Tripartism is a key competitive advantage for Singapore, underpinning its economic edge, harmonious labour-management relations, and overall economic and social development and progress.

The tripartite partners – National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) – work in cooperation to shape Singapore’s future, forging consensus in developing strategies and taking collective action to achieve sustainable national growth and development for the employers, workers and society. To broaden, deepen, and strengthen the spirit of tripartism through discussions within a structured framework, the tripartite partners set up the Singapore Tripartite Forum (STF) in 2007.

The Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute (OTC Institute) is the main driver of this forum within the Labour Movement, cascading tripartite principles and practices across industries and companies through dialogues with tripartite stakeholders, breakfast meetings with business groups and tripartite workshops on employment challenges and issues.

At the enterprise level, bipartite programmes include workshops on Industrial Relations for line managers, Shared Vision workshops for union-management groups as well as short courses and a professional diploma programme jointly offered with the NUS Extension.

In 2015, the STF went global with the inaugural International Forum on Tripartism. Organised by the tripartite partners to commemorate Singapore’s 50 years of independence and membership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 800 delegates from over 300 countries and regions attended the forum. The theme was "Tripartism for Sustainable Growth and Development".