National Wages Council's Statement on the Passing of Emeritus Professor Lim Chong Yah

1. The National Wages Council (NWC) sends our deepest condolences to the family of the late Emeritus Professor Lim Chong Yah.

2. As founding Chairman, Professor Lim took up the challenge of setting up the NWC in 1972. His task was particularly difficult as labour management relations then were fraught with tensions. Professor Lim painstakingly built up trust among tripartite members, by establishing the NWC’s core guiding principle that key decisions must be unanimous. This key principle of unanimity meant that it could sometimes be more challenging to arrive at decisions, but it prompted tripartite partners to unite behind a common purpose and find mutually acceptable “win-win” solutions. This has laid the solid foundation for the harmonious tripartite relations that Singapore enjoys today.

3. In his almost 30 years as Chairman of NWC, Professor Lim’s visionary leadership was instrumental in supporting Singapore through four crucial periods. Just one year after the NWC was formed, Singapore faced the oil crisis in 1973–1974. This was followed by a period of economic restructuring. More significantly, the NWC had helped employers and employees to navigate and recover from the recession of 1985–1986 and the regional financial crisis from 1997 to 1998. Throughout the years, the NWC formulated annual wage guidelines that provided a rational basis for wage negotiation and allowed wage increases in Singapore to move in tandem with productivity and economic performance. It transformed our wage system into one which is flexible and responsive to the changing needs of employers, employees and the economy.

4. NWC Chairman, Mr Peter Seah, said: “Professor Lim will be remembered for having established the National Wages Council (NWC) and leaving behind a strong tripartite institution, unique to Singapore, that continues to play a crucial role in growing our economy and improving the lives of Singaporeans. On behalf of the NWC, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the late Professor Lim for his outstanding leadership and distinguished service to the NWC.”