As NTUC marks 65 years, the Awards celebrates contributions shaped by a shared resolve to care for workers and support their continued progress
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) will honour a record 189 individuals and organisations at its annual NTUC May Day Awards ceremony at Orchid Country Club on Wednesday, 13 May 2026. As NTUC marks 65 years of championing workers’ interests and contributing to Singapore’s nation-building, this year’s awardees exemplify the resilience and compassion that have shaped the Labour Movement.
In line with the May Day 2026 theme, “Caring for You, Supporting Your Progress”, this year’s awardees span workers, management partners, union and public service leaders, as well as organisations.
160 distinguished individuals will be celebrated for their dedication, service, and exemplary contributions to the Labour Movement under the following categories:
a) Medal of Honour (Details of this top award will be shared in a separate press release soon. Embargoed until delivery of announcement on 13 May 2026, Wednesday)
b) Distinguished Service (Labour) #
c) Distinguished Service
d) Meritorious Service
e) Comrade of Labour (Star) #
f) Medal of Commendation (Gold)
g) Comrade of Labour #
h) Friend of Labour
i) Medal of Commendation
j) Partner of Labour Movement
k) Model Worker
Note: # indicates awards for union leaders
29 outstanding organisations will be recognised across the following categories for their contributions to the Labour Movement and workers' livelihoods:
a) Plaque of Commendation (Star)
b) Plaque of Commendation (Gold)
c) Plaque of Commendation
d) Partner of Labour Movement
Individual Higher Awardees: Leaders Who Stood Alongside Workers
The following individuals are recognised under NTUC’s Higher Awards. The Distinguished Service Award will be conferred on Chia Ngiang Hong, Management Council Member of NTUC Club, and Ng Chee Khern, Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower.
Nora Kang Kah Ai, President Emeritus of the DBS Staff Union (DBSSU), will receive the Distinguished Service (Labour) Award. Beginning her career in 1972, Nora served in the union for more than five decades, stood alongside workers and safeguarded their interests through times of transformation. During DBS’s digital transformation, she helped ease anxieties of workers, accelerated reskilling in artificial intelligence and data capabilities, and advanced fairer outcomes for workers through organisational change.
The Comrade of Labour (Star) Award will be conferred on seven union leaders from across transport, maritime, power and gas, healthcare, electronics, broadcasting, and insurance. Among them, Sukartini Mohd Mawar, General Treasurer of the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI) and Branch Chairman for Energizer Singapore Pte Ltd, championed productivity-linked wage progression to ensure that productivity gains were shared with workers. Also recognised are Tan Poh Lay, President of Singapore Insurance Employees' Union and Colin Neo Kay Choon, Executive Council Member of the National Taxi Association.
This year’s Medal of Commendation (Gold) recognises two leaders. James Wong, Deputy Secretary (Services) at the Ministry of Education, established competitive wage structures for educators; grew the annual teacher intake to future-proof the education workforce; and strengthened flexible work and career development pathways. Yuen Kuan Moon, Group Chief Executive Officer of Singtel, championed progressive wages and expanded union representation to include managerial-grade employees; strengthened skills training and employee development; and provided flexible work arrangements and well-being support for workers.
Strengthening Workers' Voices on The Ground
The Comrade of Labour Award will be conferred on union leaders representing workers across multiple sectors. Heng Puay Ling, General Secretary of the Port Officers' Union and Senior Operations Manager at PSA Corporation Ltd, secured favourable compensation packages for senior operations executives and worked closely with management to facilitate training programmes and job rotation opportunities for union members. Also recognised for his contribution on the ground is Devaraj Kandasamy, General Treasurer of the Banking and Financial Services Union.
Model Workers Leading by Example
Grace Krishnan, a Senior Patient Service Associate Executive at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) for 20 years, will be conferred the Model Worker Award. She pursued a Diploma in Healthcare Management while working full-time, applying her training to establish operational workflows to improve service delivery. During the National Billing System rollout in 2025, she guided colleagues through digital tools, helping them transition smoothly and manage their responsibilities. She encouraged colleagues to embrace digital tools and workplace capability initiatives while sharing her knowledge and experience; and Salehin Mohamad Ali, a Senior Driving Instructor at Singapore Safety Driving Centre, who will be awarded for representing members in wage negotiations, anticipating workplace challenges, and his commitment to upskilling.
Among the Partner of the Labour Movement awardees, Adrian Raj Angappan of Amity Global Institute has been an advocate for union partnership. He shared how the CTC framework strengthened capability development, improved training structures, and uplifted its workforce. His engagement with the Education Services Union also paved the way for the organisation's unionisation, extending representation to workers. Also recognised are Krishnasamy Jayaprema, President of the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), whose collaboration with NTUC Women and Family has engaged migrant domestic workers and employers through community events and partnerships; and Maxim Tint, President of the Tech Talent Assembly, for advancing skills development, including in artificial intelligence, and supporting career growth among tech professionals.
Organisations That Have Shaped Singapore’s Workforce
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Singtel, and ST Engineering are this year’s recipients of the Plaque of Commendation (Star). CAAS is a strong champion of tripartism as a pillar of strength for the Singapore aviation sector amidst a more complex and challenging operating environment. It works closely with the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster of unions to jointly develop strategies and initiatives that advance the air hub’s, aviation companies’ and workers’ interests and support workers in capability development to benefit from the growth of the aviation sector.
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) will receive the Plaque of Commendation (Gold). In close partnership with the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU), KTPH extended the retirement and re-employment ages from 1 July 2025, ahead of the national timeline. The hospital has also invested in job redesign, introduced a ward allowance, and expanded the definition of family under its Family Care Leave clause to support healthcare workers.
Vantive Manufacturing Pte Ltd, a Plaque of Commendation awardee, upheld a firm “no worker left behind” commitment during its recent spin-off from Baxter, achieving zero retrenchment for all Direct Labour employees through clear redeployment pathways, on-the-job training, and mentorship. The company formed a Company Training Committee with the Chemical Industries Employees’ Union (CIEU) to equip workers with digital tools, lean practices, and multi-skilling capabilities aligned with the Industry Transformation Maps, alongside structured wage growth guided by Progressive Wage Model principles.
Nine organisations and 29 individuals will be honoured with the Partner of Labour Movement Award in recognition of their sustained commitment to advancing workers’ welfare and the Labour Movement’s goals. White Beehoon Restaurant Pte Ltd has worked with NTUC SME Partners to adopt the Food Services Progressive Wage Model. The company has committed to a 5.5 per cent wage increment for 20 local workers and sponsors NTUC membership for all its employees. The company is also leveraging the CTC Grant to support kitchen automation, and in turn, commits to digital upskilling for its workers.
For more information and the full list of awardees, please refer to the Annexes A and B
