2024 marked the final May Day Rally Speech by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong before he passes the baton to DPM Lawrence Wong on 15 May. The event, held at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre was attended by over 1,700 unionists, tripartite partners, and guests. This year’s theme was “In Solidarity, We Take Action Because We Care”.
PM Lee commenced his address by acknowledging the pivotal role of the tripartite partnership between the labour movement, employers, and the government in Singapore’s success. Expressing his gratitude to union leaders, he mentioned that the unique partnership has been instrumental in driving economic growth, navigating challenges, and enhancing the well-being of workers over the last 20 years.
Here are 5 important takeaways we learned from PM Lee’s May Day Rally address.
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#1 Building On The Successes Of His Predecessors
PM Lee reflected on Singapore’s initial days since its independence in 1965 by paying tribute to the past contributions and achievements of his predecessors, Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Goh Chok Tong. The previous leaders not only helped to develop the country’s economy, but also established key building blocks such as multiracialism and a government renowned for its integrity and competence.
Since assuming the PM role in 2004, PM Lee has further grown Singapore’s economy through a concerted effort to diversify the economic base. This includes investing in promising sectors such as biotech, IT, transportation, and financial services. These efforts have enabled the country to move up the value chain from factories and production lines to R&D in pharmaceuticals and nanotechnology.
Today, as we embrace the forefront of Artificial Intelligence, we have also broadened our international trade partnerships and enhanced our role as a regional hub and a global node. These have boosted attracting multi-national corporations (MNCs) to Singapore as well as paving the way for Singapore companies to venture into overseas markets.
#2 Transforming Our Education System With A Broader And Holistic Approach
On the note of improving everyone’s lives, PM Lee stressed the government’s commitment to creating brighter prospects and wider opportunities for the future generation. Central to this commitment is transforming the education system with a broader and more holistic approach.
In Singapore, students enrolled in any school, including neighbourhood schools, have access to multiple and diverse pathways. Many of these schools offer specialised programmes, such as music, dance, sports, and robotics, in addition to traditional courses like science and the arts, to cater to a wide range of talents and interests.
With a low youth unemployment rate, PM Lee promised there would be opportunities for everyone, regardless of their talents. He highlighted the emergence of new career paths such as data scientists, machine learning engineers, carbon traders, and novel food biotechnologists that were unavailable during their parents’ generation.
#3 Taking Pride As A Society In Whatever We Do And Doing It Well
PM Lee commended Singaporean workers for taking pride in their work and striving for excellence. Though we may all not hold top jobs, he said that Singaporeans take their responsibilities seriously by showing mastery in their work and trying to do their jobs well.
He mentioned that during his interactions with public and private sector personnel, there is a mutual respect and decorum—and no bowing or scraping—which trade unions have helped to establish. He shared how many Singaporeans go the extra mile, including policemen and SCDF personnel, who come forward as first responders even when off duty, which reflects not just training and discipline but also a deep professionalism, self-motivation, and sense of duty.
This has created a society that is egalitarian and meritocratic in its ethos, where those who have done well feel a sense of duty to give back to the society that nurtured them.
#4 Important Role Of Tripartism In Establishing Singapore’s Status
The tripartite partnership between NTUC and the government has been pivotal in seeing through Singapore’s transition from Third World to First. A significant milestone occurred in 1969 with NTUC’s Modernisation Seminar, which replaced the old adversarial approach of union versus employers to a cooperative, tripartite strategy based on trust and confidence.
Subsequently, the National Wages Council (NWC) was established to aid in the constructive process of annual wage negotiations and assure workers of their fair share of economic growth. PM Lee cited the sudden and severe crisis in 1985, which required slashing business costs to restore competitiveness, including cutting employer CPF contributions. The policy was implemented with the aid of NTUC, which explained the importance of wage cuts to workers. The move was eventually proven right, with the economy recovering within the year itself.
Beyond crises, the tripartism collaboration ensured that every Singaporean reaped benefit from the fruits of economic growth. This could be through a direct wage growth, or indirectly with better homes, schools, hospitals, and generally a healthier environment to raise a family.
PM Lee underscored the ongoing relevance of unions, particularly with geopolitical and economic uncertainty. This entails protecting a broader workforce beyond blue-collar workers, to graduates, professionals, platform workers, and the self-employed.
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#5 Forging The Next 50 Years Ahead
Offering a glimpse into Singapore’s future, PM Lee shared a few plans that the country has embarked on. These include the construction of a new megaport at Tuas and a new Terminal 5 at Changi to strengthen our air and sea hubs. Additionally, though it may be a difficult journey, Singapore is committed to decarbonising its economy to reach its net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.
There are also plans to reclaim a Long Island along the east coast, which will serve multiple purposes, such as protecting against rising sea levels, expanding our landmass, and also providing for an additional freshwater reservoir.
Given Singapore’s limited land size, optimising prime land space was the primary reason for the relocation of the Paya Lebar Airbase and the PSA’s Sea Port operations at Southern Waterfront to Tuas. These would allow for the redevelopment of Paya Lebar and the Greater Southern Waterfront, creating more work, live, and play spaces.
Read Also: Guide To Tuas Mega Port – World’s Largest Fully Automated Port In Our Backyard
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