Transcription
I thank all members who have debated and supported this motion with such conviction. All members recognize that AI adoption is not optional. If Singapore is to stay competitive, both enterprises and workers need to raise AI fluency to seize new opportunities. There is also clear consensus on the transformation potential of AI and on our collective responsibility to manage its impact on enterprises and our workers.
As Minister Taniling and Minister of State Miss Jasmine Lao have pointed out, left to market AI growth may not automatically benefit workers. Members like Mr. Ion Wing warned about an outcome where some workers gain but others risk falling behind. I'm therefore glad that through this motion the government has affirmed that it will not leave outcomes to chance but will shape the direction of AI growth deliberately and I look forward to the measures that will be unveiled through the economic strategy review report.
Mr. Mr. Speaker, members raised ideas in this house that deserves serious consideration. In my opening, I put forth four practical moves. First, building market intelligence and foresight for AI enabled economy. Second, enabling enterprises to transform with AI and do so in a way that benefits workers. Third, enabling workers to seize new opportunities. and forth, enabling displaced workers to bounce back with dignity and confidence. These are no regret moves, practical, grounded, and effective. They lay the foundation for AI growth that translates into good jobs and better prospects for our workers, guiding how AI is adopted, how work is reorganized, and how workers can move through change with support and dignity.
Let me draw on members contributions and address them. First on intelligence and foresight. Workers and enterprises need more than information. They need trusted intelligence put directly into their hands so that they can navigate transition with clarity not anxiety. I thank Mr. Alex Yo, Miss Polan and Miss Hurting Ru for supporting this proposal. M hurting ru highlighted the need for Singapore's specific research so that we know the impact of AI disruption on our more vulnerable workers. Mr. Alexio pointed out that such intelligence could also help us identify where AI is creating new jobs and new industries so that government can move early to incentivize AI startups and enterprises to generate fresh opportunities for our workforce. Mr. Terren Ho likewise underscored the need to deepen local research on how AI is reshaping work to inform our responses and to position Singapore within global research networks on human AI complimentarity within NTU. We have begun contributing to this work through our labor alliance collab. A research community we form with academics that brings together experts across our institutes of higher learning. Working with our trapite partners, the collab seeks to translate international best practices into insights grounded in Singapore's labor market realities so that researchers, adult learners, and human resource practitioners alike can have an earlier clearer basis to act on AI transformation.
Second, on enabling enterprises to transform with AI, Mr. Mark Lee spoke about enterprises need to transform to stay competitive making the important point that enterprise and workforce transformation must move together. Mr. Pong Wing we reinforce this that the real constraint is not the technology but work force readiness and we must move from AI adoption to AI fluency with clear accountability for worker outcomes. Mr. Jared Gam had a proposal to support employer led on the job training OJT model so that employers especially are incentivized to train and retain workers. I acknowledge and support the objectives behind these proposals. It is precisely what our CTC's are doing, supporting firms to embark on transformation through structured projects that embed worker training and outcomes. I thank Minister Tansiling for supporting NTC suggestions to further expand the CTC initiative. What we must now do is to deepen it, scale it, and focus our efforts on AI across more businesses and sectors. Mr. Mark Lee called for a clearer enterprise front door so firms, especially are not slowed down by n by having to navigate multiple schemes and processes. He also suggested that trade association and chambers could become platforms that accelerate AI adoption across sectors. This is exactly what the tropite jobs council is setting out to do to consolidate trapite partners various capabilities under one roof to better serve our enterprises and our workers. I'm glad the government has supported NTUC's proposal to form this TJC.
Third, enabling workers to seize new opportunities. Mr. Alexio made the point that equipping our workers requires building capability and confidence at the workplace. So, learning translate into deeper skills. Mr. Kenneth Dong highlighted the importance of providing our workers access to AI tools. Mr. Erbang suggested that we define competencies for the AI age and validate competencies through certifications. I note these suggestions. Miss Yawwaning and Mr. Vikram Naya also make the point that job redesign if done well is the key to ensure that AI creates opportunities and pathways for our workers to grow. Mr. Hammed Razak spoke for the PMEs. Residents and the parents carrying this anxiety on AI not just for themselves but for their children. Indeed, AI relevant pathways must be tied to job redesign to provide a smoother transition for our youth and PMEs. Several members have raised concerns about our young graduates. Mr. Mark Lee, Mr. Eong Wing, Mr. Hurting Ru and Mr. Jamus Lim highlighted that fresh graduates face challenges not just in finding good jobs but in assessing the foundational entry- levelvel roles where they learn to become professionals. NTU supports the government doing more to provide wage supplements if indeed there are wider signs of labor market weaknesses. But should this be done too early or at too broad a scale then employers may not have the right incent may not have the right incentive to pay the full wages. This is also why good research and understanding of the labor market is needed. My fellow labor MPs Mr. Desmond Tan, Mr. Sanjiv Kumar Tari, Mr. Patrick Day and Miss Yaning spoke up from our union's perspective. Their asks that productive day gains are shared, that workers are supported through transitions, and that workers are given a genuine voice in AI adoption exemplify what the labor movement stands for in this renewed tropism in the AI era. Mr. Hongwing caught the government to establish clear conditionalities for support schemes to ensure that the public funding goes towards workers outcomes. Mr. Waning called for the AI grants to be tied to mandatory job redesign requirements and productivity gains linked to workers outcomes. Mr. Andre Law made a similar point that we need accountability mechanisms to ensure that our investments in AI are ensuring augmentation not automation. In response, MOS Jasmine have shared the government's commitment that where public support is given, the government will expect companies to make effort to support worker outcomes.
