Job creation is what matters most: PM
PAP's delivered on this front and will continue to do so, he says
By Li Xueying
PM Lee arriving at the Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday for the May Day Rally, which was also a celebration of the NTUC's 50th anniversary. Also in the picture (on the right) are labour chief Lim Swee Say and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN
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THE first responsibility of any government must be to ensure good jobs, whether for the present or future generation of workers, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
On this, the People's Action Party (PAP) has delivered and will continue to deliver, he pledged at the May Day Rally.
'This is what voters must ask any political party seeking your support: How will they create growth and jobs for Singaporeans?' he said at the rally, held just six days before Singaporeans go to the polls on May 7.
Some 8,500 people - from government leaders, including Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, to union members such as oil refinery worker Helmy Hasan, 36, and employers - were at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for the event, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
In a 50-minute speech, delivered in Malay, Mandarin and English, PM Lee described the PAP's 'successful formula' that has helped provide Singapore workers with good jobs and higher salaries.
In the short term, it is helping them cope with the rising cost of living such as through the Grow and Share package.
The lower-income and the elderly get help such as through Workfare. And there is also re-employment legislation to enable older workers to stay on in jobs beyond the retirement age of 62 - first to age 65, and later to 67.
For the long term, the Government continues to grow the economy, attract high-quality investments and ensure the country remains the best place for business, he said.
Another prong is to invest in people through education and training.
Key in all this has been the 'constructive' role the labour movement plays, and its ties with the PAP - a relationship which goes back 50 years.
Yesterday, PM Lee traced how Singapore has had 'a very good year' since he spoke at last year's May Day Rally.
It has fully shaken off the effects of the global economic crisis and registered first-quarter growth of 8.5 per cent; the unemployment rate is at a low of 1.9 per cent which, in effect, means Singapore is enjoying full employment.
On Friday, the National Wages Council (NWC) recommended companies grant higher wage increases this year - its first such call in many years - a development which 'shows that our strategy to improve workers' lives has worked'.
Part of the strategy includes attracting high-quality investments such as the recently-opened wafer fab plant in Sembawang. The US$3 billion (S$3.7 billion) project, he noted, will create 1,200 jobs here.
'Singapore won this investment against very strong global competition because we had the best workforce in the world, we work as one Singapore team led by EDB and we made ourselves the most compelling location.'
Yet another prong is to upgrade the skills of existing and future workers.
For the first group, the Government is spending $2.5 billion over the next five years to help them retrain, he said.
For future workers, it is improving the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics and the universities.
One vital part of Singapore's formula has been the tripartite relationship between unions, the Government and employers. But PM Lee lauded the labour movement in particular for having been a key partner.
'Our future depends on strong unions - forward-looking, dynamic,' he said. This, in turn, depends on a strong NTUC that will renew itself with new leaders.
Noting the NTUC's initiatives to grow a new generation of members and develop future leaders, he said he discussed with NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say on how this can be given a special push.
Mr Lim's suggestion - which PM Lee agreed to - is a new NTUC50 Development Fund. To loud applause, he announced that for every dollar the NTUC raises, the Government will provide S$3. The fund's total target is S$50 million.
PM Lee urged the NTUC: 'Keep it young, keep it strong, keep it relevant and effective. That is an investment for the future. This is also a symbol of the Government's full support for the union movement and for Singapore workers.'
Underpinning this are the longstanding ties between the PAP and the NTUC, which have come in for criticism by opposition parties in the midst of the current election campaign.
The party and union links started in 1961 when a split in the PAP and the formation of the leftist Barisan Sosialis also saw the labour movement torn apart. The NTUC was the pro-PAP alternative to Barisan's Singapore Association of Trade Unions. The PAP-NTUC partnership has prevailed since.
The relationship, PM Lee said yesterday, benefits workers. Labour MPs have looked after workers' interests in Parliament, given workers a strong voice in Cabinet on national policies, and ensured that 'what the Government does is pro-worker and pro-Singapore'.
The slate of 24 new PAP candidates for the May 7 election includes a record six from the NTUC: Mr Ong Ye Kung, MrAng Hin Kee, Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Zainal Sapari, Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Alex Yam. As he asked them to stand, PM Lee said to applause: 'They are all good men. They will serve you well. They will make good MPs and office-holders.'
He urged the audience to give the six - some of whom have 'tough fights' - their full support. And he asked the NTUC to 'produce more people like them so that by the next election I can bring in more men - as well as women'.
Even as he pointed out that this was the PAP way to ensure growth, he also urged Singaporeans to ask opposition parties how they proposed to do so.
Rebutting arguments by some opposition candidates that civil servants will keep Singapore on an even keel even if ministers are voted out, PM Lee said: 'If ministers don't know what to do, you can be sure that things will mess up, (but) with the PAP we make sure that ministers know what to do and we make sure we have a successful formula which provides good solutions, good pay, good jobs over the long term.'
