Singapore’s National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is updating its Job Security Council (JSC), which is directly inspired by Swedish job security councils. The model was adapted from Sweden to help workers move quickly into new jobs when companies restructure. Since its launch in 2020, the JSC has helped more than 110,000 workers.
The council was first used during COVID-19 to support retrenched workers and guide companies through change. Around 10,000 employers have joined so far, but NTUC wants many more firms to take part so the Swedish-style system can cover a larger share of Singapore’s workforce.
Going forward, NTUC will focus on training and upskilling through partners such as NTUC LearningHub, including basic and intermediate AI courses. It also aims to redesign jobs so workers get better wages, welfare and work prospects, following the same ideas that have been used for years in Sweden to support workers in transition.
NTUC also plans to use more technology, including AI tools such as its e2i AI Career Coach, to speed up job matching. Together with employers and the government, NTUC wants the Swedish-inspired JSC to remain a key tool for protecting workers in Singapore’s changing job market.
