Employment & labour — Topics

20 Jan 2014

Students on Internship

Mary Liew asked whether the Ministry would cover internship students under the Employment Act and make it mandatory for employers to provide a minimum reasonable allowance for transportation and meals.
The Ministry stated that the Employment Act only covers interns with a contract of service similar to regular employees, noting that many internships are for academic purposes and do not form an employer-employee relationship.
The Ministry argued that prescribing a minimum allowance is impractical due to the diverse range of internship arrangements, and that compensation should be mutually agreed upon with input from educational institutions.
The Ministry emphasized that the primary value of internships lies in industry exposure and practical experience, rather than monetary compensation.

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20 Jan 2014

Fair Contract Terms for Taxi Drivers

Mary Liew raised concerns about the role of taxis in transport, the fairness of rental rates, and the possibility of a mandatory weekly rent-free day for drivers.
Minister Lui Tuck Yew stated that taxis complement public transport and that rental agreements are private commercial contracts with varying rates based on costs and competition.
The Minister explained that taxi companies already offer rent-free days annually and that flexibility exists through relief drivers, so mandating rest days is unnecessary.
The Ministry encourages taxi companies to improve driver welfare by offering more flexible contract terms.

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20 Jan 2014

Placement Services at CaliberLink

MP Vikram Nair inquired about the number of people who have used CaliberLink for job assistance and how many of them have successfully found employment.
The Acting Minister for Manpower reported that CaliberLink has assisted over 5,000 PMEs since its launch, with about 2,000 receiving dedicated employment services and around 750 finding jobs through its referrals or independent efforts.
The Minister noted that public awareness of CaliberLink is still growing, and while the results are encouraging, there is room for improvement to make the platform more effective for connecting PMEs with training and employment opportunities.

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20 Jan 2014

Staff-Child Ratios in Childcare and Infant Care Centres

Ms Lee Li Lian asked about the status of the review of staff-child ratios and plans to reduce the current 1:5 ratio in light of plans to create 20,000 more childcare places by 2017.
Chan Chun Sing explained that ratios are part of ensuring children’s safety and development, with lower ratios for younger children, and that the review must balance quality care with the manpower needed for expansion and impact on fees.
He highlighted that since January 2012, centres have had flexibility to use para-personnel to assist teachers, allowing capacity growth while lowering ratios, and that measures are being taken to attract and retain early childhood sector manpower.
The Minister also noted that beyond ratios, the capability of early childhood personnel is important, with raised qualification requirements in 2009 and ongoing training opportunities through the Continuing Professional Development Masterplan.

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20 Jan 2014

Employment and Employability of Seniors

David Ong proposed removing the statutory retirement age and restoring full CPF contributions for workers over 50 to empower seniors and address age discrimination, emphasizing that longer lifespans and a tight labour market make their continued employment both economically sensible and personally beneficial for financial security and well-being.
Dr Amy Khor, representing the Ministry of Manpower, defended the existing re-employment framework under the Retirement and Re-employment Act as a balanced approach that protects workers while giving employers flexibility, noting high re-employment rates and gradual progress in restoring CPF contributions without harming older workers' employability.
Both speakers highlighted the need to redesign jobs, enhance schemes like WorkPro and the Special Employment Credit, and shift societal attitudes to view older workers as assets, ensuring fair compensation and active ageing for Singapore's ageing population.

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20 Jan 2014

Foreign Worker Management

The government reaffirmed that foreign workers are vital to Singapore’s economy but their growth will be moderated to balance productivity, wage growth, and infrastructure needs, with no significant impact expected from the Little India riot.
Officials emphasized that surveys show high satisfaction among foreign workers, and cases of mistreatment are isolated (less than 1% of work permit holders), while rejecting claims of systemic abuse as unfounded.
Measures are being enhanced to improve foreign worker welfare, including more purpose-built dormitories, recreation centres, and education on social norms, alongside security reviews for areas where they congregate.
The Committee of Inquiry will comprehensively examine all possible factors behind the riot, including alcohol and social grievances, while ensuring transparency and fairness in its proceedings.
The government is considering alcohol control measures and other practical steps to manage public order, balancing enforceability with the need to avoid overly intrusive regulations.

