SINGAPORE: A belated Labour Day Rally held at Hong Lim Park on 25 May 2025 drew over 400 members of the public.
The gathering, postponed due to the General Election 2025, was organised by civil society group Workers Make Possible.
It marked the third Labour Day Rally of its kind, held in the spirit of 1 May despite the delay.
The rally spotlighted labour rights, social justice, and collective solidarity among workers and advocacy groups.
Among the attendees were political leaders from alternative parties, including the Workers’ Party (WP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
WP parliamentarians present included Sengkang GRC MP Associate Professor Jamus Lim, Hougang MP Dennis Tan, and Aljunied GRC MPs Fadli Fawzi and Kenneth Tiong.
WP member Jeraldine Phneah also attended, alongside PSP’s Stephanie Tan, SDP chief Dr Chee Soon Juan and party chairman Professor Paul Tambyah.
Over 20 civil society and community groups set up booths at the event.
These included the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), which advocates for migrant domestic workers, and Function 8, a collective representing the social activism of the 1970s and 1980s.
NGOs Project X and Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) were also present.
Project X champions the rights of sex workers, while TJC advocates for the abolition of the death penalty and a shift away from carceral policies.
SG Riders, a group representing platform delivery workers, and the SDP also held booths.
Hong Lim Park was unavailable on 1 May due to election restrictions, delaying the rally.
TikToker and F&B entrepreneur Is’haq Rajoo Jay, who had intended to contest Queenstown SMC as an independent candidate but withdrew to avoid a three-way race prior to 3 May poll, was among the invited speakers.
The rally concluded at 7:30 pm.
The fourth speaker, Umar, closed his speech with the chant: “Workers united will never be defeated.”
The final speaker, Ariffin Sha, a legal executive and the founder of the alternative news outlet Wake Up Singapore, highlighted the impact of sustained grassroots organising.
He cited the success of platform delivery riders, whose advocacy led to the Platform Workers Act. The Act came into effect on 1 January 2025.
It introduced work injury compensation, Central Provident Fund contributions, and representation rights for platform-based workers.
The 28-year-old contested under SDP banner in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC during 3 May poll.
The event ended with chants of unity and strength, with recognition given to all the organisations and student groups that helped bring the rally together.
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