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 […]
Who are our Labour MPs? What sets them apart from the other MPs?
By now everyone has probably heard enough about NTUC’s symbiotic relationship with the PAP. Members First, Workers Always. #EveryWorkerMatters. More PMEs need to join unions… and so on. If you also haven’t noticed, some of the faces of NTUC are also the same faces you’ve probably seen in parliamentary debates, or around your neighbourhood if […]
Better work environment and protection for the Private Security Officers
Security officers perform a crucial function of keeping people and property safe but unfortunately, they often bear the brunt of the abuse. In fact, the abuse has gone up. In the latest survey conducted by the Union of Security Employees (USE), close to 4 in 10 Security Officers (42.3%) face abuse at the workplace. This […]
Higher PWM basic wage for cleaners; 3% year-on-year increase till 2022
Cleaners used to be one of the lowest-paid jobs in Singapore with no prospects to earn more. All that changed with the Progressive Wage Model. Introduced in 2012, Singapore’s Progressive Wage Model is a skill and productivity-based approach to redesigning jobs and restructuring wages in a sustainable way. It is mandatory in the cleaning industry […]