Mr Ng Chee Meng was elected as the Secretary-General of NTUC on 22 May 2018. He was first appointed as the NTUC Deputy Secretary-General on 23 April 2018.
As the Secretary-General of NTUC, Mr Ng advocates and pushes for initiatives that will lead to better wages, welfare and work prospects for workers. He championed the formation of Company Training Committees, whereby unions and management work hand in hand to identify disrupted jobs and new roles, as well as curate training for workers to keep up with industry transformation. Protecting workers’ livelihoods is close to his heart. To help displaced workers get a new job faster, he drove the setting up of the NTUC Job Security Council to provide pre-emptive assistance for at-risk workers by
training them when required and matching them from releasing companies to receiving companies. To provide greater protection for our local professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) and strengthen their collective voice, he also led the formation of the PME Taskforce, co-chair with the President of Singapore National Employers Federation.
Mr Ng was formerly the Minister in Prime Minister’s Office from 1 May 2018 to 31 July 2020. Prior to this, he was the Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister for Transport. As the Minister for Education (Schools), he strengthened efforts to develop well-rounded individuals anchored on strong values, with a focus on applied learning to prepare our students for the future. When Mr Ng was with the Ministry of Transport, he pushed for transformation of the aviation sector and led efforts to help both the taxi and private hire car industries cope with technological disruptions.
Prior to his Cabinet appointment, Mr Ng served as the Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force (CDF). During his tenure as CDF, he ensured that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) maintained its high level of operational effectiveness in safeguarding the nation’s security. Mr Ng joined the SAF in December 1986 and held various key command and staff appointments during his 29 years of service, including Commander of Changi Air Base, Director of Joint Operations and Chief of Air Force.
He also held several directorship appointments in public and private organisations, including the Boards of Singapore Technologies Engineering, Defence Science and Technology Agency, and Jurong Town Corporation.
Graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1991, Mr Ng obtained a Master of Arts (International Relations) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, USA in 2003.