May Day Message 2025 by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng
This year, Singapore turns 60. As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded of what has brought us here — and what will carry us forward. One key reason for our resilience and progress is tripartism - the close partnership between the Government, unions and employers. Built on trust, mutual respect, and shared responsibility, tripartism is the bedrock of our economic progress, helping us create good jobs, and fair and progressive workplaces.
In today’s uncertain world, this foundation matters more than ever. We face unprecedented trade tensions and a breakdown of the rules-based international order. Major economies have imposed new tariffs, with more retaliation expected. Singapore, being small and open, will not be spared. As disruptions to trade and investments grow, so will the pressure on jobs and incomes.
In these times, we must sustain tripartism and our unity because it will anchor us through these uncertain times.
To our tripartite partners — NTUC and SNEF — thank you for your solidarity through the years. And to our workers: thank you for your strength and commitment. You are the ones who keep Singapore going, every single day.
Supporting workers at every stage of life
We are making real progress for workers — especially those with lower incomes.
From 2019 to 2024, real wages at the 20th percentile grew by 5.8% — faster than the median worker at 3.5%. This reflects years of steady effort through the Progressive Wage Model, Workfare, and joint efforts with unions and employers to raise standards in a sustainable way.
We also enhanced the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme from 2025, to strengthen support for lower-wage workers and help them build up their retirement savings.
For platform workers, we are among the first in the world to provide protections for them as a distinct group of workers. Thanks to strong tripartite collaboration, CPF contributions, work injury coverage, and a legal framework for representation are now in place — ensuring that platform workers are better protected while retaining flexibility.
For senior workers, we want to enable them to continue working if they wish to. The Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment will review our approach to senior employment and the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers will co-create solutions to make jobs and workplaces more age-friendly. CPF contributions for senior workers will continue to be increased, and the Government will extend the CPF Transition Offset for employers.
We aim to assure Singaporeans that they can meet their basic retirement needs so long as they work and contribute consistently to their CPF. And for those who are unable to, or lack the runway to work and save through CPF, we will uplift them through measures like the $9 billion Majulah Package, as well as the enhanced Silver Support Scheme and Matched Retirement Savings Scheme. No one will be left behind.
Helping businesses stay competitive
Supporting workers is only one side of the equation. The Government and the Labour Movement must also help our businesses transform and thrive – because this is the only way to create more good jobs, raise incomes, and ensure that there is more to share with everyone.
We know the pressures that employers face to transform, upskill, and stay agile in a fast-changing world. That is why we are backing them up with real support.
The Enterprise Workforce Transformation Package, which will cost over $400 million, helps companies invest in their workforce in tandem with business improvements. The $200 million top-up to the NTUC Company Training Committee Grant will continue to support businesses in implementing their transformation plans to achieve better outcomes for their business and workers.
This is tripartism in action — practical, sustained partnership that helps businesses stay competitive while bringing workers along.
Creating better workplaces for all
We continue to make progress in ensuring our workplaces are safe for our workers. Our workplace fatality rate in the last 5 years average around 1.1 per 100,000 workers, putting us amongst the best in class. Last year we also achieved the lowest major injury rate. It is crucial that we continue working together to maintain vigilance and discharge our collective responsibility to better safeguard workers’ lives and livelihoods.
To support the increasing number of working caregivers, we implemented the new Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests. Workers and employers now have clearer ground rules to discuss arrangements that work for both sides.
And most significantly, Parliament passed the Workplace Fairness Act earlier this year, reinforcing our stand against discrimination. It complements the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, to safeguard our fair and harmonious workplaces.
We must keep improving our workplaces. An engaged and productive workforce begins with workplaces that are safe, fair and inclusive.
The way forward
Singapore has come a long way — but there is more we can achieve together.
The road ahead will be more complex. Work will continue to evolve. Expectations will shift. As pressures from our respective constituencies grow, it will get harder to sustain tripartism. But true partnership is not measured in calm, but in how we hold on through the storm. We must sustain tripartism not because it is easy, but because it works.
The Ministry of Manpower’s new vision, Empowered Workforce, Thriving Workplaces, captures our direction. We want every worker to have opportunities to grow, every employer to succeed by investing in people, and every workplace to be one where everyone can contribute and belong.
This year also marks 70 years since MOM was first established. Times have changed since our early days as the Ministry of Labour and Welfare, but our commitment to support workers and partner employers never will.
So, on this May Day, let’s celebrate what we have achieved together. Let’s renew our commitment to each other — and continue building a future that is sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity for every Singaporean.
Happy May Day!