Overview

The Regional Centre for the Future of Work (RCFW) is an initiative by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower, supported by our tripartite partners, the Singapore National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). The Regional Centre was launched by Minister for Manpower Mrs. Josephine Teo during her Keynote Address at the HR Tech Festival Asia 2020 on 29 September 2020.

The RCFW is a direct response to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 2019 Centennial call to all members states to “Work for a Brighter Future” by:

• promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth;

• employment and decent work for all.

The idea of the Regional Centre was first mooted during the 2019 Singapore Conference on the Future of Work, when Minister for Manpower Mrs. Josephine Teo announced Singapore’s intention to set up a regional initiative, for continued social dialogue and capacity building on this pertinent topic. This was supported by the ASEAN member states who signed the ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Statement on the Future of Work at the Singapore Conference. This was the first regional statement of its kind.

Why focus on ASEAN?

With more than 640 million people, ASEAN is collectively the world’s fifth-largest economy. As a grouping, we have also grown more than 5% annually over the past two decades.

While our region has tremendous economic potential, ASEAN’s progress is at stake if we do not actively address common Future of Work challenges that affect our businesses and workers. These include:

• digital transformation of industries;

• global supply chain shifts;

• changing population demographics; and

• climate change.