President, and Secretary-General of NTUC
President of SNEF
Brothers and Sisters of the Labour Movement
Comrades
Good morning and Happy May Day!
It is good to see all of you here, gathered together as one Labour Movement.
When we met last year, I said a storm was gathering. The world was becoming more dangerous. Trade barriers were going up. Uncertainty was rising. Risks were building.
When the storm came, we did not hide. We did not retreat. Companies did not simply cut costs and abandon workers. Unions did not resist change. Instead, we did what Singaporeans have always done. We worked together. We adapted. We came through stronger.
And our teamwork paid off. We saved jobs. Real incomes rose. Our economy performed better than expected. We weathered the storm because everyone in Singapore – businesses, unions and the Government – stood together as one.
So, this morning, I want to start by thanking every one of you. For your hard work. For your solidarity. But most of all, for keeping faith with Singapore!
New Storm
We did well last year. But there is no time to rest. The first storm has not passed fully. And already, another storm is upon us – and this one is more severe.
The situation in the Middle East has evolved, and it remains highly uncertain. Fighting has paused – for now. But tensions remain high. Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz; and the US has imposed blockades on Iranian ports. So we are in a tense stand-off. Neither side is willing to back down. And there is no clear path to resolution.
The Strait of Hormuz has been closed for more than two months. The impact is being felt, not just in higher prices, but also in tightening supply. And here in Asia, we are especially affected because of our high dependence on energy and other critical supplies from the Gulf. Some countries in our region are already facing fuel shortages. Airlines have cut flights. Factories are reporting delays. And the disruptions will not stop at energy. Fertiliser, food and other essential inputs will be hit next. We can expect shortages in more items to emerge.
Even when the Strait reopens, it will not be an immediate return to normal. Why? Because ports and energy infrastructure have been damaged. Shipping lanes will need to be cleared of mines. Confidence must be restored – that it is safe for ships to sail through, that insurance can be obtained and people are prepared to take risks to go through the Strait. These things do not recover overnight. It will take months at least before the situation stabilises.
So we should not expect this crisis to be over anytime soon. In fact, the pressures are likely to intensify. Supply disruptions will persist and may worsen in the months ahead. Globally, inflation will rise, spreading from energy to food, and then other essentials. Some economies may well slip into recession. And Singapore will feel the impact directly. Our growth this year will slow and inflation will be higher. And all this will put real pressure on businesses, workers and households.
Older Singaporeans may remember the oil shocks of the 1970s.
It was during that period that the world experienced “stagflation” in a major way – stagflation is a combination of stagnation and inflation. So you have high unemployment together with high inflation. It is the worst of both worlds, and deeply painful for businesses and workers.
Now, stagflation risks are rising again. The International Energy Agency in fact warns that the current crisis could be even more severe than what the world experienced in the 70s.
So we must brace ourselves — and be prepared for a more difficult period ahead. And I want to be upfront with all of you, so that we are mentally prepared.
But amidst these realities, we can also look ahead with quiet confidence. We do not face this crisis from a position of weakness. Singapore is better prepared – and in a much stronger position today.
And this position was built up over time. We made the hard choices early – managing our finances prudently and building up our reserves. At the same time, we invested to strengthen our energy resilience. We reclaimed land. We built Jurong Island. We developed our refining and petrochemical industries. We dug deep to create underground storage in the Jurong Rock Caverns. We had no oil, no natural gas – and no guarantee that any of this would work. But we pressed on and we built something that did not exist before.
And today, Singapore is a key node in global energy flows. This gives us a significant advantage. The world’s leading energy companies operate here – refining, storing and trading oil. They are connected to diverse supply networks around the world. So when one source is disrupted, they are able to draw on other sources. That is the advantage we have built over decades – not by chance, but through deliberate choices, sustained efforts and discipline. We made this happen together.
But none of this runs on its own. Behind all of our efforts are our people – our workers.
