Face to Face with Lee Hsien Loong

As a young child, one of Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong’s earliest memories of the unions is of union leaders gathering for election meetings at his home during the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) formative years.

“I got to know a good number of them. First, those who were in the PAP, and then those who later went over to the Barisan [Sosialis],” he recounted in an exclusive interview with NTUC upon being conferred the Distinguished Comrade of Labour Award 2025.

The top NTUC award recognises individuals who have made unique and supreme contributions to the Labour Movement. SM Lee has also received other NTUC awards, including the Medal of Honour Award in 1999 and the NTUC50 Special Recognition Award in 2011.

As a boy, he also recalled going on vacation with union leaders, such as Dominic Puthucheary (father of Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Janil Putucheary) and CV Devan Nair.

“These were all faces whom I had seen. I did not know what all this was about, but this is a trade union movement, and I believed that they were fighting for a good cause, for the welfare of the people,” he said.

From computers to crises

During the early 1980s, when computerisation was a big thing, SM Lee recalled getting involved with the Labour Movement through guiding unions in teaching workers to use computers.

According to an article carried in The Singaporean in 1982, the then Lieutenant Colonel was roped into to train educators to run NTUC’s computer appreciation and training programmes.

Upon entering politics in 1984, he assumed a bigger role as a dedicated partner of the Labour Movement.

In 1985, Singapore experienced its first economic recession since independence. As the Minister of State for Trade and Industry helming the then Economic Committee, he had to work closely with union leaders to help workers.

One of the Committee’s recommendations was to cut the employer’s CPF contribution by 15 percentage points and implement temporary wage restraints to cut costs and preserve jobs.

“We had to persuade the workers, and that was a task of mainly the second-generation Ministers and me because it was my recommendation.

“Ong Teng Cheong was NTUC Secretary-General [then], and it was agreed. He fully understood and supported, and he carried the Central Committee with him,” SM Lee recalled.

With the efforts of SM Lee, the Government and NTUC in convincing workers that the CPF cuts were necessary, Singapore’s economy recovered faster than expected.

“The following year, 1986, was already positive. By 1987, we were taking off and back to 9 per cent, 10 per cent growth again,” SM Lee added.

Through the partnership with union leaders during the downturn, he was able to build personal relationships, confidence, and trust between the Government and the Labour Movement.

Then Lieutenant Colonel Lee Hsien Loong assisting a teacher at an NTUC course. Former NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say is pictured in the background. Photo: The Singaporean

Strengthening the trust with labour leaders

One of the lessons SM Lee learned from collaborating with unions is that building trust with union leaders is essential for helping workers understand the Government’s good intentions behind labour policies.

He remembered that then NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Lim Boon Heng was one of the leaders who persuaded workers to support the CPF cuts during the 1985 recession.

“As a result, you are able to have a discussion where there is mutual trust,” SM Lee said.

Over the course of his 40-plus-year relationship with the Labour Movement, SM Lee has come to call many union and labour leaders his “brothers and sisters” and “very reliable friends."

They include former NTUC Secretaries-General Lim Boon Heng, Lim Swee Say, and the late Ong Teng Cheong, as well as former National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) General Secretary Fang Chin Poh, former NTWU Executive Secretary Ong Ah Heng, Singapore Port Workers Union Executive Secretary Jessie Yeo, and the late former United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries General Secretary Cyrille Tan.

He also counts the late union leaders G Muthukumarasamy, General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers; Nithiah Nandan, Executive Secretary of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE); and Nachiappan RK Sinniah, General Secretary of UPAGE, among his treasured friends.

SM Lee recounted how UPAGE leaders Nithi and Nachi, as he fondly refers to them, were vital in helping workers navigate the major restructuring of the electricity industry, which reduced the cost of electricity services for Singaporeans.

“It was painful, there were some job losses, but it needed to be done. We took time, we discussed it carefully with the union, and we got them on side, and they helped us to make the changes which were necessary,” he said.

