Over 40,000 cleaners in Singapore to receive pay rise and annual bonus

Following a review of the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners Report (TCC) for the cleaning sector, the Singapore government has accepted the recommendations contained in the report detailing enhancements to the Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

Stated in the press release, these recommendations will benefit over 40,000 cleaners who will receive annual adjustments to their basic salary from 2017 to 2019 for a total increase of S$200. In addition, these workers will also see their salaries increase by 3% each year (between 2020 and 2022) to ensure sustained wage growth. They will also receive an annual bonus equivalent to two weeks of their basic monthly wages.

The TCC recommends providing a lead time of at least six months for the industry to adopt the new PWM wage levels. This will see cleaning businesses with new service contracts from 1 July 2017 adopt the PWM wage schedule for next year, while those with existing service contracts will follow suit by 1 July 2018.

Similarly, foreign domestic workers (FDW) have also seen an improvement in their overall working satisfaction according to the 2015 FDW Survey done by Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST). According to a speech by Seah Seng Choon, president at FAST, the survey has found that:

• About 98% of FDWs had at least one rest day a month, a significant increase from 53% in 2010.
• 93% of FDWs indicated they received sufficient emotional and social support.
• From 2010 to 2015, the proportion of FDWs who intend to continue working in Singapore after their contract ends rose from 68% to around 80%.

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