And this morning, I want to give a special shout-out to our Brothers and Sisters in the refineries, the power plants, and across the oil, petrochemical, energy and chemical sectors — these are our unions in what we call OPEC, the OPEC cluster. Not the OPEC you read about in the news — this is the OPEC that powers our economy every day. You work round-the-clock – through nights, weekends and holidays. So, thank you for your dedication – to keep the lights on and to keep Singapore going!
It is because of our workers. All of you. It is because of the choices we made decades ago, that we can respond to the crisis from a position of strength. So, we are working closely with like-minded countries to strengthen supply chain resilience and to provide mutual support. We are securing our supply lines for energy and other essential goods.
At the same time, we are stepping up support for Singaporeans. We acted early last month to roll out a support package. We are providing more help for businesses – especially those most affected by higher energy prices. As well as more support for households – U-Save rebates, enhanced cash payouts, and earlier CDC Vouchers.
The Government is doing its part. And businesses can step up too. For example, NTUC FairPrice, has frozen prices on essential items to keep them affordable. Thank you FairPrice. I encourage all companies to do what they can – support your workers, and help ease the burden on Singaporeans together.
I know what many of you are thinking. The CDC vouchers were meant for January next year. Now they have been brought forward. So you ask, will there still be support later on?
Let me put it this way to all you. The Government has moved quickly to put in place an initial response to the crisis. But we expect the situation to become more challenging over the course of this year, as I described just now. And if that happens, we will do more to help. Because in times like this, Singaporeans can count on one thing: your government will act. We will do so decisively, and we will stand with you, with every Singaporean, every step of the way.
AI Transformation
The reality in this changed world is that there will be more volatility – we will be facing storm after storm.
We cannot just hunker down, and hope that the skies will clear. We must move forward – to ride every storm with confidence, seize new opportunities, and strengthen our place in the world.
There are also deeper forces reshaping the global economy. And as we all know, the most significant of these is Artificial Intelligence, or AI.
AI is the defining technology of our time. Think about it, just four years ago, there was no such thing as ChatGPT. Today, everyone of you knows what it is about. Many of us use AI to draft emails or summarise reports. It has become part of our daily lives.
But this is only the beginning. At the frontier, AI is already transforming how work is done. For example, programming software these days is no longer written entirely line by line. Software engineers can describe what they want, and AI helps to generate and refine the code. Take Google as an example. Two years ago, AI wrote 25% of the new code for the company. Last year – 50%. Today, it is 75%. Now do not misunderstand. It does not mean that software engineers are no longer needed. In fact, they are still in demand in Google itself — they are paying top dollar for good software engineers. But the software engineers are changing their roles. They are no longer just coding, they are now architects, orchestraters, and system builders.
And now, we are moving into the era of AI agents. These go far beyond simple chatbots. They do not just answer your questions. They can plan and execute complex tasks from start to finish, all on their own. And when I speak to entrepreneurs, many of them say they are already using AI agents to manage social media, draft reports, handle their administrative work. These are workflows that used to require entire teams. Now a single person with AI agents can do all of that.
So the impact will be massive. AI will not just improve productivity. It will disrupt and reshape entire industries.
Singapore must ready ourselves to succeed in this new environment. And that is why we have set up the National AI Council – to coordinate our national effort. Our goal is clear: To build deep AI capabilities; to drive adoption across our economy; and to make Singapore a hub for AI innovation. But ultimately, our key objective is to ensure that AI benefits every worker – with better jobs and better opportunities.
We have just started this work but we are making good progress. The leading global companies are strengthening their AI activities here. Take Google as an example. They have been in Singapore for many years. Last year, they established Google DeepMind here in Singapore – that is their first AI research lab in Southeast Asia and it is hosted in Singapore. Their teams here work on cutting-edge AI and real-world applications. They bring together experts and scientists from around the world, with Singaporeans working alongside them. And I am very proud to say that one of these teams is led by a Singaporean. He is Yi Tay – a graduate from NTU. He is now helping to advance the work on Gemini; as many of you would know, Gemini is Google’s flagship AI model.