SM Lee also praised Nithi and Nachi’s dedication to the workers’ cause, sharing that both union leaders continued to address issues until the day they passed away.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong with Nithiah Nandan at an event.

The future of unions

While past union leaders have established a strong foundation for protecting workers' interests, the challenge remains to maintain relevance as the workforce profile changes and businesses evolve.

To stay relevant, SM Lee said that unions must transform their roles. One way to achieve this is through training and upskilling the workforce, which NTUC is already supporting through the establishment of formal training institutions like NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).

SM Lee also highlighted the NTUC Company Training Committee (CTC) initiative for spearheading the workforce training momentum within companies.

To date, over 3,000 CTCs have been established, with more than 480 projects designed to benefit over 7,000 workers. These workers receive a 5 per cent wage increase in addition to their annual increment and benefit from career progression plans.

“This is Brother Ng Chee Meng’s initiative; I think it has taken off quite well. This year we put more money into it in the Budget because you [NTUC] have been able to spend the money and have good results.

“We are happy because this is a way to get individual companies to move,” he shared.

To support an increasingly diverse profile of workers, including PMEs, SM Lee emphasised that today’s unions need to be reflective of the workforce.

“Sometimes you have somebody from management but has a touch for HR; and if he works in the unions, that is good. Sometimes you have somebody who comes from rank-and-file, but he is a natural leader, and the employers respect him and find him very, very helpful.

“And hopefully they rise in their unions and make a broader contribution in the NTUC, like in the Central Committee,” he explained.

As unions transform, SM Lee believes that union leaders must also keep pace with the times.

He emphasised the importance of having a fundamental understanding of the labour landscape and the changing dynamics of the Singapore economy.

He pointed out that this knowledge could be acquired through overseas learning journeys to other countries like China and Vietnam. Union leaders can then share what they learn from these economies to enhance labour or business practices in Singapore.

“I think our union leaders have been doing this. And when they come back, they are quite sobered by the competition. It doesn’t mean that we are going to lose, but it means that we have to work hard.

“[They’ve] got to understand that environment, and I think [they] also have to understand the role of the unions in Singapore and how you can make a difference.

“How can you be useful for your workers and win their trust? And how can you engage the Government and the employers, and on that side, maintain trust too?” SM Lee explained.

SM Lee noted that the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute could serve as a valuable platform for union leaders to engage continuously with employers and the Government and help explain policies to workers.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong with NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng (bottom, in red t-shirt) at a Lunar New Year visit at Ng Teng Fong Hospital. The hospital has leveraged the CTC grant for projects to improve workers’ wages, welfare and work prospects.

Keeping the tripartite spirit alive

As Singapore undergoes transformation, one constant remains: tripartism.

Over the years, the strong tripartite relationship among employers, workers, and the Government has enabled the nation to overcome numerous challenges and protected workers from the brunt of the impacts.

While the tripartite partners share a long history of successful collaboration, SM Lee believes it is essential for the future that tripartism continues to thrive.

“I think it depends on not just the top level having good relations between SNEF [Singapore National Employers Federation] and NTUC, or NTUC and MOM [Ministry of Manpower], but also at the union levels with the companies.

“The employers understand that there is this relationship, which is valuable to them. And the unions also feel and understand that when you have a problem, let us find some way to solve the problem without coming to blows,” he emphasised.

SM Lee added that sustaining tripartism requires the tripartite partners to actively maintain their relationships through regular engagements to discuss and resolve problems.

The symbiotic relationship between the PAP and the unions has also been instrumental in supporting workers through good and challenging times.

“It is basically getting two for the price of one. You join a union, you get a Government. You elect the Government, the Government works closely with the union leadership in order to make good things happen for workers in companies, in industries, and in the economy.”

“We are able to do it in a way which keeps the economy growing and the employers accept that this is a good way to do things in Singapore.

“Our model of the symbiotic relationship and tripartism brings everybody together,” he explained.

Find out more about the Distinguished Comrade of Labour award presented at the May Day Awards 2025. Here is a complete listing of May Day awardees.