SINGAPORE: Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong received the Distinguished Comrade of Labour Award on Friday (Apr 25) at the May Day Awards ceremony held by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

This top award is "conferred on individuals who have made unique and supreme contributions to the labour movement", NTUC said in a media release.

"Throughout many years of dedicated public service, SM Lee worked tirelessly to strengthen the tripartite partnership between NTUC and its unions, workers, businesses and the government.

"This enabled Singapore to weather economic crises, protect jobs and create opportunities for workers. The harmonious labour-management climate fostered under his leadership helped grow Singapore’s economy and steadily improved workers’ lives," NTUC added.

The May Day Awards, held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre this year, honoured a record 180 awardees since its inception in 1963, NTUC said.

They were given to recognise exceptional union leaders, tripartite partners, workers and organisations for their unwavering commitment and care in championing workers’ interests, as well as for making a meaningful impact on the labour movement.

On Mr Lee's award, NTUC commended him and his team for working "relentlessly" to protect the economy and safeguard workers’ livelihoods through crises, including the 1985 recession, Asian financial grisis, global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, which then enabled the nation to emerge stronger from each crisis.

It also noted that Mr Lee led key workforce initiatives to support continuous education and training, launching the Skills Redevelopment Programme in 2008, laying the foundation for today’s SkillsFuture programme.

Structural schemes such as the Workfare Income Supplement and the Progressive Wage Model were also introduced and supported by Mr Lee, helping lower-wage workers and improving their work prospects.

"Under his leadership, wage growth for lower-income workers remained a regular element of the National Wages Council’s annual recommendations," NTUC said.

In other areas, some of the workforce transformation initiatives that Mr Lee supported were:

• The Employment and Employability Institute, which provides workers with job-matching, career guidance and skills upgrading services
• The Job Security Council, which supports job-matching and placement for displaced workers
• The Company Training Committee initiative that helps both companies and workers to transform and upskill

In seeking to improve workplace safety and to keep both resident and migrant workers safe and protected, significant improvements in workplace safety and health standards were achieved under his leadership, reducing workplace accident rates and improving working conditions, NTUC added.

In an interview with NTUC, Mr Lee said that he was "very honoured" to be given the award.

"I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their cooperation and support all these years, and I hope they give the same support to my successor as well," he said, referring to current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Ms K Thanaletchimi, president of NTUC, said that Mr Lee "has been putting workers at the heart of Singapore’s progress".

"His leadership shaped policies that uplifted workers, protected jobs and ensured no worker was left behind.

"We are grateful for his strong support for NTUC and the labour movement throughout the decades. It is our honour to confer the Distinguished Comrade of Labour Award to him for his dedication towards improving the lives and livelihoods of our workers and supporting the labour movement."