We will continue to attract more investments. And it is not just from the global tech leaders. But also from fast-growing start-ups. One example is Advanced Machine Intelligence – a company founded by Yann LeCun who is one of the world’s leading AI scientists. They are working on what is called “physical AI” – in other words, harnessing AI not just to generate text or images, but to understand and interact with the real world. Globally, they have four offices around the world. And Singapore is one of them. We are their base in Asia for this cutting-edge work.
So as we attract more of these investments, as we grow our AI ecosystem, we will ensure that opportunities for Singaporeans expand correspondingly.
And at the same time, we will help our own companies transform. Take DBS. They started investing in AI more than a decade ago. Over time, they have embedded it across their operations – improving productivity and creating new value. Today they are going further. They are training all their employees to use AI tools, and empowering them to build their own AI solutions to support their work. And by doing so, many of their employees have benefited and have expanded their job scope. Like Ali Jinah Mohamed Yusuf. He is here with us today. Jinah joined DBS 26 years ago after graduating from Singapore Poly. He started as a Customer Service Officer. And over the years, he kept learning and upgrading through different roles across the bank. When AI created new opportunities, he stepped up. He took up courses, learned new skills and learned how to apply AI in his work. Today, he leads a 20-person team in DBS’s Customer Centre – driving AI projects to improve service and operations. Well done!
So this is what AI transformation can look like – it is workers growing, adapting and moving into better roles.
Support for Workers
We want to support more of such job transformations. But I know not everyone feels ready. Many Singaporeans are anxious about AI. They ask: Will it replace jobs? Will it be harder to keep up? Will the next generation still have good opportunities? These concerns are real.
But let us think back about the past, because we have been through major technological transitions before. I remember when I started work in the mid-90s, tools like Excel spreadsheets were taking off. And there was an immediate impact – because offices everywhere needed fewer data entry clerks. But at the same time new opportunities emerged – there was demand for accountants and analysts who could use these tools well to create more value.
Of course, AI is far more powerful than spreadsheets. So the impact on our workplaces will be much greater.
And that is why I cannot promise that there will be no disruption. Jobs will change. Some will disappear. And the pace of change will be faster than anything we have seen before.
But this I can promise you: as our economy transforms, we will create new and better jobs. We may not be able to protect every job. But we will protect every worker. Because in Singapore, every worker matters!
Bringing about such inclusive growth – that does not happen by itself. And we will not leave it to chance or to the market entirely. Instead, we will take deliberate steps to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all.
And that is why the Government is strengthening our support for workers. We are bringing skills training and job matching closer together, by combining WSG and SSG into a new entity called the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) – jointly overseen by both MOM and MOE. We are strengthening SkillsFuture so you can learn through life and upgrade with confidence. And if you face a setback, we will support you, through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme.
The Government will provide the tools, the pathways, and the support. But we also need Singaporeans to step forward. Do not let anxiety or uncertainty hold you back from learning and using AI. AI is here to stay – so embrace it, learn it, use it and master it. Companies that do so will stay competitive. Workers who build AI skills will have better opportunities and prospects.
In my engagements with Singaporeans, I like to ask them: are you using AI? Almost everyone says yes. I am sure if I ask you in this room, everyone will say, “Yes we are using AI.” But when I probe further, many say they are using it like an enhanced search tool. You ask a question, you get an answer. That is a start. But it is really only scratching the surface. There is so much more that can be unlocked. And many tell me, “I want to do more – I just do not know where to start.
And that is why we are providing additional support. We are redesigning the SkillsFuture portal – so you can find courses suited to your needs more easily. And when you sign up for these courses, you will get access to premium AI tools free for 6 months. And I am glad to hear just now from Brother Chee Meng, Sec-Gen NTUC, that NTUC is also adding its support on top of the government support. So you can start learning, and you can start applying what you learn quickly. And in Singapore, that is our approach. That is our commitment to Singaporeans. You make the effort, and we will be there for you – every step of the way.
