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Minister Tan See Leng affirmed: "A level playing field is crucial for ensuring that every worker can achieve his or her fullest potential."
Speaking at the 112th International Labour Conference, Singapore's Minister for Manpower Dr. Tan See Leng has emphasised the need to create productive employment in the face of rapid technological disruptions to jobs and skills.
Sharing on Singapore's strategies to create productive employment, Minister Tan highlighted the enhancements to the Career Conversion Programmes which aim to help workers access good career opportunities — i.e., providing more salary support and monthly training allowance.
Singapore also hopes to shape norms towards fairer and more progressive workplaces. Minister Tan affirmed: "A level playing field is crucial for ensuring that every worker can achieve his or her fullest potential. We are working with tripartite partners to develop Workplace Fairness Legislation. "
Against this background, he cited that Singapore has recently announced Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests to guide workers and employers towards "win-win outcomes".
Lastly, Minister Tan also touched on efforts to uplift lower-wage workers, such as expanding the Progressive Wage Model. According to Minister Tan, this has been noted to benefit up to nine in 10 lower-wage workers.
"The platform economy has brought more opportunities for workers. However, platform workers’ protections require strengthening."
Recognising this need, Singapore will be introducing legislation which requires platform operators to provide financial support for platform workers injured at work. It is also looking to improve its retirement adequacy, to enable workers access to the benefits of collective representation.
An outpatient healthcare plan for migrant workers is also underway, where employers pay an annual fee for their workers who can then access a range of healthcare services.
Amidst all this, Singapore is continuing its partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
"I am pleased to announce that Singapore has joined the Global Coalition for Social Justice. We look forward to contributing to its mission to build a sustainable, equitable and socially just future.
"I am also pleased to share that we will be extending the ILO-Singapore Partnership Agreement. Singapore will continue to organise joint technical activities to support governments, employers and workers in ASEAN."
Singapore's partnerships for the clean economy
In similar news, Minister Tan has announced that Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam have established a Working Group to develop a regional cooperation framework which will support the development and deployment of subsea cables, as well as promote investments in renewable energy projects in the region. This hopes to create a conducive ecosystem for the ASEAN Power Grid.
This partnership was announced following the IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum, where Minister Tan also witnessed the signing of two memorandums of understanding (MOUs).
The first was a tripartite agreement between Sembcorp, Sojitz, and Kyushu Electric which sets the stage for a 200ktpa green ammonia project. Meanwhile, the second MOU was between Tokyo University and Vertex, signifying Singapore's ongoing efforts to foster innovation and startup collaboration.
"These engagements underscore our continuous pursuit of a dynamic economy powered by clean energy, bringing investment opportunities, and contributing to regional decarbonisation. Together, we are not just envisioning a greener future; we are actively building it."
Lead image / Minister for Manpower Dr. Tan See Leng Facebook
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