Dilemma of a Food Delivery Rider
With the outbreak of COVID-19, businesses are scrambling to maintain a semblance of business continuity which enabled work-from-home arrangements as part of the new normal. As a result, gig workers like 23-year-old Mohd Rifqy become a crucial lifeline, delivering food and other supplies to people. Rifqy, who recently completed his national service, shared that working […]
What can we do about the rising cost of living?
Inflation and GST- two words that are emotionally charged. It can change a casual chat into a loud and sometimes angry debate, or it may even deflate your spirits as you rework your upcoming plans that require money. Beyond the dismay, most feel about the rising cost of living in the anxiety that things may […]
Work Hard for More Huat!
While most of us were at home, chilling on the couch watching Netflix and spending time with family and friends during this festive period, Mr. Steven Chua was busy on the roads, ferrying passengers to their gatherings. This father-of-three has supported his family as a taxi driver for 17 years. For him, forgoing family time […]
Unemployment Insurance in Singapore: Yay or Nay?
The topic of having an unemployment insurance in Singapore is not new. In fact, Labour MP Patrick Tay has broached the subject in Parliament and called for unemployment support for PMEs who are retrenched and transiting into their new jobs since 2016. NTUC and SNEF recently put forth the recommendation to introduce a national unemployment […]
Cleaning Aunty Mdm Chan: “I feel valued and appreciated for my work!”
It’s hard to imagine working in the same company for more than five years, let alone 10. But Mdm Chan, 57, tells me that she has been working as a cleaner at an audit firm for 12 whooping years. “What made you stay on for so long?” I was curious. You see, most of the […]
Meet the people faithfully speaking for lower wage workers
COVID-19 has thrust our lower wage workers like cleaners into the spotlight. Many Singaporeans have become aware that they play an integral role in society and deserve to receive higher wages. The good news is, the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) which benefits many lower wage workers, is already implemented in some sectors. These are the […]
Twelve Cupcakes’ Ex-Director Fined Over Offences Involving Underpaid Staff
Former director at bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes, 49-year-old Yvonne Ong Hwee Ming, was fined $20,000 earlier this week for allowing the firm to underpay its workers. Yvonne Ong, an ex-teacher, pleaded guilty to four charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. According to a Straits Times article, her lawyer said that “her client is […]
Why is our schools not producing the required number of talents: Leong Mun Wai
PSP Leong Mun Wai asked in Parliament why Singapore’s education system was not producing the required numbers of local talent needed. “Minister Tan said that there’s simply not enough local talent… Then what happened to our education system? What happened after 20 years, you’re still telling Singaporeans that we (have) not enough talent.” Is there […]
Government accepts higher wages proposed for Cleaners by Tripartite Cluster
Cleaners can look forward to higher wages over six years from 2023, after proposals by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners (TCC) were accepted by the Government on Monday (Jun 7). Over the years, the base pay of cleaners has risen gradually under the PWM. It now stands at S$1,236. Come July, it will rise to […]
Cleaning Firm Gives Out Special Pandemic Bonus of Almost $1 million
One cleaning firm is handing out a special pandemic bonus of close to $1 million to its cleaners and other employees. On the generous reward for his employees, Mr Abdul Aziz Yusof, the chief executive of Cleaning Express shared that during the pandemic, there was a shortage of manpower and resources, yet his workers remained […]