Tripartism in Action
We can do all this because of our uniquely Singaporean advantage: Tripartism. In so many other countries, change leads to division. Unions fight employers. Businesses look after themselves. And workers are left behind.
But in Singapore, we do things differently. Government, unions and employers work together – not as adversaries but as partners.
And we put this into practice through the Company Training Committees or CTCs, which you heard just now from Sec-Gen. It is an idea that originated from the Labour Movement. It brings companies, workers and unions together – to identify the skills needed for transformation and to put in place concrete plans to uplift workers.
So this is really tripartism in action – delivering win, win, win outcomes!
Take Tan Tock Seng Hospital. One of the responsibilities of a senior nurse is to plan the duty roster for nurses. You may think it is quite straightforward, but in fact, it is not a simple task at all. The senior nurse has to take into account many factors. There are hospital policies. There is the experience and skills of every nurse, which is somewhat different. There may be individual requests, because of family circumstances they want to work during certain times of the week. And then you have to ensure fairness in how shifts are assigned, because as all of you know, there are shifts, and there are shifts, right? Some shifts are more popular than other shifts, and what to do with the unpopular shifts? How to assign them fairly? So everything has to be carefully balanced – it is complex and tedious work. The senior nurses could spend over an hour just doing the roster. But through the CTC, the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union partnered with the nursing team. And together, they worked with IT experts on a solution. Nurse Manager Mo Minyi was deeply involved in this. She is here with us. She had to juggle her daily responsibilities while setting aside time for this work. And this was not just an IT project. It took multiple iterations – working through the details – to make sure the solution addressed the real, day-to-day challenges faced by nurses. And in the end, together, they developed an AI-powered rostering tool. And what used to take over an hour can now be done in just 15 minutes! The benefits go beyond efficiency and time-saving. Because better rostering has made the work more flexible – it allows more nurses including those with family commitments, to contribute and better manage their schedules. So now, everyone can work better, faster and smarter! Well done, Tan Tock Seng Hospital!
Another example is SMRT. I visited Bishan Depot earlier this year – I saw how much things have changed at the depot. Work there used to be physically demanding – workers had to manually handle every heavy equipment. Now it is supported by automation and robotics. Heavy equipment is moved by machines. The robots operate overnight and they prepare for the next day. And AI helps to schedule maintenance – matching the right job to the right technician based on experience. AI also helps to detect potential faults early – so the engineers can intervene before breakdowns occur.
And importantly again, all of these changes were made possible through the CTC – with the active involvement of the National Transport Workers’ Union and workers.
So together they adopted what the Japanese call a “kaizen” approach – continuous improvements across the entire organisation. And the result is that the workers are not just more productive, they are also more satisfied. Take Yahya Kharthi. He is 62 years old, and he joined SMRT more than 30 years ago. In the past the work was physically demanding and took a toll. His family worried for him and thought he should retire soon. But now with a better and safer work environment, he is ready and eager to keep going!
And what is most heartening to see is that the rewards from this transformation in SMRT are shared by all. The output on productivity of Bishan depot has gone up. Workers benefit through better wages and progression. And this year, SMRT is giving every employee a special "Kaizen Bonus" of $1,600 – on top of their regular bonus! As it should be! That is the way it should be — when companies do well, workers benefit too.
SMRT is not just transforming itself. It is also what we call a “Queen Bee” company. In other words, we are taking this CTC approach beyond a company, towards a cluster and setting up Queen Bee companies. And so Queen Bee companies like SMRT can help its network of SME contractors adopt new technology and improve operations. And by doing so, it uplifts standards and practices across the entire public transport ecosystem. So once again, good job SMRT!
At their heart, the CTCs are about more than just adopting technology. They are about empowering our workers. They ensure that when a company transforms, workers are not just passive bystanders to disruption. You are not just receiving orders from on high. Instead, you are active participants in the transformation journey, shaping your own future, making your work better, smarter and faster.
And because the CTC model has worked and delivered concrete results, we can now take it further.