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PAP's delivered on this front and will continue to do so, he says
By Li Xueying
PM Lee arriving at the Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday for the May Day Rally, which was also a celebration of the NTUC's 50th anniversary. Also in the picture (on the right) are labour chief Lim Swee Say and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. -- ST PHOTO: TERENCE TAN
View more photos
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110502/ST_IMAGES_P1PIC02.jpg
THE first responsibility of any government must be to ensure good jobs, whether for the present or future generation of workers, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.
On this, the People's Action Party (PAP) has delivered and will continue to deliver, he pledged at the May Day Rally.
'This is what voters must ask any political party seeking your support: How will they create growth and jobs for Singaporeans?' he said at the rally, held just six days before Singaporeans go to the polls on May 7.
Some 8,500 people - from government leaders, including Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, to union members such as oil refinery worker Helmy Hasan, 36, and employers - were at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for the event, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
In a 50-minute speech, delivered in Malay, Mandarin and English, PM Lee described the PAP's 'successful formula' that has helped provide Singapore workers with good jobs and higher salaries.
In the short term, it is helping them cope with the rising cost of living such as through the Grow and Share package.
The lower-income and the elderly get help such as through Workfare. And there is also re-employment legislation to enable older workers to stay on in jobs beyond the retirement age of 62 - first to age 65, and later to 67.
For the long term, the Government continues to grow the economy, attract high-quality investments and ensure the country remains the best place for business, he said.
Another prong is to invest in people through education and training.
Key in all this has been the 'constructive' role the labour movement plays, and its ties with the PAP - a relationship which goes back 50 years.
Yesterday, PM Lee traced how Singapore has had 'a very good year' since he spoke at last year's May Day Rally.
It has fully shaken off the effects of the global economic crisis and registered first-quarter growth of 8.5 per cent; the unemployment rate is at a low of 1.9 per cent which, in effect, means Singapore is enjoying full employment.
On Friday, the National Wages Council (NWC) recommended companies grant higher wage increases this year - its first such call in many years - a development which 'shows that our strategy to improve workers' lives has worked'.
Part of the strategy includes attracting high-quality investments such as the recently-opened wafer fab plant in Sembawang. The US$3 billion (S$3.7 billion) project, he noted, will create 1,200 jobs here.
'Singapore won this investment against very strong global competition because we had the best workforce in the world, we work as one Singapore team led by EDB and we made ourselves the most compelling location.'
Yet another prong is to upgrade the skills of existing and future workers.
For the first group, the Government is spending $2.5 billion over the next five years to help them retrain, he said.
For future workers, it is improving the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs), polytechnics and the universities.
One vital part of Singapore's formula has been the tripartite relationship between unions, the Government and employers. But PM Lee lauded the labour movement in particular for having been a key partner.
'Our future depends on strong unions - forward-looking, dynamic,' he said. This, in turn, depends on a strong NTUC that will renew itself with new leaders.
Noting the NTUC's initiatives to grow a new generation of members and develop future leaders, he said he discussed with NTUC secretary-general Lim Swee Say on how this can be given a special push.
Mr Lim's suggestion - which PM Lee agreed to - is a new NTUC50 Development Fund. To loud applause, he announced that for every dollar the NTUC raises, the Government will provide S$3. The fund's total target is S$50 million.
PM Lee urged the NTUC: 'Keep it young, keep it strong, keep it relevant and effective. That is an investment for the future. This is also a symbol of the Government's full support for the union movement and for Singapore workers.'
Underpinning this are the longstanding ties between the PAP and the NTUC, which have come in for criticism by opposition parties in the midst of the current election campaign.
The party and union links started in 1961 when a split in the PAP and the formation of the leftist Barisan Sosialis also saw the labour movement torn apart. The NTUC was the pro-PAP alternative to Barisan's Singapore Association of Trade Unions. The PAP-NTUC partnership has prevailed since.
The relationship, PM Lee said yesterday, benefits workers. Labour MPs have looked after workers' interests in Parliament, given workers a strong voice in Cabinet on national policies, and ensured that 'what the Government does is pro-worker and pro-Singapore'.
The slate of 24 new PAP candidates for the May 7 election includes a record six from the NTUC: Mr Ong Ye Kung, MrAng Hin Kee, Mr Patrick Tay, Mr Zainal Sapari, Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Alex Yam. As he asked them to stand, PM Lee said to applause: 'They are all good men. They will serve you well. They will make good MPs and office-holders.'
He urged the audience to give the six - some of whom have 'tough fights' - their full support. And he asked the NTUC to 'produce more people like them so that by the next election I can bring in more men - as well as women'.
Even as he pointed out that this was the PAP way to ensure growth, he also urged Singaporeans to ask opposition parties how they proposed to do so.
Rebutting arguments by some opposition candidates that civil servants will keep Singapore on an even keel even if ministers are voted out, PM Lee said: 'If ministers don't know what to do, you can be sure that things will mess up, (but) with the PAP we make sure that ministers know what to do and we make sure we have a successful formula which provides good solutions, good pay, good jobs over the long term.'
[email protected]