Mr. Satiandi, Miss Yaning and Miss Hurting Ru highlighted how AI can cause an uneven impact on jobs as well as uneven benefits across different worker groups. Members also highlighted segments of workers who may require additional attention. As Mr. Sadiandi and Miss Hurting pointed out, caregivers and vulnerable workers may have unequal access to AI tools and training. Mr. Shariel Taha and Miss Hurting Ru spoke about the need to support women gig and platform workers as Mio Wing explained must be consulted. Their leave experience is critical input as work evolves with autonomous vehicles and AI. She also called for clearer visibility on the national AV deployment timeline so platform drivers can plan transitions. I also thank Miss Yo, Mr. Dandi and Mr. Fati Fatzi for speaking up for our skilled tradesmen amidst AI disruption. We must do more to equip them in AI fluency and build sustainable and respectable career pathways so that they have better work prospects and wages. Senior workers as Mr. Desmond spoke spoke passionately on may face more challenges in keeping up with AI disruption and require dedicated support. I fully agree with members that we must be alive to the needs of specific segments of workers mentioned. I echo Mr. Satiandi's call for sound policies to shape the trajectory of our AI growth so it benefit workers and citizens and remains inclusive. As Miss Polissan rightly reminded us, AI also has the potential to augment our workforce and reduce reliance on foreign labor, unlocking the human bottleneck that constrain many businesses today.
On the fourth move to enable displaced workers to bounce back with dignity and confidence, Mr. Patrick Tay called on the three Equitable growth, enhanced protections, and engaged workforce. He calls to raise the jobseker support scheme eligibility to the PME median income around 8 8,400 as of 2025 and to provide earlier notification of retrenchment. These are in line with the moves I suggested in this house too. These are specific actionable asks that will make a real difference to blue collar workers and the middle-class PMEs alike. Mr. Andre Lo questioned whether the JSS is sufficient and proposed a redundancy insurance scheme instead. NTU position is clear. Our focus is on ensuring the right support to help workers bounce back. NTU is not wathed to any particular form. We will work closely with Tropite. We will work closely with Tropite partners to innovate as we have done before. That is how we have come up with workfare progressive wage model and now the jobseker support scheme. Our shared aim is to make the GSS even better so we can better support our workers especially our PMEs. Mr. Pong Wang also made the important point that we must rigorously track the speed and effectiveness of our assisting measures to support workers who face disruption especially the financial runway for displaced workers.
I also thank Mr. Sanjiv Diwari, Mr. Patrick Day, Mr. Vicram Nyer and Miss Hurting Ru for highlighting the potential of AI to cause harm to our workers such as how AI may intensify workload and introduce risks of discrimination in employment decisions. Miss Elin Chong suggested also to legislate the right to flexible work arrangements. The labor movement take these concerns seriously. We will work with Tropite partners to study these issues. Building on the workplace fairness act and the tropic guidelines on flexible work arrangements.
Members have also surfaced other ideas to contribute to the motion. Mr. Satyandi suggested for the government to be the first customer of useful AI tools and solutions to facilitate broad and widespread utilization of AI. He also highlighted the need to calibrate data sharing frameworks and ethical guard rails. Miss Polyan spoke about the ethical use of AI in society to ensure that it is used as a force for good and not for criminal and harmful exploits. Miss Elin Chong as and Mr. Fati Fazi spoke about the need to address the impact of AI used on our students and the impact it might have on our cultures. These important issues deserve separate careful study and consideration beyond the remit of this motion. But thank you all of you indeed who have spoken up and contributed to this motion. I really appreciate the conviction and commitment expressed for the workers and the enterprises for us to create the biggest possible pie for Singapore. I also want to thank Tropata partners who have been on this journey every step of the way the ministry of manpower snaf and all our different partners.
Mr. Speaker, with that let me close after 7 hours and 18 minutes. I'm deeply appreciative finally of Mr. Sherat Taha's sharing of his experience with labor movements overseas and his insight that a lack of tropic trust in their system prevents innovation and change even when this change is most needed. I thank him for highlighting the uniqueness of our tropite model where our unions not only protect workers but focus on keeping them relevant, employable and ready to seize opportunities. Our trapite model works because it is based on trust. Even when amongst our own trapite partners when there are different views and priorities, we evolve our conversations and we work through differences to find win-win positions that are in the best interest of Singapore and our workers. It is not about labor versus capital, workers against employers or one group advancing at the expense of the other. Transformation in the AI era can be win-win and our tropite model in the AI era will ensure this.
AI is fast evolving and we do not have all the answers today. His full impact on jobs and businesses will continue to unfold. We may not agree with every how but we must set the right direction and at the same time know with humility that we are innovating and experimenting with pathways forward in this era. We have forged a firm commitment to keep our workers and enterprises at the heart of national efforts to seize new opportunities brought about by AI. And in this chamber now, it sends a clear signal to every worker, blue and white collar alike, this house stands with you. With this house standing united, I'm fully confident that we can strengthen our plans and responses at this stage of the AI and growth. Together with enabled enterprises, we will forge trap partism in the AI era for win-win outcomes as we have done before in Singapore for Singaporeans. Not AI instead of workers, but AI that works for workers. Because in Singapore, every worker matters.
Mr. Speaker, I urge members of this house to support the motion as it stands.