Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong underscores the Government’s partnership with the Labour Movement at the NTUC Ordinary Delegates Conference 2025.
The Government is committed to working closely with NTUC, the Labour Movement and the business community to keep tripartite partnership strong in a rapidly changing global landscape, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
He was speaking at NTUC’s Ordinary Delegates’ Conference (ODC) held on 13 November 2025 at Downtown East.
“For more than six decades, NTUC has been a vital partner in Singapore’s story – standing with workers through change; helping companies grow stronger; and keeping our society cohesive and forward-looking.
“Tripartism is one of Singapore’s unique strengths. We always say tripartism is our secret weapon in a competitive world.
“This did not happen by chance – it was built carefully over time, through trust, dialogue, and a shared conviction that progress must benefit both businesses and workers,” said Mr Gan, who is also the Minister for Trade and Industry.
He described the 2025 ODC as a “timely occasion to reaffirm that partnership and conviction,” highlighting that the collaboration between unions, employers and the Government will be even more crucial as Singapore navigates new economic realities, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven economy.
Mr Gan noted that tripartism has repeatedly proven its worth in times of crisis, from financial downturns to global pandemics.
As the world becomes more fragmented and competition for talent intensifies, he stressed that tripartism enables Singapore to “navigate change and transformation with confidence and stability.”
“It enables us to make hard decisions together when necessary, so that we can overcome crises, sustain growth and protect livelihoods,” he said.
Mr Gan, who chairs the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT), shared that the Taskforce had been set up with tripartite partners, including NTUC, to better sensemake the developments over the past few months on our companies and workers and to assess how we can better support them to adapt and transform.”
The insights will feed into the Government’s Economic Strategy Review, a new blueprint to strengthen Singapore’s growth, competitiveness and resilience in a changed world.
Mr Gan lauded NTUC for keeping pace with the evolving world of work, saying that while much has changed, the Labour Movement’s mission remains steadfast, and that is to champion “the interests, dignity and progress of every worker.”
He shared that over the last three years, NTUC has expanded its reach to PMEs, platform workers, and youth through its Every Worker Matters conversations.
More than 40,000 workers were engaged, providing valuable insights that shape new initiatives and policy directions.
Through its Whole-of-Integrated NTUC (W.I.N.) approach, NTUC has also strengthened its internal ecosystem, bringing together unions, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), NTUC LearningHub and the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTCi) to collectively reach more workers and employers.
He said that through the Company Training Committees (CTCs), “unions and employers are working together to redesign jobs, retrain workers and uplift productivity.
“Each successful CTC is not just a project – it is tripartite partnership in action.”
Looking ahead, Mr Gan emphasised that technological change would define Singapore’s next phase of growth.
AI, automation and digitalisation are reshaping industries. This presents both opportunities and anxieties.
“Workers [will] wonder, ‘will my job still exist? Will I be replaced? Will I be ready for what comes next?’
“Our challenge is to ensure that both our workers and our firms can move forward together into the new technological era,” he said.
He also commended NTUC for responding proactively through initiatives such as AI-Ready SG, which will help companies map their transformation journeys and equip employees with the skills needed for higher-value roles when it is launched in 2026.
“[It is] an important step forward to help workers and firms alike navigate the AI revolution,” he said.
NTUC has also launched its AI Career Coach, an AI-powered platform that supports jobseekers in every stage of their career journey, from job search to skills upgrading.
“These examples reflect how NTUC has always led, not by resisting change, but by shaping it together with our workers for the better,” he said.
As Singapore’s workforce evolves, Mr Gan underscored the need for NTUC to deepen its reach among PMEs and youth, while continuing to support mid-career workers and platform workers.
He said: “PMEs now make up more than half of employed residents. Younger workers care deeply about purpose, flexibility and continuous learning and upgrading.
“For NTUC to remain truly representative, it must deepen its reach among these groups This means bringing more PMEs and youth into the fold, not only as members, but also leaders and advocates.”
He added that the Labour Movement’s renewal is “not just about numbers; it is about sustaining the movement’s relevance for future generations.”
A more representative NTUC, DPM Gan said, would also strengthen tripartism by making it “more responsive, more relevant and more ready for the future.”
Mr Gan highlighted three key benefits of renewing and strengthening tripartism. They are:
He said: “The Government will continue to work closely with NTUC and our business community to keep the partnership strong.
“We will support enterprise transformation and innovation, expand training and career opportunities, and ensure that growth remains inclusive.”
He also urged employers to continue investing in their people, and for workers to stay adaptable and open to new opportunities.
“Each party has a role to play – and together, Singapore as a whole will become more resilient, more cohesive, and more confident about the future,” he said.
As NTUC looks ahead to its next National Delegates Conference in 2027, DPM Gan closed with a call to “refresh and strengthen the foundation of tripartism – the trust between unions, employers and the Government – that has been the cornerstone of our economic and social resilience.”
“By working together,” he concluded, “we can continue to build an economy that is competitive, a workforce that is confident, and a society where progress benefits all.”
For workers, discover more about AI Career Coach, part of NTUC’s AI-Ready SG initiative.
