NTUC to raise retirement and re-employment ages for all its employees in 2025, ahead of national schedule

The move is expected to benefit about 448 employees with the retirement age increase and around 271 employees with the re-employment age increase.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in Singapore has announced plans to raise the retirement age (RA) and re-employment age (REA) for its workforce, one and a half years earlier than the national timeline. Effective January 1, 2025, the RA will increase to 64, and the REA to 69, the union body said on Monday (9 December 2024).

NTUC, along with its affiliates including NTUC Club and NTUC Enterprise, employs approximately 2,356 individuals who exceed the current statutory RA of 63. The move is expected to benefit about 448 employees with the RA increase and around 271 employees with the REA increase.

NTUC shared that to support its older employees, it engages them early to discuss re-employment and retirement plans, offering targeted training to ensure their continued relevance in the workforce. Employment benefits and salaries remain consistent upon re-employment, unless mutually agreed changes occur in roles or job scopes.

The union body added that provides ongoing support such as tailored learning and development initiatives, health screenings, and retirement planning benefits to re-employed workers; while at the same time, offering job redesign and flexible work arrangements where needed, to better support their continued contributions.

Commenting on the above, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng said: "As a Labour Movement, we commit to giving our older employees access to meaningful employment opportunities. By raising the Retirement Age and Re-employment Age for our NTUC employees ahead of the national schedule, we are taking proactive steps to build a more inclusive workforce."

He also acknowledged the "wealth of experience, dedication, and resilience" that older workers bring as an invaluable driver of the economy, calling on more employers to take action to support their older workers.

Recapping the upcoming raises to retirement and re-employment ages in Singapore

In March 2024, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower announced that the retirement and re-employment ages in Singapore will be raised further in 2026. In particular, the retirement age will be raised to 64, while re-employment age will be raised to 69, collectively bringing Singapore another step closer to achieving its goal of bringing the retirement and re-employment ages to 65 & 70 respectively by 2030.  

The increase come following the earlier raise in 2022, with the retirement and re-employment ages being 63 and 68 respectively. 

Making the announcement at the ministry's Committee of Supply, Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang encouraged employers to start planning for the raise early in order to ensure a smooth implementation. "Some will need to adjust their manpower and upskilling plans to retain their senior workers. This is why we are taking a stepped approach and announcing the increase early.

"Come 2026, employers who have prepared well will be better placed to tap on their senior workforce to meet their business needs," she added.

Read the full update here. 

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