Speech by 2M Indranee Rajah at HDB Staff Union's Quadrennial Delegates' Conference 2023

Aug 29, 2023

President Halimah Yacob,
Comrades from the Labour Movement,
President Ken Seow and Brothers and Sisters from HDB Staff Union,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

The Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference is an important event in HDB Staff Union’s calendar and I am delighted to join you today.

It is a time for us to appraise the Union’s performance since the last conference in 2019 and map out our path for the future with the new Executive Council to be elected for the next term.

The world today is in a challenging position with multiple global storms.

a. There is a hot war in Europe, risk of conflict in Asia-Pacific due to the growing US-China tensions, as well as protectionism undermining the multi-lateral trading system.

b. These developments affect many countries, making it harder for nations to grow their economy and create jobs for their population.

In Singapore, people are worried about our prospects in this current environment.

But just as we found a way through the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that we will survive the challenging political and economic landscape before us.

a. With tripartism between the Government, union leaders and employees, and all of us working together, we will stay united, uphold the same can-do spirit and daring gumption that has seen us through the various crises.

Many people ask us – what is Singapore’s recipe for success?

a. It is actually our unity and teamwork.

b. And a core part of that is our tripartism, the strong relationship between the unions, labour movement, employers and the Government.

c. So I want to thank all of you for your part in helping to make Singapore strong and positioning Singapore to be able to forge ahead no matter what our challenges are.

The same applies to the HDB Staff Union and HDB Management.

a. Despite the tremendous stress HDB and the Union have come under over the last three years, we continue to work hard to deliver our promise in housing the nation.

b. This is evident from HDB’s steady progress in delivering COVID-delayed projects to flat buyers with over 70% of these delayed projects now completed.

HDB has also achieved other remarkable milestones over the past year –

a. Completing the highest number of flats annually since 2018; and

b. Delivering more than twice the number of keys to households in 1H2023, compared to the same period last year.

c. Beyond these immediate challenges, HDB also continues to tackle future needs and challenges.

During the National Day Rally on 20 August 2023, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a new classification of Build-To-Order (BTO) projects.

a. From the second half of 2024, new BTO flats will be classified by their locational attributes under three categories – Standard, Plus and Prime.

b. This new categorisation will allow us to build more BTO flats in good locations. There will be more subsidies but also tighter restrictions to support genuine homebuyers.

c. This will ensure that public housing continues to stay affordable for homeowners, maintain a good social mix and keep the system fair.

With the current and upcoming challenges, HDB will continue to ensure that staff have the right skillsets for their jobs.

a. Being the first public agency to set up a Company Training Committee in 2019, the HDB Staff Union and Management have been working together to develop training programmes to build competencies in staff over the years.

b. The Union has also complemented HDB Management’s efforts to help staff adapt to evolving job scopes, as well as strengthen their capabilities to embrace technology.

c. All these efforts will better position staff for the future as the digital space grows.

Labour-management relations in HDB is a success story.

a. The HDB Staff Union’s strong relationship with HDB Management has been invaluable in ensuring that staff are well-supported in their professional development and well-being.

I look forward to the continued partnership between the Union and HDB Management, and I wish the two partners every success in the years to come. You can be assured of the Government’s support as well.

Thank you.