Psst, if you’re a worker or PME worried about job security, there is a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT on a support scheme that NTUC has been lobbying for since 2014!
Missed our Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally speech this year? Not to worry~ Let us give you a quick summary of what PM Wong said in his maiden National Day Rally speech.
Now, here are the key things from NDR 2024 you need to know:
NEW SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme
Did you know that since 2014, Labour MP Patrick Tay has calling for some form of temporary financial support for workers affected by retrenchment? His calls reflect regular feedback from the unions on the importance of having some form of financial assistance for those facing involuntary unemployment!
A new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme has been announced today by PM Wong! “We discussed this with our brothers and sisters from NTUC and the Labour Movement who have been championing this initiative for some time. Now we are ready to introduce a new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme,” PM Wong shared. The scheme will focus on helping lower- and middle income workers. If you lose your job, there will be temporary financial support. How much? In total up to $6,000, over a period of up to 6 months.
But of course, we must do our part too – go for training, career coaching, and job matching services!
Supporting Families – NEW Shared Parental Leave
Since 2012, NTUC has also been calling for more support for working parents, including those with young children. The Government responded to this call by increasing the number of government-paid shared parental leave weeks from one week to four weeks (still out of the mother’s paid maternity leave entitlement), and government-paid paternity leave to two weeks.
From 1 April next year, it will be mandatory for employers to offer the additional 2 weeks of paternity leave.
NEW Shared Parental Leave provides an 10 additional weeks of shared leave. Meaning… either fathers or mothers can take it! This will start with 6 weeks for babies born from 1 April 2025 and they will increase this to the full 10 weeks a year later. Psst, the additional 10 weeks will be paid for by the Government!
In summary:
Mothers have 16 weeks. Fathers have 4 weeks.
On top of that, both have 10 weeks to share-share. A whooping 30 weeks, or about 7.5 months, of paid leave, which parents can take to spend time with their children! Not bad at all?
Supporting Businesses
The Government also wants to ensure a business-friendly environment and keep regulatory burden to a minimum. They have pledged to do a thorough and proactive review of our rules and processes, and prune them back where possible! As PM Wong said, relaxing some rules also means accepting more risks, and Singaporeans need to understand and support these changes. DPM Gan Kim Yong and a few ministers have been tasked to oversee this. This will help businesses, especially our SMEs.
On Housing
PM Wong also pledged to do more to help lower-income couples get their first homes. Currently they can get an Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to $80,000.The Grant will increase, especially for the lower-income groups.
He gave the assurance to all young Singaporeans: “Once you start work and wish to settle down, we will make sure that there is a HDB flat that is within your budget, in every region.” Many single children also want to stay close to their aged parents to take care of them. The Government will also extend the priority access to all parents and their children – married or single. This will take effect from the middle of 2025.
Every School is a Good School
The current form of the Gifted Education Programme will be discontinued in primary schools. It will be replaced with a new approach to stretch students with higher abilities across all our Primary Schools. This is a significant change. But it is also consistent with Singapore’s philosophy in education – we take care of every child regardless of ability!
Wrapping up his NDR 2024 speech, PM Wong shared that Singaporeans’ dreams inspire his actions. He asked for the support of all Singaporeans as we embark on this journey. There is much to do, and it will be a whole-of-nation approach.
