149 individuals awarded at May Day Awards 2022

The awards ceremony was hosted by NTUC President Mary Liew and NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.

Held on 19 May 2022 (Thursday) at Fairmont Singapore, the NTUC May Day Awards 2022 saw the return of a fully physical ceremony, signalling Singapore’s gradual recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With 149 union leaders, tripartite partners, and model workers, this marks the highest number of awardees in the history of May Day Awards. 

The ceremony was hosted by NTUC President Mary Liew and NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, along with over 500 attendees - including awardees, their families, colleagues, friends, and tripartite partners.

Held yearly, The NTUC May Day Awards seeks to recognise individuals and organisations who have exemplified NTUC’s steadfast commitment to help members and workers achieve better wages, welfare and work prospects.

NTUC President Mary Liew commented: “This year, we are heartened to celebrate the highest number of exemplary leaders, workers and partners in the history of May Day Awards. 2022 bears witness to the gradual reopening of Singapore’s economy, which brought about challenges for our workers and companies while living with an endemic COVID-19 situation.

"Despite these challenges, the awardees this year have continued to put workers at the heart of all that we do, going above and beyond to push for better wages, welfare and work prospects for our workers. Their diverse contributions have upheld the true spirit of tripartism, and we honour them today at the NTUC May Day Awards.”

Consisting of union leaders, workers as well as management partners and companies, this year’s awardees have been recognised for their outstanding efforts and resilience in advancing workers’ interests and contributing towards the Labour Movement, whilst battling against a challenging economic climate.

Notable awardees

This year's awards recognised 28 organisations for strengthening labour-management relations and supporting the Labour Movement’s initiatives and their ongoing efforts to protect workers, ensuring workers’ wellbeing, and improving workers’ prospects through transformation efforts during the pandemic.

Organisations include Changi Airport Group, DBS Bank, Turbine Overhaul Services, ABC Bargain Centre, and On Cheong Jewellery. A total of 20 workers were also commended for being role models at their workplaces, by enhancing their employability through upskilling, as well as being adaptable to changing work environments.

Of the many awardees, several HR and manpower leaders were also recognised for their distinguished efforts across various categories: 

The top May Day Award – the Distinguished Service (Star) Award – was awarded to Bob Tan Beng Hai, Member of NTUC Club Management Council. The Distinguished Service (Star) Award is conferred on outstanding individuals who, after having received the Distinguished Service Award, are still active and continue to render significant contributions to the Labour Movement.

According to NTUC, Tan has been a dedicated member of the NTUC Club Management Council since 2003, continuously ensuring that the Club’s decisions are progressive and business-savvy through exploring different business models and partnership possibilities. "His contributions play a major part in helping NTUC Club fulfil its social mission of providing members with affordable recreational experiences of choice, guided by its core values of care, passion, trust and service," the union stated.

A total of 16 higher awards were presented this year. One of the most notable awardees was the late Richard Magnus, Chairman of the Public Transport Council (PTC), who was conferred the Distinguished Service Award posthumously. Magnus was honoured for his numerous contributions to Singapore’s public transport industry.

As the Chairman of the PTC, he invited the National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) to be part of the council, valuing their opinions to improve the lives of public transport workers. 

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