Singapore and ILO push ASEAN labour framework into AI era

The renewed agreement now focuses platform work, ageing workforce, and skills transition.

Singapore and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have renewed a regional partnership to strengthen labour policy cooperation in ASEAN, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), platform, work and demographic change, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

The “Partnership Agreement for a Collaborative Programme on Labour and Decent Work,” signed on 8 June, will run for two years from June 2026 to June 2028.

The agreement builds on more than 15 years of cooperation between both parties and was developed in consultation with Singapore’s tripartite partners, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

According to MOM, the programme is designed to strengthen ASEAN governments as well as employers’ and workers’ organisations in responding to structural changes in labour markets.

Key focus areas include the impact of artificial intelligence on work, the growth of platform and non-standard employment, and demographic shifts such as ageing workforces and labour force participation amongst older workers.

The framework also continues existing cooperation on occupational safety and health, skills development, and social dialogue.

Planned activities under the agreement include policy dialogue, technical exchanges, and the sharing of labour market practices across ASEAN member states.

The partnership builds on earlier efforts by Singapore and the ILO, including the Global Dialogue on Digital Platform Work held on 19 September 2025, which brought together policymakers, statisticians, and industry stakeholders to develop a shared framework for platform employment.

Stanley Loh, permanent secretary at MOM said the agreement reflects efforts to address global labour issues linked to new technologies, demographic change, and evolving forms of employment, and to support more inclusive and resilient labour markets.

Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, ILO assistant director-general and regional director for Asia and the Pacific, said labour markets in ASEAN are undergoing structural transformation and require stronger cooperation between stakeholders.

She said the renewed agreement supports efforts to ensure that technological change and demographic shifts create opportunities for workers across the region.