplies of energy, he said that the doubling of oil prices in recent months has come at a cost - to households, businesses and the Government - of around $8 billion, as estimated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He added: "There are limits to what Singapore can do to influence broader international trends. We will push back against deglobalisation. We will speak up to encourage the US and China to constructively engage each other.

"But ultimately, all these matters depend on the major powers themselves, and the relations between them, and how the war in Ukraine unfolds."

Said PM Lee: "We have speaking rights, but we are a small voice. Singapore has to take the world as it is, and develop a strategy that works for us in this troubled environment."

Turning inwards, relying heaving on domestic markets and producing more things onshore is a viable strategy for larger countries - but this is "not a choice open to Singapore", he said.

“Our strategy can only be one - and that is to stay open, to make our economy stronger, more resilient, and to keep on seizing opportunities for growth, developing new capabilities and becoming a more competitive economy,” said the Prime Minister.

"Because if we do that, then despite the uncertain climate, despite the pressures against globalisation, investors will still find it worthwhile to put their projects in Singapore, our exports will still find foreign markets, and we can still earn a living for ourselves in the world."

May Day Rally 2021

Singapore Government taking steps to avoid a second COVID-19 lockdown: PM Lee Hsien Loong

He urges Singaporeans not to let down their guard as another lockdown will be a major setback

By Tham Yuen-C Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2021

Singapore has to tighten measures against Covid-19 promptly where necessary to clamp down on the spread of new clusters, and avoid going into a second circuit breaker, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

Speaking at the May Day Rally, he said he hoped Singaporeans would work together with the Government against the virus, and not let down their guard.

With new strains of the virus emerging, he noted, things in Singapore can deteriorate rapidly.

"We are watching our own situation, and it can easily, quickly, turn bad again," he said. "If we have to do another lockdown like last year's circuit breaker, it would be a major setback for our people and for our economic recovery. Let's not make it happen."

PM Lee's remarks come amid a spike in cases in the community in the past week.

There were 37 cases of community transmission here in the past week, from 11 cases in the week before. Many of them came from the first Covid-19 hospital cluster.

The Tan Tock Seng Hospital cluster, discovered after a nurse tested positive on Tuesday, has grown to 16 cases, one of whom died yesterday. The number of unlinked cases has also gone up from four the week before to 10 in the past week.

These developments prompted the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 to announce tighter restrictions on gatherings, malls and travel on Friday.

"The Government is doing everything we can to prevent these clusters from spreading in the community," said PM Lee yesterday.

"And we will have to be agile and decisive in our response, to tighten measures promptly, when it's necessary, to clamp down on the spread and to avoid going into a second circuit breaker. I hope Singaporeans will work with us and not let down our guard."

He added: "It is not time to relax yet. This is a marathon. Let's keep jogging. Let's keep ourselves safe.

"Don't make the mistake which other countries have done, celebrate too early, relax too fast, let your guard down, cause another wave to come - very often worse than the first - and more nasty drastic measures become necessary."

In his speech, PM Lee noted that with the global recession less protracted than feared, Singapore's economy could achieve growth of 6 per cent or better this year.

But this would only bring it back to where it was before the pandemic, and sectors like aviation, tourism and construction are still not out of the woods, he said.

The recent ban on travellers from India, amid record daily infections surpassing 300,000 there, has worsened the situation for the construction sector, he added.

The Government is therefore working on emergency legislation to help "share the burden more fairly between the different parties - the contractors, the developers and the buyers", he said. It hopes to introduce the laws when Parliament next sits, on May 10.

PM Lee stressed the importance of ensuring the well-being, health and safety of construction workers. Protecting vulnerable groups in society is a key priority, he added, saying he planned to speak on moves to support lower-income workers at the National Day Rally in August.

He said the Government has provided relief to help companies tide over the crisis, drawing on more than $50 billion from past reserves to fund initiatives like the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS).

The wage subsidies scheme, extended until September for the hardest-hit sectors, has been applauded by many union leaders who had asked him if it could be extended further, he added.