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20 Jan 2014

Addressing Foreign Workforce Issues

Multiple MPs raised concerns about the concentration and congregation of foreign workers, particularly after the Little India riot, asking for improved security management, inter-agency coordination, and guidelines for public gatherings.
Questions focused on the adequacy and regulation of living conditions in dormitories and other accommodations, including the need for better amenities, social facilities, and standards for firms employing large numbers of foreign workers.
Several MPs inquired about measures to educate foreign workers on Singapore’s laws, culture, and employment rights, and to enhance their integration and assimilation.
There were calls to review the growth and recruitment of foreign workers, consider capping numbers, and assess the sustainability of their employment terms and living situations.
Suggestions were made to stagger rest days or implement flexi-arrangements for workers to reduce congestion in specific areas, and to ensure their access to public spaces and amenities.

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12 Nov 2013

Impact of Tightened Foreign Workers Inflow on Arts and Creative Industries

Ms Janice Koh raised concerns about how tightened foreign worker inflows affect the talent pool for arts and creative industries, and suggested policy refinements for modest pay scales and freelance work, as well as a special pass for foreign arts graduates.
The government explained that foreign workforce policies aim to drive productivity and are applied consistently, using fixed monthly salary as a key criterion for work pass eligibility to ensure quality and economic contribution.
While acknowledging the unique challenges in the arts sector, the government noted that flexibility for specific arts professionals is considered case-by-case with support from the National Arts Council.

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12 Nov 2013

Employment, Parental Leave and Other Measures Bill

The Bill extends Employment Act protections to more workers, including raising the salary threshold for non-workmen and introducing coverage for junior PMEs earning up to $4,500 a month, while also enhancing enforcement measures with stiffer penalties for salary violations.
It introduces flexibility for employers, such as capping overtime pay rates and allowing time-off in lieu for PMEs working on public holidays, while also addressing parental leave updates under the Child Development Co-Savings Act.
The debate highlighted concerns about balancing worker protections with business competitiveness, with calls for further measures to support low-wage workers, reduce long working hours, and improve protections for contract workers in future reviews.

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12 Nov 2013

Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill

Parliament debated amendments to the Central Provident Fund Act to increase penalties for employers who default on contributions, aligning them with the Employment Act by introducing imprisonment terms and higher fines.
Members raised concerns about retirement adequacy, especially for low-income workers, homemakers, and the self-employed, urging the government to review CPF coverage and support for those outside traditional employment.
Discussions highlighted the need for greater flexibility in CPF withdrawals for members above 55 and for those facing housing loan challenges, with suggestions for staggered transfers and alignment with housing schemes.

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12 Nov 2013

Renewal of Employment Passes for Foreign Workers

R Dhinakaran asked for the number and breakdown of non-renewed Employment Passes in the first half of the year and the industries affected.
The Acting Minister reported that about 2,600 EPs were not renewed, with over half being Q1 Pass holders, primarily in Wholesale and Retail Trade, Professional Services, and Information and Communications, due to tightened qualifying criteria.
Dhinakaran inquired if companies were complaining about the tight labour market and considering relocating, which could hurt local employment.
The Minister acknowledged concerns from both local and foreign firms but emphasized Singapore’s broader competitiveness and the government’s calibrated approach to productivity-led growth.
The overall message stressed the need for tightening foreign labour policies to support a more productivity-focused and manpower-lean economic model.

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12 Nov 2013

World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Report 2013

The Parliamentary Secretary noted Singapore’s improved ranking in the WEF Gender Gap Report 2013, rising to 58th place, and emphasized the government uses multiple indices—including the UN Gender Inequality Index—to track gender equality, while acknowledging the WEF report measures relative gaps rather than absolute progress.
In response to questions about data gaps, the Parliamentary Secretary explained discrepancies in tertiary enrollment figures stem from methodological issues for city-states like Singapore, and highlighted high female literacy rates and university enrollment, asserting equal educational access.
The government outlined initiatives to support women’s workforce participation, such as expanding childcare and eldercare services and promoting shared parental responsibilities through family education, while noting labor force participation rates have improved over the past decade.
On political empowerment, the Parliamentary Secretary reported women hold 25 of 99 parliamentary seats (25.4%), above the global average, and stressed the merit-based system over quotas, while acknowledging more could be done to increase female representation in Cabinet.

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11 Nov 2013

Employers' CPF Contributions for Workers Age 50 and Above

The Acting Minister for Manpower explained that the reduced CPF contributions for workers aged 50 to 55 were initially introduced in 2005-2006 to improve their employability in a seniority-based wage system.
With improved employment rates and wage restructuring for older workers, the government in 2012 agreed with tripartite partners to eventually restore their CPF contributions to match younger workers.
The CPF rate for workers aged 50 to 55 was raised by 2.5 percentage points in September last year, and the government will monitor conditions before taking further steps to balance employee take-home pay and employer costs.

