DPM Gan Kim Yong at the NTUC Ordinary Delegates Conference 2025

Brothers and sisters, good morning
NTUC President Sister K Thanaletchimi
NTUC Secretary-General Brother Ng Chee Meng
Union leaders, tripartite partners, delegates and friends,

Introduction

Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to join you at this year’s Ordinary Delegates Conference.

For more than six decades, NTUC has been a vital partner in Singapore’s story – standing with workers through change; helping companies adapt and grow stronger; and keeping our society cohesive and forward-looking.

Indeed, tripartism is one of Singapore’s unique strengths. We always say that tripartism is our secret weapon in this competitive world.

This did not happen by chance – it was built carefully over time, through trust, dialogue, and a shared conviction that progress must benefit both businesses and workers.

This partnership has also been tested time and again during every crisis, financial crises and pandemics alike.

Today’s Ordinary Delegates Conference is a timely occasion to reaffirm that partnership and conviction. The world around us is changing rapidly, and the partnership that has served us well in the past will become even more important in the years ahead.

What NTUC has achieved

In the world of work, for example, much has changed, but NTUC’s mission has remained– to champion the interests, dignity and progress of every worker, because every worker matters.

Over the past three years, NTUC has expanded its reach, including to Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs), platform workers and youth.

Through the ‘Every Worker Matters’ conversations, NTUC has engaged more than 40,000 workers to understand their aspirations, anxieties and ideas for the future of work.

These insights have shaped initiatives and informed policy decisions.

At the same time, NTUC has strengthened its internal ecosystem.

The Whole of Integrated NTUC (or W.I.N.) approach brings together the collective thoughts and strengths of unions, e2i, NTUC Learning Hub and the Ong Teng Cheong Labour leadership Institute.

It mobilises NTUC’s capabilities and networks to ‘work together’ – to reach more workers, support more employers, and build more resilient companies.

And through more than 3,700 Company Training Committees (CTCs), unions and employers are also working together to redesign jobs, retrain workers and uplift productivity.

Each successful CTC is not just a project – it is tripartite partnership in action.

Together, these efforts show what it means for the Labour Movement to evolve with the times, and to keep workers at the centre of its mission. 

Why this matters even more now

The global environment is becoming more uncertain and fragmented.

Major economies are prioritising self-sufficiency and national security.

Technology is advancing faster than many can keep pace with.

And competition for investment and talent is intensifying globally.

In a world where many economies face deep divisions and confrontations between labour and capital, this symbiotic relationship between the PAP Government and NTUC, as well as our tripartite framework, is more important than ever.

This foundation of trust allows us to navigate change and transformation with confidence and stability.

It enables us to make hard decisions together when necessary, so that we can overcome crises, sustain growth and protect livelihoods.

It also gives businesses and investors confidence that Singapore remains a place where change can be managed responsibly, where policies are rational and predictable, and where workers and employers can both have a stake in our success.

This is why we had set up the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce with our tripartite partners, including NTUC, to better sensemake the developments over the past few months on our companies and workers, and to assess how we can better support them to respond to the impact of these changes.

For example, between April and July this year, NTUC polled more than 11,000 workers including youths and PMEs on the impact of the US tariffs.

Even as we address the immediate challenges, we have also embarked on the Economic Strategy Review to develop a new economic blueprint that will secure our growth, competitiveness and resilience in this changed world.

Besides geopolitics, technological change will define the next phase of our economy.

AI, automation and digitalisation are transforming industries – from logistics and healthcare, to finance and manufacturing.

These shifts hold immense promise for productivity uplift, but they also bring unease.

Workers wonder – will my job still exist? Will I be replaced? Will I be ready for what comes next?

Firms also worry about the pace of change, how to reskill and upskill their workers fast enough, and how to transform their businesses to be future ready.

Our challenge is to ensure that both our workers and our firms can move forward together into this new technological era.

I am glad to note that NTUC has responded proactively in this regard.

The new “AI-Ready SG” initiative is a good example, and an important step forward to help workers and firms navigate the AI revolution.

By leveraging the CTC system, the AI Ready SG initiative can help companies map their transformation journey, identify which roles will change, and equip their employees for new and higher-value tasks.

Workers, including PMEs, can map out their upskilling pathways, so that they may be better prepared to take advantage of the new opportunities that emerge.

This will ensure that both enterprise and workforce transformation can go hand in hand, so that we can move forward together towards better careers and better wages.

In addition, NTUC recently launched the AI Career Coach to support jobseekers in every stage of their job search journey. This AI-powered platform provides an all-in-one place to facilitate job search and career growth.

These examples reflect how NTUC has always led – not by resisting change, but by shaping it together with our workers for the better.

As the profile of our workforce evolves, so must the Labour Movement.

PMEs now make up more than half of employed residents.

Younger workers care deeply about purpose, flexibility and continuous learning and upgrading.

For NTUC to remain truly representative, it must also deepen its reach among these groups.

This means bringing more PMEs and youth into the fold – not only as members, but also as leaders and advocates.

Our delegates have rightly recognised this, and worked hard over the past few years to increase the proportion of youth and PME leaders in the Labour Movement.

At the same time, it must strengthen support for mid-career workers undergoing transition, and ensure that platform workers too, are protected and respected.

It must also reach into new growth areas, such as the green economy, digital services and advanced manufacturing, where new jobs are emerging. But these new jobs will require new skillsets.

This renewal is not just about numbers; it is also about sustaining the movement’s relevance for future generations to come.

A more representative NTUC will give voice to a wider range of workers, but also strengthen the foundation of our tripartite partnership, by making tripartism more responsive, more relevant and more ready for the future. This will benefit workers, businesses and the Government alike.

First, it gives us a clearer picture on the nature of work and how it is changing.

As NTUC reaches a wider range of workers – from rank-and-file to PMEs; and into new areas of work – we gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges on the ground.

This will help us anticipate shifts in industries earlier, identify where new skills will be needed, and design policies and programmes that are better aligned with what is happening in workplaces.

Tripartism will not only be a mechanism for working together, but for planning ahead together as well.

Second, it will help firms and workers transform together.

Through initiatives such as the CTCs, firms can integrate workforce upgrading into business strategy and transformation.

This will allow companies to adopt new technologies with greater confidence, while equipping workers with the skills to move into higher value-added jobs created by these technologies.

This keeps businesses competitive, and ensures that growth translates into better job opportunities and prospects for workers.

Third, it deepens trust and alignment across the economy.

As the workforce becomes more diverse, the Labour Movement must reflect all segments of the society.

This inclusiveness reinforces trust and keeps our labour environment effective and constructive.

For businesses, it will mean greater stability and confidence to invest; and for our workers, greater assurance that their interests are represented.

Ultimately, a stronger tripartite partnership will help us respond more swiftly and effectively to disruption, and strengthen the shared confidence that has been central to Singapore’s success.

The Government will continue to work closely with the NTUC and our business community to keep the partnership strong.

We will support enterprise transformation and innovation, expand training and career opportunities, and ensure that growth remains inclusive.

At the same time, employers must continue to invest in our people.

Unions must continue to engage and represent workers in new sectors and new forms of work.

And workers themselves must continue to learn, adapt and stay open to new opportunities.

Each party has a role to play – and together, Singapore as a whole will become more resilient, more cohesive, and more confident about the future.

Conclusion

As we look towards the next National Delegates Conference in 2027, let us refresh and strengthen the foundation of tripartism – the trust between unions, employers and the Government – that has been the cornerstone of our economic and social resilience.

By working together, we can continue to build an economy that is competitive, a workforce that is confident, and a society where progress benefits  everyone.

Thank you.