So we plan to scale up this CTC approach for the AI transition – sector by sector, company by company. With AI, there is no one-size-fits-all solution – every sector is unique, and every company faces different constraints. But together, unions and employers can drive AI adoption for stronger growth and better jobs for our workers.
And that is exactly why we have set up the Tripartite Jobs Council. To bring together our tripartite resources. To coordinate our efforts, pool resources and guide this critical transformation work. Then we can ensure that our push for AI will complement workers and will always benefit workers. You heard just now from Sec-Gen Brother Ng Chee Meng about their plans through the Tripartite Job Council and what they hope to do. In Parliament next week, he will share more about NTUC’s plans, and the Government will support this important work.
Our Singapore Way
For sixty-five years now, the Labour Movement has walked alongside workers in Singapore through every major economic shift. From industrialisation in the 60s and 70s. To the computerisation wave in the 1980s. To globalisation in the 1990s. And from crisis to crisis – the Asian Financial Crisis, SARS, Global Financial Crisis, and most recently the Covid pandemic. So today, we pay tribute to all our union leaders past and present. Thank you very much for your steadfast dedication!
We have overcome every wave of disruption. And we will do so again – together!
Our tripartite system works. Others try to copy, they have the institutions, they have the name, but they cannot always replicate what we have. Because the special sauce, the special ingredient in Singapore is that we have built trust in one another. Now, we may not always agree all the time. In fact, there are hard conversations, even some ongoing now. Sometimes unions push. Employers push back. Sometimes the Government may have certain concerns over a few suggestions. But the conversation does not break down, it never breaks down. We keep talking. We keep working at it. And we do not just blindly copy what others do. We develop our own innovative solutions – practical, effective and suited to our needs.
So in Singapore, it is not Welfare; it is Workfare. It is not a Minimum Wage; but Progressive Wages. And it is not unemployment insurance; but it is Job Seeker Support. And this is the Singapore Way. We do not just talk – we act. We do not just plan – we deliver results. And together we take Singapore forward.
Conclusion
Brothers and Sisters, the road ahead will not be easy.
Look around the world today – conflict, disruption, rapid technological change. It is easy to feel overwhelmed.
We are and will always be a small nation – exposed, vulnerable with little margin for error.
But what defines Singapore is this: we do not give up. We do not abandon one another. Through every crisis, Singaporeans have shown one thing – we always take care of one another.
When the Middle East crisis broke out, and Singaporeans were stranded abroad, we acted quickly. We arranged for additional commercial flights. When conditions became too dangerous, we mobilised the SAF. We brought everyone home.
One Singaporean on that flight – Nisar Keshvani – wrote about what it felt like to come home on one of the RSAF flights. Let me share what he said.
‘Welcome home’. Those two words carried a weight I had never felt before. They were spoken by a Singapore Air Force serviceman as my family boarded the evacuation aircraft in Riyadh…We had not even taken off yet. But in that moment, something shifted inside the cabin. Passengers looked around quietly. Some smiled. Others wiped away tears…As the plane lifted off the runway, applause broke out. Then voices slowly rose across the cabin. Someone began singing Majulah Singapura. Others joined.
It was one of those moments when you realise that home is not simply a place on a map. It is something deeper — a shared identity, a sense of belonging, and the knowledge that when things go wrong, your country will come for you…
As the RSAF aircraft carried us home that night, the words “Welcome home” meant something entirely new. They were not just a greeting.
They were a promise. That wherever Singaporeans may be in the world, our nation will look after its own. And that is a promise worth protecting — generation after generation.
Brothers and Sisters, this promise lies at the heart of who we are. So whether it is an energy crisis, or the AI revolution — we will look after our own. No Singaporean will be left behind.
Our solidarity is our greatest strength. It carried us through every storm of the past. It gives us confidence today. And it will carry all of us forward – into the future we are building together.
So the road ahead may be bumpy, the stormy weather is ahead of us, but let us take heart Brothers and Sisters and fellow Singaporeans, we will get through this together. Majulah NTUC, Majulah PAP, Majulah Singapura! Happy May Day everyone!
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