"I said, we would think about this carefully. But please remember: JSS is artificial life support. It keeps us breathing for a while, but it doesn't cure us, and it doesn't last forever," said PM Lee.

"We must find a way to fully recover, to get back on our feet, to build new muscles to move Singapore forward again."

May Day 2020: Long, hard road ahead to recovery from COVID-19, PM Lee Hsien Loong cautions

Things won't return to normal once circuit breaker ends, but Singapore can pull through crisis, he says
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 1 May 2020

The road to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will be long and hard, and Singaporeans must be under no illusion that everything will return to normal once the circuit breaker ends or infection numbers come down, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.

In the short term, workers must accept wage sacrifices to keep businesses going, and employers must make every effort to keep their staff and help them through the crisis.

Further down the road, the economy will undergo structural changes that disrupt industries and cause job losses.

But Singapore has what it takes to succeed, PM Lee emphasised in his May Day message to workers, in which he laid out his strategy for getting the country through the immediate crisis and adapting to longer-term changes.



"We have experienced economic restructuring before, having done it more than once to get here," he said in a message that was televised last night in lieu of a physical rally, on account of the coronavirus outbreak.

"We have the resources to support businesses, invest in our workforce and take care of our people," said PM Lee.

He also highlighted the tripartite partnership between the Government, employers and the labour movement, which has helped the country weather many storms.



After the number of new COVID-19 cases falls, Singapore will ease circuit breaker measures and progressively restart its economy, PM Lee said.

But this will not be a straightforward undertaking and some sectors will have to wait longer than others to get back to business.

Meanwhile, the country needs to step up testing for the virus, speed up contact tracing and proceed cautiously, with safeguards, so that infection numbers do not rise again.

"Some industries will open up earlier than others, and recover sooner," PM Lee said.

"Other sectors will have to wait, especially those which attract crowds, or involve close contact with other people, such as entertainment outlets and large-scale sporting events."

The sectors to be opened up first include those that are critical to keeping Singapore's economy going domestically, as well as those that keep the country connected to the world and global supply chains.



Meanwhile, Singapore must keep all other industries "intact, ready to resume business when conditions allow". This demands close cooperation between companies, workers and the Government, PM Lee said.

He noted that tourism and aviation are likely to take much longer to recover than the rest, because international travel will remain restricted as long as COVID-19 poses a global threat.

"Air transport is fundamental to Singapore's role as a global and regional hub. It is a strategic sector. This is why the Government is providing extra support for aviation," he said.

PM Lee stressed that the Government is determined that badly hit national carrier Singapore Airlines will weather the crisis.

"SIA has always flown Singapore's flag high all over the world, and made us proud. We will spare no effort to enable it to do so again."

In the longer term, PM Lee said, the pandemic will result in many changes to the global economy.

For instance, there will be more restrictions on the movement of goods and people, and countries will strive to rely less on imports for food and essential items such as medicines and face masks.

This will have major implications for global trade and investment, and Singapore will face a greater challenge than most countries because it is so small and globalised, PM Lee said.



"But we are not a people who will shrink from struggle. It took us blood, sweat and tears to get here," he said, adding that COVID-19 is this generation's challenge.

"It is now our turn to prove that we are worthy of our forebears, and up to the challenge before us. I have every confidence that we will prove more than equal to the task."

May Day Rally 2019: DPM Heng Swee Keat pledges 4G leaders' commitment to unions

Heng renews pledge first made by Lee Kuan Yew to uphold close working relationship between PAP and NTUC
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2019

In his first speech as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat yesterday underlined that the close and symbiotic relationship between the labour movement and the People's Action Party (PAP) will continue with his generation of leaders, and beyond.

He pledged that the party's fourth-generation leaders will work with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to renew Singapore and create a brighter future for its citizens.

"Today is the first time I'm speaking to you as leader of the next generation of PAP leaders," he told an audience of 1,600 unionists, workers, employers and Cabinet ministers at this year's May Day Rally.

