~Awardees across all sectors, from PMEs to lower-wage workers, were recognised for advancing workers’ interests and serving as role models~
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will honour 137 deserving individuals, including union leaders, tripartite partners, management representatives, and workers, during the NTUC May Day Awards ceremony held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on 10 May 2024, Friday. In line with the May Day 2024 theme, "In solidarity, we take action because we care", the annual event recognises awardees’ contributions in championing workers’ wages, welfare and work prospects. A record total number of 179 May Day awardees, including the previously announced 42 organisations awardees, will receive their awards from NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng at the ceremony.
This year, the individual honourees, who come from private and public sectors, have demonstrated unwavering support for the Labour Movement. They have embraced new programmes and solutions aimed at transforming the workplace and workforce, promoting lifelong learning to enhance workers’ employability, representing workers’ concerns and serving as exemplary leaders and role models.
In this second announcement for NTUC May Day Awards 2024, the 137 individual honourees will be awarded under the following categories:
a) Distinguished Service (Star) (More details on this top May Day Award for 2024 will be shared soon. Embargoed until delivery of announcement on 10 May 2024, Friday)
b) Distinguished Service
c) Meritorious Service
d) Distinguished Service (Labour) #
e) Comrade of Labour (Star)(Bar) #
f) Comrade of Labour (Star) #
g) Medal of Commendation (Gold)
h) Veteran of Labour #
i) Comrade of Labour #
j) Friend of Labour
k) Medal of Commendation
l) Partner of Labour Movement
m) Model Worker
Note: # indicates awards for union leaders.
A media release disseminated on 3 May 2024 detailed the list of 42 organisations who have been conferred with the May Day Awards this year.
Unionists Advocate Interests of All-Collar Workers, From Lower-Wage Workers to Professionals, Managers and Executives (PMEs)
Among the NTUC May Day Awards to be presented to individuals this year are union leaders with longstanding contributions to the Labour Movement. Two notable awardees include:
Lim Kuang Beng, Advisor to Education Services Union, Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU) and ST Engineering Staff Union (STESU), who will receive the Distinguished Service (Labour). Serving as a unionist since 1989, he played an instrumental role not only at the tripartite level, but also within NTUC and the union itself. His foresight in the scope of union representation encouraged him to consolidate efforts to collectively represent workers at ST Engineering, leading to the formation of STESU. Today, STESU is an all-collar union, representing different categories of workers.
Ong Hwee Liang, President of SIA Engineering Company Engineers and Executives Union, will receive the Comrade of Labour (Star)(Bar). The union leader dedicated nearly 30 years to protecting the rights and advancing the interests of workers, particularly those within the aerospace and aviation (A&A) cluster. He chaired and represented various councils and committees, fostering strong relationships with unions, corporations and government agencies, while enhancing the livelihoods of workers. For instance, as a member of the Workplace Safety and Health Council and National Wages Council, he helped elevate safety, service and wage standards in the A&A industry.
In addition, union leaders Benjamin Tang Chun Wai, President of the Port Officers’ Union, Ken Tan Yeong Kang, President of Public Utilities Board Employees’ Union, and Raymond Ong Thiam Khoon, President of National Taxi Association, will be conferred the Comrade of Labour (Star) at NTUC May Day Awards 2024.
Management Representatives Champion Workers’ Wages and Welfare
The Distinguished Service award will be conferred to Chong Kee Hiong, President of Orchid Country Club and Aranda Country Club, as well as Peter Seah, Chairman of National Wages Council and Chairman of Singapore Airlines Limited. The Distinguished Service award is conferred on persons who, after having received the Meritorious Service Award, are still active and continue to render significant contributions for three years or more to the Labour Movement.
Chong Kee Hiong’s strategic vision ensured the well-being of both employees and members. He implemented proactive measures to prioritise workers’ welfare, including promoting upskilling, facilitating inter-departmental learning and streamlining of duties for better efficiency. He also ensured that the facilities and activities to meet workers’ needs, offering them a holistic and enriching leisure experience.
Peter Seah has made significant contributions to improving workers’ wages and welfare as the Chairman of National Wages Council since 2015. He played a key role in developing the tripartite guidelines on various topics such as flexible wage system and wage recommendations for lower-wage workers. These guidelines were crucial in assisting companies avoid layoffs, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under his steadfast leadership, NWC also advocated for employers to provide a one-off special payment to lower-and middle-income workers in the NWC 2023/2024 guidelines. These initiatives complemented the Government’s efforts to help Singaporeans manage the higher cost of living.
Model Workers Inspire Peers Through Action
Awardees of the Model Worker award exemplify Worker 4.01 , displaying the traits of Ready, Relevant and Resilient by improving their jobs through adopting/initiating productivity improvements and their employability through up-skilling as well as being adaptable to the changing work environment. Among the recipients are PMEs and skilled professionals such as Hidayat Safiuddin, Assistant Nurse Clinician at National University Hospital, Joel Daniel Yap Jie Wei, Graphic Design Lead at Danamic, Jamal Abdulnasir Mohamed Kasbi, Senior Driving Instructor at Singapore Safety Driving Centre Ltd, Lau Sze Hui, Senior Teacher (Chinese Language) at the Ministry of Education, and Malini Subramaniam, Director of Industrial Relations and Membership at Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore.
For more information on the individual award categories and the full list of 137 individual awardees receiving the above awards and their citations, please visit: https://bit.ly/MDA2024-Individual . You may refer to Annex A as well.
[1] Worker 4.0 displays the traits of Ready, Relevant and Resilient. They are Ready for new jobs, Relevant for new skills and Resilient to new ways of working. Combined, these traits will help Worker 4.0 achieve better skills, and ultimately better Wages, better Welfare and better Work prospects.
[2] The website page will be updated on 6 May 2024.
