Introduction
Mr Deputy Speaker Sir, I declare my interest as the Secretary-General of NTUC.
At NTUC, we believe that every worker deserves a fair chance to succeed.
Fairness must rest on skill, performance and potential — not on personal traits that have no bearing on a person’s ability to do the job.
That is why NTUC has long championed for stronger, clearer and more enforceable protections against workplace discrimination — for all workers, including our PMEs who have told us they want greater assurance of fair and equal opportunity.
(a) For instance, in 2020-2021, as part of the SNEF-NTUC PME Taskforce, we spoke with over 10,000 PMEs, employers, and stakeholders.
(b) We heard many stories of workers – especially our mature PMEs over 40 – about being passed over due to their age or nationality.
(c) After a while, they doubted their own value, and it chipped away their self-confidence.
I am heartened that through NTUC and our tripartite partners’ efforts over many years, the Workplace Fairness Act was passed in January to strengthen protection against the most common forms of discrimination faced by our workers.
Enabling workers to have individual recourse in a fair and accessible manner, while preserving workplace harmony
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise in support of the Bill today, which represents a significant step forward in ensuring that workers can seek redress when they suffer discrimination.
For the first time, workers who face discrimination – whether in hiring, promotion or dismissal – will be able to obtain individual recourse, including compensation for losses suffered.
For workers, including PMEs, the process must be fair, accessible and expeditious — while preserving the trust and harmony between workers and employers.
That is why NTUC supports the mediation-first, judge-led approach to resolving workplace fairness disputes under the Bill.
(a) A mediation-first process opens the space for workers and employers to understand each other’s perspectives and fully explore the possibilities for amicable settlement at the earliest possible stage.
(b)The Employment Claim Tribunal (ECT’s) judge-led approach will help workers to navigate the claims process, without the need for costly legal representation which often places workers at a disadvantage position vis-à-vis employers.
(c) This claims process has worked well for other employment claims, such as salary and wrongful dismissal.
(d) According to MOM’s 2024 Employment Standards Report, more than 80% of employment claims were resolved at TADM within 2 months, with more than 90% of claimants fully recovering their salaries and payments at TADM and the ECT.
In other words, many workers – including PMEs – whose claims are not likely to exceed $250,000 – will have access to a tried and tested process to resolve workplace fairness claims fairly and quickly – without the need to incur legal fees.
This is therefore not only about giving each worker fair recourse. But it’s also a clear and trusted system that encourages employers to reflect on their own practices and uphold fairness at every stage of employment. When workers know they can raise issues safely, and employers know what fairness requires, workplace culture improves for all.
At the end of the day, all of us want a fairer Singapore — where workers are valued for their skills and contributions, not penalised for traits that have nothing to do with their workplace performance.
Unions play a vital role in resolving disputes
Mr Deputy Speaker, even within a fair system, many workers may still feel anxious about facing the process alone.
It can be daunting. Laws can be complex. And while firms are required to have fair grievance-handling processes, workers want assurance – that they will be treated fairly and protected against retaliation.
So, if you are a union member, you need not face this alone. NTUC and our Unions are here to guide you every step of the way – from the moment a dispute arises, through mediation, and if needed, all the way to the ECT (Employment Claims Tribunal).
For many years, Unions have been quietly supporting our workers – drawing on deep industrial relations experience and established relationships with employers.
Around 95% of workplace disputes surfaced to NTUC-affiliated Unions are resolved at the company level, avoiding the need for further escalation.
I am glad that the Bill recognises and affirms the vital role played by our Unions. With the ECT claims limit being raised to $250,000 for workplace fairness claims, our Unions can now support and represent even more members – especially our PMEs.
Like MOM, NTUC is also stepping up training for our Unions and NTUC officers.
(a) NTUC’s Ong Teng Cheong labour Leadership Institute is working with TAFEP on courses for our union leaders and industrial relations officers to equip them to handle workplace fairness claims.
(b) We are also actively exploring mediation training provided by the Singapore Mediation Centre for our union leaders and industrial relations officers.
(c) In addition, we will be looking at how to provide legal support for more complex cases.
For NTUC members in non-unionised companies, our staff team of industrial relations experts and Tripartite Mediation Advisors at NTUC stand ready to support and advise you on any claim.
Calls/Clarifications for Awareness and Future Readiness
Mr Deputy Speaker Sir, as this is a new piece of legislation, ground awareness and understanding among workers and employers are key. I am glad to hear from the Minister’s speech about how Government, together with tripartite partners, will help workers and employers navigate this process.
I wanted to ask that question, but thanks to Minister Tan See Leng’ s speech, I have clarity that tripartite partners will follow through with the implementation and up our game in supporting a fair resolution of any disputes.
But I do have a couple of questions that I would like to propose to the Minister. For workers, I know that the time limits to file claims – while broadly in line with the time-bars for other employment claims today – still can be quite tight. Workers have 1 month, 6 months, and 1 month respectively to file claims for pre-, in- and end-employment claims.
Could the Government consider more flexibility in exceptional cases – for example, if a worker did not reasonably know that they were being discriminated against? The ground can be very uneven. Some of our workers may not have access to the English language and may face many difficulties in understanding that they have been discriminated against. So, it will be appreciated if the Government can consider a little bit of flexibility in such exceptional cases.
Finally, as workplaces evolve, new challenges will emerge. AI-based hiring tools could be used for efficiency but could unintentionally favour certain groups over others. I hope that together with tripartite partners, we can study how to ensure that such AI systems are fairly used, transparent, and accountable – so that technology helps workers, rather than hinder them.
Mandarin Soundbite
Mr Deputy Speaker, in Chinese please.
职总深信，每位工友，无论年龄或背景，都应凭技能、表现和潜力，拥有公平的机会。
这项法案，是我们迈出的重要一步，也肯定了工会在推动职场公平方面的关键角色。
一直以来，我们的工会默默帮助面对歧视的工友。大约95%的职场纠纷案，在工会的协助下，都能在企业层面解决。
随着法案的调整，我们的工会将可以帮助和代表更多工友 —— 包括专业人士、经理员和行政人员（PMEs），让他们有一个公平、可行的申诉途径。
职总和我们的工会将继续与工友同心同行，在面对 挑战 时，给予 他们引导、建议和支持。
我们也要鼓励雇主趁这个计划，好好检视公司的文化和人力资源做法，确保公平和唯才是举， 不只是挂在墙上的口号，而是真正落实的事。
我们也会与劳资政伙伴携手合作，共同打造一个能让每个工友都被重视、都被尊重、并拥有成长机会的职场环境。
Conclusion
Mr Deputy Speaker Sir, we have come a long way in strengthening protection against workplace discrimination. NTUC and our unions are heartened by the progress made together with our tripartite partners through the Workplace Fairness Act.
But laws alone cannot create fairness. There is still work to be done to shift mindsets, raise HR standards, and nurture strong labour-management cooperation — so that fairness becomes part of our workplace culture.
NTUC and our unions will keep working steadfastly with employers and Government to make fairness a lived reality — where every worker is valued for their contribution, treated with dignity, and given a fair chance to progress. Because Every Worker Matters.
I support the bill.
