Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emphasized the importance of a renewed partnership among unions, port management, and the government to protect port workers amid technological advances and evolving global trade dynamics. Speaking at the Singapore Port Workers Union’s (SPWU) 80th anniversary dinner on October 17, Lee called for ongoing collaboration to equip workers with the skills needed to adapt to industry changes.
Highlighting the transformative history of Singapore’s port sector, Lee noted past shifts such as the move from manual stevedoring to remotely operated automated guided vehicles. Each transition was supported by PSA Corporation retraining workers and the union encouraging a flexible mindset toward skill upgrading. He stressed that this approach must continue to prepare workers for technology-driven roles, ensuring their long-term job security and fair participation in economic growth.
Addressing over 600 attendees—including union members, leaders, and management representatives—at The Ritz-Carlton, Lee was conferred honorary membership of the SPWU for his ongoing support to the port industry and tripartite relations. Founded in 1946, the union currently represents more than 10,000 members from PSA Corporation, PSA International, and other port logistics firms.
Lee also pointed to present challenges facing the port industry, such as competition from other regional ports advancing digitalization and automation, supply chain disruptions, climate change, and geopolitical tensions that impact shipping and port operations. He highlighted that emerging green fuels like ammonia and methanol will introduce new processes, safety protocols, and skills requirements. Technological developments in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, sensors, and robotics are already reshaping port work, with repetitive tasks likely to be automated in the future.
These shifts represent both challenges and opportunities, including the creation of higher-value roles in areas such as sustainability management and alternative fuels. Lee reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting a tripartite framework aimed at safeguarding jobs, deepening worker expertise, and ensuring equitable sharing of future growth benefits.
Singapore’s port handled a record 44.66 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, surpassing 41.12 million TEUs in 2024. The upcoming full consolidation of port operations at Tuas Port, projected for the 2040s, is expected to support a capacity of 65 million TEUs—a scale unimaginable when Singapore gained independence in 1965.
Lee acknowledged that the port’s evolution has required considerable organizational change and personal adjustment by workers, citing moves to new facilities such as Keppel, Brani, Pasir Panjang, and Tuas. He noted that the longer commutes to Tuas prompted PSA to arrange extensive transportation options, with the union playing a key role in assisting workers’ transitions. Bus services to Tuas South have increased through a tripartite committee involving PSA, the union, and government agencies, and studies are ongoing to assess the feasibility of a Bus Rapid Transit system.
Reflecting on past challenges, Lee recalled the early 2000s when PSA lost major shipping clients to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, leading to retrenchments and wage cuts. The union engaged in tough negotiations with PSA management to secure the best possible outcome for affected workers while maintaining a long-term view. When PSA rebounded, it issued gain-sharing payouts to its employees in 2005, demonstrating mutual benefit from close cooperation.
Lee credited the sustained trust between management and unions—built through collaborative efforts during periods of difficulty and growth—as a critical factor in PSA’s ongoing success. He praised the SPWU’s proactive and forward-looking stance, contrasting it with other port unions that have resisted technological progress to protect jobs, sometimes to the detriment of their industries and workers.
Expressing his gratitude, Lee called for continued mutual trust and partnership between the union and management to meet future challenges in the port sector.