Speech by Mr Bob Tan, Chairman, Tripartite Alliance Limited at Tripartite Connect 2026

10/23/2026 12:00:00 AMSpeeches

Minister of State for Manpower and Energy, Trade and Industry, Mr Foo Cexiang,

Board Members of Tripartite Alliance Limited (TAL),

Co-Chairpersons and Committee Members of Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP),

Council Members of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council,

Tripartite and Industry Partners,


Ladies and Gentlemen.


Welcome

  1. Good morning, everyone. It is good to see so many SMEs represented today in our second edition of Tripartite Connect. I know you are all very busy people, so your presence here is very much appreciated. Today’s theme is “Building Trust at Work Through Fair, Progressive and Safe Workplace Practices”.
  2. Why is this important?
  3. People are at the heart of our business. We do not run our businesses on our own; we depend on our people. We need them to be engaged and motivated to help us grow the business. We do not want them to be unhappy or to have accidents at the workplace. These can distract us from, and compromise, our objective of growing the business.
  4. At the end of the day, we need to treat our people well and give them a safe working environment.
  5. Today’s conference helps us explore, understand and appreciate good workplace practices, and how these have benefited organisations that look after their employees.
  6. I hope you will take full advantage of this opportunity to interact, get to know one another, and access the support available from TAFEP, WSH Council and our tripartite partners.
  7. It is not easy. We can talk about good workplace practices, but we need to know how to put them into action in a way that brings our employees along. We also need to understand and comply with requirements under workplace fairness and workplace safety and health legislation. We should do things right and do them well, so that we can bring everybody along.

    Taking Tripartite Connect Forward
  8. That is why we are expanding Tripartite Connect beyond the annual conference. Working together with our tripartite partners, TAL has set up the Tripartite Connect microsite, a one-stop portal for relevant events and resources to help SMEs access the materials and support they need to continually help make their workplaces fair, progressive and safe.
  9. Over time, we hope to bring more partners on board and expand the resources available through the microsite. Our aim is to give SMEs easy, year-round access to learning opportunities, practical resources, advice and support.


    Practical Resources for SMEs

  10. Let me share some examples:
  11. The Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) is new, and employers need to understand what it means for them. Support includes e-learning modules on the Act and guidance on fair recruitment and grievance handling.
  12. Beyond compliance, these resources help us put processes in place so that employees can raise their concerns and feel that they have been treated fairly. Even if matters are escalated to the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), handling them properly can help us resolve them more amicably and avoid legal disputes. Such disputes take up time and can strain relationships between employers and employees, which is not what we want.
  13. On workplace safety and health, the WSH Council’s enhanced Top Executive WSH Programme helps CEOs and board members understand their responsibilities and the measures required to keep their workplaces safe and comply with the law and regulations.
  14. In some countries, penalties for workplace accidents can be very severe when a company is found responsible. In some organisations, the CEO of a subsidiary may have to report to the head office and explain to the main board when happened. Were the right processes in place? Was the necessary infrastructure in place to protect workers? These matters are taken very seriously.
  15. At the SME level, we may not have to report to a holding company, but we still have to answer to ourselves and our conscience. Are we doing all the right things for our employees?
  16. Take the construction industry, for instance. A stop-work order can have a tremendous impact on costs, causing delays and potentially leading to liquidated damages. There are many consequences. More importantly, we do not want our employees to suffer accidents that could have been avoided.
  17. These programmes provide guidance on putting the right processes and infrastructure in place to protect our workers.
  18. Companies can also tap on StaySAFE for free tailored advice from WSH consultants to review risks, and identify opportunities for improvement.
  19. All this support is available. You are not on your own. With help from TAFEP, WSH Council and our tripartite partners, there is much we can do collectively to create a more conducive workplace environment.


    Closing

  20. My hope is that you leave today with some ideas on how to get started. Learn from one another, tap on the Tripartite Connect microsite, and get your people involved. Let us begin this journey towards making workplaces in Singapore truly fair, progressive and safe.
  21. Let me conclude by thanking our tripartite partners, MOM, NTUC, and SNEF, as well as participants and speakers for your support. I hope you find today’s conference and networking opportunities useful. I wish you a fruitful and enjoyable conference. Thank you.