~ Awardees, including union leaders, tripartite partners and workers, were recognised for their contributions to the Labour Movement and workers ~
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will honour 143 exceptional individuals, including union leaders, tripartite partners and workers, during the NTUC May Day Awards at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre to be held on 25 April 2025, Friday. As Singapore commemorates 60 years of nation-building, the NTUC May Day Awards celebrate individuals who have positively impacted Singapore’s workforce and workers.
In line with the May Day 2025 theme, "For You, With You, Because You Matter," these 143 individuals have demonstrated unwavering commitment and care in championing workers’ interests. Including the previously announced 37 organisation awardees, a record total number of 180 May Day awardees will receive their awards from NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng at the NTUC May Day Awards 2025 ceremony.
In this second announcement for NTUC May Day Awards 2025, the 143 individual honourees will be awarded under the following categories:
a) Distinguished Comrade of Labour
c) Meritorious Service
d) Distinguished Service (Labour) #
e) Comrade of Labour (Star) #
f) Medal of Commendation (Gold)
g) Veteran of Labour #
h) Comrade of Labour #
i) Friend of Labour
j) Medal of Commendation
k) Partner of Labour Movement
l) Model Worker
Note: # indicates awards for union leaders.
Tripartite partners collaborate to advance workers’ interests
Among those receiving the NTUC May Day Awards this year are tripartite partners who have displayed steadfast commitment towards advancing workers’ interests. Notable awardees include Robert Yap Chin Kok, former President of Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF); Albert Cheng Yong Kim, Director of NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Limited; and Jason Chen, former Deputy Secretary (Workplaces) of the Ministry of Manpower.
Robert Yap Chin Kok will receive the Distinguished Service (Star). During Dr Yap’s decade-long tenure as the President of SNEF, he played a pivotal role in advancing tripartism, fostering harmonious workplace relations, and promoting responsible employment practices. He was instrumental in supporting the formation of the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers and advocating for structured wage progression. A strong advocate for PMEs, Dr Yap shaped career mobility and fair employment policies through the Joint NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce, ensuring that PMEs can adapt to evolving job market demands.
Union leaders stand alongside workers
Veteran union leaders have also been an integral part of the Labour Movement’s success, working tirelessly to protect and advance workers’ interests. Through their efforts to strengthen union representation and outreach, they have played a key role in ensuring that workers remain at the heart of Singapore’s progress.
The Distinguished Service (Labour) will be conferred on Toh Hock Poh, Consultant for Advanced Manufacturing Employees’ Union (AMEU). A long-serving leader in the Labour Movement, he began his service in 1979 as a union representative. Leading by example, he stepped down as President of the Metal Industries Workers’ Union to allow younger leaders to step up. Since then, he has generously shared his time and experience as a Consultant for AMEU, providing practical advice to navigate difficult situations and fostering strong labour-management relations with unionised companies.
In addition, the Comrade of Labour (Star) will be conferred on Patrick Sim Eng Hup, President of DBS Staff Union (DBSSU); Mabel Low Wan Yeong, General Secretary of Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union (IRASSU); and Muhammad Aswadi, General Secretary of United Workers of Petroleum Industry (UWPI), for their dedication to strengthening union representation and advancing worker interests.
Management partners place workers first
Employers and business leaders have been essential in shaping a progressive workforce by championing fair employment practices, investing in worker development, and fostering strong labour-management relations. Their commitment to upskilling workers, embracing business transformation, and safeguarding jobs has built a resilient economy and helped Singapore navigate economic uncertainties over the past sixty years while securing better wages, welfare, and work prospects for workers.
Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines Limited, will be conferred the Medal of Commendation (Gold). During the COVID-19 pandemic, he demonstrated exemplary leadership by collaborating closely with air transport unions to navigate the crisis. His efforts were instrumental in safeguarding jobs and minimising layoffs, ensuring the well-being of employees during these challenging times. A strong supporter of NTUC’s initiatives, he is an active mentor in the NTUC Executive Mentorship Programme, providing invaluable guidance and mentorship to his mentees.
Other notable awardees include Jeffrey Sim Vee Ming, Group Chief Executive Officer of SBS Transit Ltd; Ravinder Singh, Group Chief Operating Officer (Technology & Innovation) and President, Defence & Public Security of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd; and Stanley Huang Tian Guan, Group Chief Executive Officer of SP Group, who will receive the Medal of Commendation.
Model workers lead by example
Awardees of the Model Worker award exemplify Worker 4.0 , displaying the traits of Ready, Relevant and Resilient by improving their jobs through adopting/initiating productivity improvements and their employability through up-skilling as well as being adaptable to the changing work environment. Recipients include PMEs such as Ainul Mardhiyyah Mohamed Razib, Cyber Security Engineer at IBM Innovation Services Pte Ltd; Benedict Ng Min Zhong, Teacher (Chinese Language) at Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary); Raymond Sim, Operations Manager at Security & Risk Solutions Pte Ltd; and Mohammad Fadlin Mohamed Saffri, Senior Executive at Temasek Polytechnic.
For more information on the individual award categories and the full list of 143 individual awardees receiving the above awards and their citations, please visit: https://bit.ly/MDA2025-Individual . You may refer to Annex A as well.
