DPM Wong receives highest honour at NTUC May Day Awards 2023

DEPUTY Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has received the top May Day award, the Medal of Honour, for his longstanding support for workers and unions.

He was conferred the award on Monday (May 22) at the National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) May Day Awards 2023 ceremony, hosted by labour chief Ng Chee Meng and NTUC president Mary Liew at Suntec City Convention Centre.

Wong “supported NTUC and unions’ efforts and made key decisions that protect workers and their livelihoods”, and has been an advocate for workers, especially the low-income and disadvantaged, NTUC said in a statement.

NTUC noted that as Minister for Finance, Wong set aside a S$100 million budget for NTUC to encourage companies to set up company training committees. He also introduced the Jobs-Skills Integrator initiative to improve training and job-matching.

For low-income workers, he started the Progressive Wage Credit scheme and enhanced the Workfare Income Supplement scheme.

He also works closely with NTUC and its unions, as adviser to the Union of Power And Gas Employees (Upage) and Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees’ Union.

In an interview with NTUC’s LabourBeat, Wong thanked the NTUC Central Committee, saying he was pleasantly surprised. “The award to me affirms the importance of our tripartite partnership and the key role of the labour movement in taking our country forward,” he said.

Wong had first-hand experience engaging the unions when he became chief executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA) in 2008. In their first meeting, Upage expressed concerns about how new smart meters would impact the jobs of meter readers in Singapore Power, he recalled.

“I realised then there was a need for EMA to build closer links with Upage, to engage union leaders on technological trends in the industry, and to better support workers in reskilling and upskilling,” he said.

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The labour movement and the People’s Action Party agree that “jobs are the best form of welfare”. But jobs will change, he added. “Some will become obsolete, while more productive and better-paying jobs will be created. This is why more must be done to help every worker reskill and upskill.”

“I believe Singapore can only be a strong and successful society when everyone shares in the fruits of our nation’s progress, and every worker is accorded self-respect and dignity,” he said.

The awards ceremony had a turnout of more than 1,200 guests comprising tripartite partners and workers. Ng, who is NTUC secretary-general, presented 128 awards to individuals and 44 awards to organisations.

They include union leaders, workers, management partners and organisations that have made “exceptional and continuous contributions in promoting the welfare of workers and supporting the labour movement’s pro-worker and pro-business programmes and initiatives”.