Speech by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE)’S 65th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday, 28 September 2024

Mr Jefry Bin Mohamad, President, AUPE

Mr Sanjeev Tiwari, General Secretary, AUPE

Ms K Thanaletchimi, President, NTUC

Mr Ng Chee Meng, Secretary General NTUC

NTUC Central Committee Members

AUPE Union Officials

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.  It is a pleasure and privilege to join you this evening as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE).

2.  As many of you would know, AUPE was formed in 1959 with the merger of the Postal and Telecommunications Uniformed Staff Union and the Singapore Union of Postal and Telecommunication Workers, followed by seven other Government, City Council and statutory board employee unions.  

3.  AUPE was in fact established just months after Singapore attained self-governance. In those days, public officers’ wages were very low, and welfare and work prospects were poor. Many also saw cuts in variable allowances as the previous government had run down its reserves. AUPE stepped in to negotiate directly with the government on their behalf, and succeeded eventually in getting their allowances restored.

4.  From those days on, AUPE has continued to stand up for its members.

   1.  AUPE has facilitated meetings with industry leaders and employers to resolve disagreements through arbitration, and helped to negotiate pay raises for civil service personnel so they were brought on par with those in the private sector.

   2.  AUPE was also persistent in calling for rule changes to allow union officials to represent members at disciplinary inquiries. It paid off in 1997, enabling   union officials to put forth their members’ side of the issue and defend them.

5.  These are just some examples of AUPE’s commitment to its members over the decades, and how it has represented their needs through collective strength – embodied in the AUPE motto, ‘Mufakat Barkat’, or ‘Collective Effort is Virtuous’.

6. Our unions have played a crucial and effective role – working not only to advance the rights and benefits of employees, but also to partner constructively with the government and businesses to support Singapore’s continued progress.

7.  AUPE has been actively engaging the Public Service Division (PSD) on the development of public officers.

   1.  The Public Service Cluster Training Committee (PS CTC) set up in 2019 has already benefitted nearly 10,000 public officers.

   2.  The CareerFitness programme, launched in 2022 has helped guide public officers on how to plan for their career journey. This programme will continue to reach out to more public officers, with AUPE’s support.

   3.  AUPE has also worked with the Public Service to promote the Public Service Retirees Network to its wide networks of members. There are over 1,600 members across 60 public agencies in the network to date.

   4. In addition, it worked with PSD on enhanced benefits for public officers’ well-being and growth. They include the recently increased medical and dental benefits which will take effect from 1 Jan 2025.

8. I commend AUPE for its work as we look towards the future – the changing needs in public service, work environments influenced by emerging technologies like A.I. and robotics, and the people whom the union serves themselves having evolving aspirations.  

9. Your role as a union is critical to a capable and effective public service. One that ensures that our community remains safe and secure, that healthcare is within reach and delivered with compassion, that education helps nurture every Singaporean, that those in need receive timely support, and that we recover quickly each time we face a setback.

   1.  Singapore is indeed regarded very highly internationally for the effectiveness of its public service.¹

10. But AUPE is also essential because you ensure that the public officers who serve the public are themselves strongly motivated, and able to keep adapting and growing in their capabilities. And that they are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

11. Let me conclude by thanking you for your many contributions to your members, and to nation-building. My heartfelt wishes to AUPE as you embark on the next chapter of your journey of service.

[1] Singapore was ranked 1^st in the 2024 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), ahead of countries like Denmark, Finland and Switzerland. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-no-1-again-in-world-ranking-on-government-effectiveness. Singapore also has a 100.00 percentile rank in Government Effectiveness in 2022, according to the World Bank.