While planning for longer-term moves like the raising of the retirement and re-employment ages, it is equally important to address present-day concerns, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo yesterday. In her May Day message, she said the Government will walk the technology journey with workers, so they can access good jobs.

For the longer term, the retirement and re-employment ages will be gradually raised beyond 62 and 67 respectively, after the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers reached a consensus on this, which Mrs Teo announced last month.

"I am confident it will motivate both workers and employers to invest in skills upgrading and job redesign for older workers," she said.

Details on the timeline will be given later this year, she said.

Last year, although the labour market performed better, there were still workers seeking jobs or career advancement, she said. She assured workers that measures to tighten foreign workforce controls will keep up the pace of restructuring and nudge employers to improve job quality to meet staffing needs.

The Manpower Ministry is helping workers to take up new jobs through the Adapt and Grow initiative, she said.

It also introduced Workcare to improve workers' welfare through measures such as promoting the provision of rest areas.

Mrs Teo also said this year marks the 50th anniversary of the labour movement's Modernisation Seminar, when it embarked on a more collaborative approach to labour relations with employers and the Government, "helping to realise the vision of a Singapore that is both pro-worker and pro-business".

She concluded her statement by wishing workers a happy May Day. Joanna Seow