Making reference to a landmark seminar in 1969, at which founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew underscored the necessity of trade unions, Mr Heng said: "I renew the pledge that Mr Lee made at your Modernisation Seminar 50 years ago, and that every prime minister has since renewed. I assure you, the close working relationship between the PAP and the NTUC, which underpins our unique and precious brand of tripartism, will continue into the 4G and beyond."

The 1969 seminar was a turning point for unions, setting them on a path of collaboration with employers and the Government, he noted.

Running cooperatives gave their leaders business experience, shifting their adversarial stance towards management to one based on cooperation and mutual benefit.

This approach was critical in enabling workers to ride change, he said. It is as vital today as Singapore tackles challenges from technological advances, globalisation and a changing workforce profile.



Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, outlined three strategies for the labour movement: work to transform the economy, prepare workers for jobs of the future through lifelong learning, and ensure economic growth remains inclusive.

He noted that many people in advanced economies are frustrated as wages stagnate, political systems malfunction and living conditions remain stagnant. "We cannot guarantee the same will not happen here. But we can and must try to avoid a similar fate," he said. "And the key to that is tripartism and the continued vitality of our unions."

NTUC backs the PAP because the party has kept faith with the unions, while the party backs the labour movement because it has remained pro-worker, he added.

NTUC, he added, remains committed to the self-respect of every working man and woman, and believes that the purpose of economic development is to improve the lives of all in the workforce. "We strive for growth, in order to improve the lives of every Singaporean. The labour movement can be assured that the PAP will never abandon the working man and woman."

Mr Heng also said that the PAP's 4G leaders - including Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, current labour chief Ng Chee Meng and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung - have been involved in the labour movement in some way.

Mr Chan was NTUC's secretary-general before Mr Ng took on the role last year, while Mr Ong was formerly deputy secretary-general.



Yesterday also marked Mr Ng's first May Day Rally as labour chief. In an opening speech, he stressed that NTUC will work with the Government for the good of workers. "For what is economic growth - it is meaningless if it is not shared with our Singapore citizens and our Singapore workers," he said.

In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: "Today, we must again act boldly to champion transformation efforts that benefit workers through better wages, better work prospects and better welfare. Our future will continue to revolve around our workers and their families."

Rounding up his speech, Mr Heng said: "My colleagues and I recognise the importance of what we are inheriting - this shared sense of responsibility that the PAP and the NTUC owe to Singaporeans and Singapore... My generation of leaders is ready to take up the baton."

May Day Rally 2018

PM Lee Hsien Loong calls on next generation to open new Singapore chapter
Singaporeans must create new possibilities while keeping faith with trademark values: PM Lee
By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 May 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called on the new generation of Singaporeans to renew the country in an age of disruption while holding fast to the values that have made it successful.

The Pioneer Generation built modern Singapore from scratch, he noted. And succeeding generations weathered many crises to bring it to First World status.

Now, he wants the new generation "to open a new chapter, to create new possibilities and frontiers for our country".

He made the call at the annual May Day Rally attended by 1,600 unionists, workers, employers and Cabinet ministers.

In striving for a new future, he said, Singaporeans must keep faith with the country's trademark values: the instinct to plan ahead; the drive to do better; the sense of mission; and the duty of stewardship.

"This shared responsibility, this shared sense of mission, is our strength.

"It is how we will show others - and show ourselves too - that Singapore will always have what it takes to endure and to succeed," he added, while highlighting what lies ahead for the economy and how the country is responding to technological disruption.

Last year, improved productivity helped the economy grow a better-than-expected 3.6 per cent, he said.

There is a good chance it will grow by more than 2.5 per cent this year if the momentum of economic restructuring is sustained.

Growth this year is forecast to be between 1.5 and 3.5 per cent. But hitting this target also hinges on the external environment, which is clouded by tensions, said Mr Lee.

He emphasised again a theme of speeches he had made at various international meetings in the past weeks: the importance of free trade and investments. This is being threatened by the strained trade relations between the United States and China, sparking fears of a trade war, which could escalate into a more serious row if countries are forced to take sides, he added.

