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To my dear sisters and brothers - Happy National Day!
9 August marks 53 years of Singapore’s independence. Our pioneers worked hard to build a country that is united, progressive and harmonious, based on common values of integrity, meritocracy, and pragmatism.
In Singapore, our political environment is stable and our institutions are renowned for their excellence. With a strong tripartite partnership, a fair and transparent legal system, as well as a hardworking workforce, businesses continue to thrive in Singapore.
Internationally, Singapore’s standing is high. For example, just over the last few months, we hosted several global events, including the monumental Trump-Kim summit. This shows the high international regard for us.
We enjoy the fruits of our pioneers’ labour today. It is now our turn and duty to build upon this strong foundation for an even better Singapore for future generations.
We will do this by continuing to fight as a team, and by always delivering above expectations. We must continue to attract more and better quality investments to create exciting opportunities for Singaporeans. Our past and present success will spur us to greater efforts and not lull us into complacency.
With rapid technological advancements and geopolitical shifts, economies and jobs around the world are being disrupted. The way we live and work are being reshaped. How fast and how well we adapt, innovate and transform will decide Singapore’s fortunes and Singaporeans’ living standards. For this reason, we have no option. We must succeed!
In 2018, our economy grew steadily, building on the better-than-expected growth in 2017. Total employment increased substantially, even though retrenchment and unemployment rates crept up slightly in Q2 2018.
Our workers are the core of our success. To support our workers, the Labour Movement will focus on five areas:
i. Push for better wages, better welfare and better work prospects for our workers.
ii. Roll out Progressive Wage Models and better working conditions for lift technicians as the immediate next sector, and explore the uplifting of other sectors as well.
iii. Review the retirement age and strengthen re-employment guidelines for mature workers.
iv. Make the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) real for our workers by improving training programmes so as to help them upskill and reskill for better job and wage prospects in the future.
v. Alleviate the impact of cost of living by helping workers stretch their hard-earned dollars through NTUC Social Enterprises.
The Labour Movement will do all we can to help. We ask our workers to press on and gear up their skills. We need to train up to keep up, skill up to move up.
Let us celebrate National Day with pride and enthusiasm. Let us focus our energies on practical efforts to improve the lives and livelihoods of our fellow Singaporeans. Let us stand united, stay harmonious and be prepared to seize the future.
I wish everyone an enjoyable National Day!
