Employment & labour

Gan Thiam Poh questioned the feasibility of implementing mandatory paid parent-care leave for working caregivers in the government's review of support measures. Tan See Leng acknowledged the diverse needs of caregivers and emphasized the importance of a holistic approach beyond just leave, such as long-term care support and flexible work arrangements. He mentioned that while leave can help, caregivers also benefit from options like part-time work and staggered hours. The government is considering the impact of mandatory leave on businesses and caregivers' long-term employability, requiring careful study and consultation with stakeholders.

Leong Mun Wai inquired about the percentage of Singapore residents and non-residents among employees of foreign-owned firms earning above $12,500 monthly. Tan See Leng responded that two-thirds of these employees are Singapore residents.

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked about the annual attrition rate of early childhood educators over the past five years and whether guidance would be provided for parents and educators to collaborate positively. Masagos Zulkifli B M M responded that the attrition rate has been between 10% and 15%. The Early Childhood Development Agency promotes positive parent-teacher relationships through guidelines and initiatives like the Start Small Dream Big movement, encouraging collaboration on community projects. The Ministry has also shared information on improving educators' well-being and fostering appreciation for their work among parents.

Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked about the average annual leave days for resident workers in outsourced sectors like cleaning and security, based on their years of service, and how the Ministry ensures leave accumulation for workers when employers change. Tan See Leng reported that average annual leave is 11 days for those with less than 10 years of service and 14 days for those with 10 or more years. The Ministry does not track leave accumulation for outsourced workers with changing employers, but the Tripartite Advisory encourages maintaining worker remuneration and recognizing length of service under new service contracts. The Advisory promotes a focus on service quality to improve workers' employment conditions.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked if payouts from the proposed SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme would be subject to income tax. Tan See Leng responded that while payouts are considered taxable income in Singapore, the government intends to exempt these payouts from income tax. This exemption aligns with the scheme's goal of providing temporary financial support to involuntarily unemployed jobseekers facing challenges in finding employment.

Gerald Giam Yean Song questioned the Minister for Manpower about the impact of unpaid caregiving on employment and the need for a study on caregivers' demographics and economic vulnerabilities. The Minister of State for Manpower reported that approximately 89,000 residents are outside the labor force due to caregiving, with varying age ranges, but acknowledged a lack of detailed data on caregivers' financial stability as they age. In response to Giam's suggestions, the Minister highlighted existing government measures for flexible work arrangements and support for caregivers, noting that many employers voluntarily provide additional caregiving leave. Carrie Tan raised concerns about caregivers facing severe financial impacts and advocated for a study on families with intense caregiving needs, while Giam called for legislative requirements for caregiving leave and better reintegration support for former caregivers. The Minister affirmed ongoing efforts to support caregivers through career programs and by working with employers on flexible leave arrangements.

Christopher de Souza questioned the Minister for Health on ways to support public hospitals in attracting and retaining pharmacy technicians, specifically regarding financial support for competitive salaries. Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam responded that the Ministry of Health will collaborate with public healthcare institutions to enhance career prospects for pharmacy technicians through the Public Sector Pharmacy Technicians Career Development Pathway. The starting salaries for pharmacy technicians will increase by 9% in 2023, supported by additional funding from the Ministry, and regular salary reviews will be conducted to maintain competitiveness.

Tan Wu Meng raised concerns about the retrenchment of workers by a multinational technology company in Singapore, questioning the short notice given to unions and the need for better protocols and guidelines for future retrenchments. Yip Hon Weng emphasized the importance of improving communication between companies and workers during such processes and proposed more structured dialogues as part of best practices. Patrick Tay Teck Guan called for tougher enforcement against non-compliant companies and a review of mandatory retrenchment notification requirements. Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad addressed these issues by highlighting the significance of tripartism in Singapore's labor relations, the provision of retrenchment benefits by affected companies, and the Ministry's ongoing efforts to balance the needs of businesses while protecting workers' welfare. He acknowledged the need for continuous improvement of guidelines and collaboration between employers, unions, and the government to support affected workers effectively.

• From 2013 to 2023, real wages for the 20th percentile of income earners grew cumulatively by 30%, outpacing the median worker's 22% growth.
• The government is narrowing the wage gap through the expanded Progressive Wage Model, Local Qualifying Salary requirements, and Progressive Wage Mark, covering up to 90% of lower-wage workers.
• National Wages Council guidelines recommend higher wage growth for lower-wage workers to continue closing the gap with median earners by 2030.

• Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Ministry of Manpower for the number of full-time resident employees aged 25 to 64, broken down by monthly salary bands, who received only seven days of paid annual leave in their first year of employment over the past five years.
• Tan See Leng responded that the number of such employees is shown in a table provided by the ministry.
• The data request specifically targeted three salary groups: below $2,000 per month, $2,000 to $4,999 per month, and $5,000 and above per month.
• The debate focused on tracking annual leave entitlements for new full-time resident employees in their first year of employment.
• The response from the Minister for Manpower confirmed the availability of the requested statistics in a tabular format.

• Ms See Jinli Jean raised a query on extending maternity protection to Singaporeans in non-standard employment, such as dependent self-employment, to address contract termination due to pregnancy.
• She asked if the Ministry for Manpower would provide such recourse and, if not, when it might consider doing so.
• Minister Tan See Leng responded that self-employed persons and service buyers should negotiate mutually favourable contracts, referencing the Tripartite Standard on Contracting with Self-Employed Persons.
• He noted that disputes can be resolved through the Small Claims Tribunals, without committing to extending formal maternity protection.

• Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim inquired whether the Ministry of Manpower proactively inspects food delivery freelancers to ensure they are Singaporeans or PRs, the frequency of checks, and any violations in the past six months.
• Minister Tan See Leng stated that MOM relies on platform operators to prevent account misuse rather than proactive inspections due to the decentralized nature of delivery work.
• MOM acts on complaints, with 14 complaints received from January to June 2024, resulting in one enforcement action after the rest were found unsubstantiated.

• Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the annual hiring targets for nurses, allied health professionals, and support care staff over the next five years to achieve a healthcare workforce of 82,000 by 2030.
• Ong Ye Kung responded that due to an aging population, demand for healthcare services and manpower will rise, and the Ministry of Health needs to recruit about 6,000 healthcare workers annually to meet the 82,000 workforce target by 2030.

• The Ministry for Social and Family Development reported about 2,600 registered social workers in Singapore as of 2023, with demand expected to grow, projecting a need for approximately 2,000 more social service professionals, including social workers, over the next five years.
• The Ministry is expanding mid-career conversion pathways through Career Conversion Programmes, offering up to 90% salary and course fee support, while emphasizing pre-employment training as an important pipeline.
• Salary guidelines have been developed to ensure fair compensation and keep pace with the labour market, and the National Council of Social Service continues to promote the sector through branding initiatives like the Social Service Tribe to support and recognize professionals.

• The Ministry noted that retrenchments in Q2 2024 were 3,270, while total employment grew by 11,300, with over half of retrenched residents securing new jobs within six months, and Singapore remains an attractive investment destination with S$5.4 billion in fixed asset investment commitments in the first half of 2024.
• Key factors for MNC relocations include changes in market dynamics or global corporate strategies, and the Government works with companies and unions to support affected workers through skills upgrading and job matching.
• Singapore’s workforce is highly competitive, ranked first in Asia and second globally in the 2023 INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Index, and initiatives have attracted major investments such as Amazon Web Services’ S$12 billion and AstraZeneca’s S$2 billion projects, which will create good jobs for locals.

• The government emphasized that wealth inequality is difficult to measure accurately due to data challenges, but it is proactively addressing the issue through various measures beyond direct handouts and CPF top-ups, such as progressive taxation and housing grants.
• Key initiatives include enhancing the Progressive Wage Model to boost wages for lower-income workers, expanding housing grants, and implementing wealth taxes like property and buyer’s stamp duties to ensure a more progressive system.
• The government highlighted investments in education and skills development, such as the ITE Progression Award, to support lifelong earning potential and wealth accumulation for all Singaporeans, regardless of background.

• Desmond Choo inquired about how common it is for resident workers' wages to be reset to base salaries when a company changes service buyer contracts, particularly in outsourcing sectors.
• Manpower Minister Tan See Leng stated that wage resetting is a market-driven process, and intervention is unnecessary as long as firms comply with the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and employment laws.
• He noted that PWM and related schemes have significantly boosted incomes for lower-wage workers, with real wages rising 30% from 2013 to 2023, and that scheduled PWM increases help firms plan for multi-year contracts.
• The minister emphasized that a tight labor market naturally encourages better treatment of workers, and employees can seek help from unions or the Ministry of Manpower if treated unfairly.

• The Singapore Tourism Board established the Future of Guiding (FOG) 2.0 Taskforce in 2023 with industry stakeholders to develop a plan for a steady pipeline of skilled tourist guides who can showcase Singapore's story.
• Training for tourist guides has been expanded to include skills like storytelling, independent research, experience curation, and digital marketing to cater to shifting tourist preferences and the rise of self-discovery.
• Regulations are being simplified, such as allowing tourist guides to self-declare language proficiency from June 2024 to guide in additional languages without waiting for biannual tests.
• The Tourism Board conducts regular enforcement checks against unlicensed tourist guides and takes firm action against violators to address competition from unlicensed operators.

• Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim questioned whether higher salary thresholds for Employment Pass and S Pass holders might cause companies to inflate wages for these foreign workers relative to Singaporeans to meet the criteria.
• Minister Tan See Leng explained that the qualifying salaries are benchmarked to the top third of resident PMET wages and follow, rather than lead, local wage trends, ensuring foreign workers complement rather than compete with locals.
• The Minister highlighted that raising qualifying salaries over the past decade has not hindered local employment, as resident PMET median income and numbers grew significantly while foreign pass holders also increased.
• Employers are more likely to let go or reclassify foreign workers whose value does not justify higher wages, with data showing increased churn rates after qualifying salary adjustments, and changes are implemented with 18 months' notice for planning.

• Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for the percentage of new and existing dormitories that have informed the Ministry of Manpower of their plans to meet interim and new dormitory standards under the Dormitory Transition Scheme.
• Tan See Leng stated that about 200 dormitories with 70,000 beds already meet the new standards, including all new dormitories licensed after September 2021.
• For existing dormitories transitioning to interim standards by 2030, 14 dormitories with about 100,000 beds have begun works or informed the Ministry of their plans, accounting for half the beds needing interim standards by 2030.