After the US unilaterally imposed tariffs on US$50 billion (S$66 billion) worth of Chinese goods, "the Chinese, politely but firmly, said they do not want a fight", said PM Lee. But if there is a fight, they will take on the US "every step of the way, to the bitter end", he added, saying Singapore would surely suffer collateral damage in such a situation.

He warned unambiguously that what is at stake is not just trade, but war and peace.But as the dark clouds on the horizon will take time to reach us, Singapore's economy will be all right this year as long as efforts to strengthen it continue.

The labour movement plays a critical role in the journey of change, he said, describing how disruptive technology has brought radical changes.

May Day Rally 2017: Jobs, jobs, jobs

PM Lee: Jobs must be a key focus for Singapore to thrive
Next generation of ministers to work as a team and lead drive to transform economy
By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 2 May 2017

Jobs must be a key focus for Singapore to stay relevant and thrive in a more challenging global economy, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the May Day Rally.

He outlined three key strategies yesterday: Creating new jobs, finding alternative jobs for displaced workers, and training workers to grow in their jobs to prepare for the future.

Leading the charge to implement plans to ensure key industries can transform and create jobs is the next generation of ministers.

Mr Lee announced that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will be chairman of a Future Economy Council. On it are ministers S. Iswaran, Chan Chun Sing, Ong Ye Kung and Lawrence Wong, and a number of younger ministers.

Their task is to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Future Economy, which in February released its report on how Singapore can prepare for the long term, including through Industry Transformation Maps.

Mr Lee said the council's work will take time, beyond the current Government's term. It is also a chance for younger ministers to work as a team, as their generation will be leading Singapore forward.

He noted that while the mood for Labour Day celebrations was better than last year's, risks remained, like that of a global trade war.

Singapore's unemployment rate may rise further as the country faces pressures similar to those in other developed countries - industries restructuring, the workforce ageing, and older workers who lose jobs taking longer to find new ones.

"We have got to understand this trend but, at the same time, we have to work hard to resist it, to keep our workers in jobs," he said.

The first strategy of creating new jobs entails bringing in new businesses and investments and upgrading existing companies. This has been Singapore's winning formula for 50 years, for without a business-friendly climate, there will be no new jobs, Mr Lee noted.

He cited recent projects like Google's new campus and its work to help train small and medium- sized enterprises to go digital.

Second, workers who lose their jobs, especially professionals, managers, executives and technicians, must be helped to find alternative ones. Various schemes have been expanded to match workers to jobs and help them switch, but workers should be open-minded and flexible, he said. Employers have to be open to hiring mature workers too.

Third, workers must get support to upgrade their skills and knowledge, as fellow workers elsewhere are catching up fast.

Gearing up for PMET economy

By Joanna Seow, The Straits Times, 6 May 2016

The majority of the workforce here - just over one in two - are professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). By 2030, every two in three workers will fall into this group.

The group warrants attention because its growing size will accentuate problems that are already cropping up in the economic slowdown.

PMETs tend to make up a higher share of laid-off workers than their share of the resident workforce, partly because their jobs are often more susceptible to business cycle downturns. PMETs on average also take longer than the average resident to get back into a job after being laid off.

The labour movement wants to bring more of such people into its fold.

Career guidance, training, networking and job placement are among the services it can provide, said National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Chan Chun Sing and president Mary Liew in a combined May Day message last week.

Such help should provide some relief for workers, especially those worried about retrenchment - a topic clearly on the mind of policymakers as well.

Last month, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say announced enhancements to measures that help retrain and match laid-off PMETs with comparable jobs during the debate on his ministry's budget.

Preparing for the eventuality of the vast majority of workers wanting to work in PMET jobs must start early, and it has - the SkillsFuture initiative has been rolled out with the aim of matching workers' skills more accurately with industry needs.

The challenge going forward is to keep growing the economy so as to continue providing good jobs for Singaporeans, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his May Day Rally speech on Sunday.

When 2030 comes around, the kinds of jobs and functions that PMETs will have in the economy may be quite different from the present ones.

Workers will need to keep an eye on the changing nature of jobs and take charge of their own careers.