SINGAPORE: In response to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 17), the Workers' Party (WP) urged the government to "engage widely and explore all options" amid global economic uncertainty.
The National Day Rally speech is widely seen as the most important political speech of the year. From artificial intelligence (AI) to a new traineeship scheme, Mr Wong touched on several subjects during the speech.
In a statement early on Monday morning, the opposition party cited the advance release of the Manpower Ministry's labour force report for the second quarter of this year that said the uncertainty is expected to persist in the coming months and may weigh on hiring and wage growth.
"Against this cautious backdrop, the Workers' Party urges the government to engage widely and explore all solutions tabled in good faith, including previously untapped ones," said the party.
"Singapore should leave no stone unturned in our collective efforts to build a truly resilient nation for the future and keep our Singapore flag flying high."
It said the government should "tackle present concerns" for businesses and employees, including rising rental costs, skills-related unemployment and the "slow rate of real income growth" of 0.7 per cent per year over the past five years.
It reiterated its manifesto proposal that JTC Corporation should expand its market share for industrial space and continue offering low-rent options at different price-value points for small- and medium-sized enterprises alongside its private sector-run facilities.
The party also called on the government to "urgently track and regularly publish" underemployment measures, as well as to establish a statutory minimum wage.
"We agree with the approach of improving jobs matching efforts for Singaporeans, and ask that the relevant organisations accelerate the setting up of this programme with the economic uncertainty ahead," said the WP.
"In our experience, many residents referred to e2i often receive career counselling, but not the direct job-matching support they truly need," the party added, referring to the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute.
In the 2025 General Election, the Workers' Party retained its 10 seats in parliament by holding on to Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC.
It will also have two Non-Constituency Members of Parliament in the next parliament.
Amid concerns over the impact of AI on jobs, Mr Wong assured Singaporeans that they remain the central focus of the country's economic strategy.
While technology will lead to some roles evolving and others disappearing, Mr Wong said new jobs will also emerge.
The WP said that while AI and new technologies will help businesses, they will also "alter the employment landscape permanently, leaving many Singaporeans behind".
It reiterated its proposal in its manifesto for more collaboration between the ministries of education and manpower, to ensure that Singapore's school curriculum aligns with "evolving needs".
Singapore should implement "skill-demand feedback loops" from industries for the design of the curriculum, funding for "structural skill-gap areas" and career guidance.
"This targeted approach ensures that our education system can provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve high-value career pathways both domestically and globally," the WP said.
It called for an increase in the number of allied educators, which can lead to "a meaningful reduction" in class sizes.
The party also urged a shift away from high-stakes examinations and towards continual assessment and a through-train approach.
"Ultimately, our goal is to create an education system that develops well-rounded individuals with the confidence and capabilities to succeed in an ever-evolving world," it added.
The party also called for improvements to social safety nets, including the introduction of redundancy insurance and the mandating of retrenchment benefits for people who are laid off from companies with at least 25 employees.
In his speech, Mr Wong also announced a new government-funded traineeship programme.
It will provide training opportunities for graduates from the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities. The scheme will kick off with a "more focused roll-out" and will be scaled up if the economy worsens, he said.
The WP said the programme should be designed with safeguards to ensure that state-sponsored internships and apprenticeships are not used by firms as a "source of cheaper, subsidised labour".
"There should be clear performance metrics and a transparent commitment from participating companies to consider trainees for full-time employment once the training period ends," it added.
All trainees should also receive basic workplace protections, said the WP, including paid sick leave and safe working conditions.
Continue reading...
The National Day Rally speech is widely seen as the most important political speech of the year. From artificial intelligence (AI) to a new traineeship scheme, Mr Wong touched on several subjects during the speech.
In a statement early on Monday morning, the opposition party cited the advance release of the Manpower Ministry's labour force report for the second quarter of this year that said the uncertainty is expected to persist in the coming months and may weigh on hiring and wage growth.
"Against this cautious backdrop, the Workers' Party urges the government to engage widely and explore all solutions tabled in good faith, including previously untapped ones," said the party.
"Singapore should leave no stone unturned in our collective efforts to build a truly resilient nation for the future and keep our Singapore flag flying high."
It said the government should "tackle present concerns" for businesses and employees, including rising rental costs, skills-related unemployment and the "slow rate of real income growth" of 0.7 per cent per year over the past five years.
It reiterated its manifesto proposal that JTC Corporation should expand its market share for industrial space and continue offering low-rent options at different price-value points for small- and medium-sized enterprises alongside its private sector-run facilities.
The party also called on the government to "urgently track and regularly publish" underemployment measures, as well as to establish a statutory minimum wage.
"We agree with the approach of improving jobs matching efforts for Singaporeans, and ask that the relevant organisations accelerate the setting up of this programme with the economic uncertainty ahead," said the WP.
"In our experience, many residents referred to e2i often receive career counselling, but not the direct job-matching support they truly need," the party added, referring to the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute.
In the 2025 General Election, the Workers' Party retained its 10 seats in parliament by holding on to Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC.
It will also have two Non-Constituency Members of Parliament in the next parliament.
Related:
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Amid concerns over the impact of AI on jobs, Mr Wong assured Singaporeans that they remain the central focus of the country's economic strategy.
While technology will lead to some roles evolving and others disappearing, Mr Wong said new jobs will also emerge.
The WP said that while AI and new technologies will help businesses, they will also "alter the employment landscape permanently, leaving many Singaporeans behind".
It reiterated its proposal in its manifesto for more collaboration between the ministries of education and manpower, to ensure that Singapore's school curriculum aligns with "evolving needs".
Singapore should implement "skill-demand feedback loops" from industries for the design of the curriculum, funding for "structural skill-gap areas" and career guidance.
"This targeted approach ensures that our education system can provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve high-value career pathways both domestically and globally," the WP said.
It called for an increase in the number of allied educators, which can lead to "a meaningful reduction" in class sizes.
The party also urged a shift away from high-stakes examinations and towards continual assessment and a through-train approach.
"Ultimately, our goal is to create an education system that develops well-rounded individuals with the confidence and capabilities to succeed in an ever-evolving world," it added.
The party also called for improvements to social safety nets, including the introduction of redundancy insurance and the mandating of retrenchment benefits for people who are laid off from companies with at least 25 employees.
In his speech, Mr Wong also announced a new government-funded traineeship programme.
It will provide training opportunities for graduates from the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities. The scheme will kick off with a "more focused roll-out" and will be scaled up if the economy worsens, he said.
The WP said the programme should be designed with safeguards to ensure that state-sponsored internships and apprenticeships are not used by firms as a "source of cheaper, subsidised labour".
"There should be clear performance metrics and a transparent commitment from participating companies to consider trainees for full-time employment once the training period ends," it added.
All trainees should also receive basic workplace protections, said the WP, including paid sick leave and safe working conditions.
Continue reading...