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11 Nov 2013

Encouraging Best Sourcing Practices

The Ministry promotes best sourcing through Tripartite Advisory and implementation guides, with training modules for procurement officers and funding grants of up to $150,000 to help companies adopt these practices.
Accreditation schemes like NEA's Clean Mark and security grading exercises are used to identify higher-quality service providers, with government agencies committing to procure only from accredited or well-graded companies.
Best sourcing aims to improve service quality, worker welfare, and wage standards, especially for low-wage workers, while discouraging practices that depress wages through cheap sourcing.

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11 Nov 2013

Teachers' Workload

The Minister for Education stated that teachers average about 15 teaching hours per week, with an additional approximately 30 hours spent on teaching-related duties like lesson preparation, remediation, and marking.
Heads of Department have a lower teaching load of around 11 hours per week to accommodate leadership responsibilities such as departmental coordination and staff supervision.
The annual teacher resignation rate is approximately 3% over the past five years, and workload has not been a major cited reason for resignations based on exit interviews.
The Ministry monitors teacher workload through internal feedback channels to ensure it remains within reasonable levels, noting variations between peak and non-peak periods.

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11 Nov 2013

Impact of Tightened Foreign Worker Quotas on SMEs

The government has tightened foreign worker quotas since 2010 to shift towards a more manpower-lean economy, but has received 19,000 appeals from SMEs for pass renewals, approving about 48% with temporary concessions to aid their transition.
SMEs make up 99% of enterprises and contribute significantly to employment and GDP, prompting active engagement to address their manpower challenges and rising costs.
To help SMEs retain experienced foreign workers, the government introduced a market-based skills framework in 2013, allowing certain work permit holders to gain skilled status and stay longer while reducing levy costs.
Despite tighter foreign worker restrictions, many SMEs have expanded overseas, with over half reporting overseas revenue in 2012, showing continued growth opportunities.

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11 Nov 2013

Wage Increase Requirement in Government Contracts

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam confirmed that since July, MOF has required government agencies to instruct contractors to follow National Wage Council (NWC) recommendations on wage increments for outsourced services and to factor expected wage increases into their tender bids.
For multi-year contracts, contractors are encouraged to provide a year-by-year breakdown of their bid price to reflect anticipated wage growth over the contract period.
The government supports applying NWC recommendations to wage adjustments in sectors with a Progressive Wage Model, such as cleaning, and is working to extend this approach to the security sector through a tripartite committee.
The government aims to promote sustainable wage progression for low-wage workers across outsourced government contracts by working with tripartite partners.
This policy ensures that wage increments are considered in government procurement, aligning with national wage recommendations for low-wage workers.

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11 Nov 2013

Unemployment in Singapore's Resident Population

Jessica Tan asked whether rising resident unemployment would continue through 2013 and how economic restructuring has affected jobs and PME wages and opportunities.
Minister Tan Chuan-Jin explained that restructuring aims for productivity-led growth, which may temporarily displace some jobs but creates new ones, with overall employment growing between 2010 and 2013.
He noted that PME median wages grew faster than average, but the supply of graduates increased, reducing vacancies for degree holders from 112 to 92 per 100 seekers between 2010 and 2012.
The minister said unemployment may rise slightly but remain low due to a tight labor market, with support for displaced workers through skills training and job-matching services.

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11 Nov 2013

Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill

The Bill amends the CPF Act to increase penalties for employer non-compliance, including higher fines, minimum fines, and jail terms for repeat offenders, and expands the powers of CPF Board inspectors to obtain documents from any person connected to employment during investigations.
It introduces greater flexibility for CPF members above 55 to make more than one withdrawal within a birthday year, subject to existing withdrawal rules, and updates pledging rules to allow private property jointly owned with non-relatives to be pledged.
The amendments close defunct schemes like the Minimum Sum Bank Deposit Scheme and Minimum Sum Plus Scheme, and include technical changes to streamline CPF administration.

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11 Nov 2013

Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Bill

The bill aims to establish a legal framework in Singapore to implement the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), an international treaty that sets minimum standards for working conditions and rights for seafarers.
It will amend various existing laws, such as the Merchant Shipping Act, to align with the MLC's requirements concerning crew welfare, health, safety, and social security protections.
The bill was presented by Senior Minister of State for Transport Josephine Teo and was read a first time, with the second reading scheduled for the next parliamentary sitting.

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