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SINGAPORE'S economy and the challenges it will continue to face will be key themes in labour chief Lim Swee Say's National Day message to the labour movement today.
He will also assess the economy's performance in the first six months of the year when he speaks at the launch of the new Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute, where future union leaders will be trained.
The stocktaking by Mr Lim, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, coincides with the release this morning of preliminary data from the Manpower Ministry on the state of the jobs market here between the months of April and June.
Both the Government and the labour movement have stressed that it is not yet time to celebrate despite signs which suggest that the global economic slump may be bottoming out.
While the official growth forecast for the year was revised upwards just earlier this month, the Government said it still expects the economy to shrink 4 per cent to 6 per cent - instead of the 6 per cent to 9 per cent decline it had forecast in April.
Similarly, a fortnight ago, NTUC figures showed that layoffs in the unionised sector between April and June fell to 1,406. This was down from a record 4,744 in the previous three months.
The number of workers who were on a shorter work week and on temporary no-pay leave had also dropped by 70 per cent to 7,608, from 24,135 in the first three months of the year.
But Mr Lim, who released the figures, also cautioned at the time that the second half of the year might see another wave of retrenchments because of the continuing uncertain economic outlook.
An NTUC spokesman said that Mr Lim, in his remarks today, will also touch on the role of union leadership in the development of the nation.
His National Day message and the launch the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute mark the start of a series of activities that the labour movement will be holding next month to commemorate Singapore's 44th year of independence.
There will be 35 National Day observance ceremonies, involving 15,000 unionists, workers and employers, held throughout the month.
A highlight of the celebration will be on National Day itself, as the labour movement is fielding a 92-strong marching contingent.
It will be led by Mr Tan Hock Soon, general secretary of the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union.
Mr Tan, 47, who has been training with the contingent for the past four months, said enthusiasm was high.
'We are all excited, and we want to show our pride for the country. We can't wait for the actual day,' he said.
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