Wage plan to target employment hubs

Wage plan to target employment hubs
PHOTO: Wage plan to target employment hubs

SINGAPORE - Tighter foreign-manpower rules have caused companies here to accept the reality that they need to find ways to up productivity as well as to attract and retain workers.

This was an observation made by labour chief Lim Swee Say yesterday, as he provided an update on the labour movement's plan to progressively raise the pay of workers here.

Eight out of 12 union clusters - including those relating to transport and logistics, and hospitality and consumer business - have rolled out their own progressive wage models since the plan was first launched in June.

The wage models make clear the range of pay employees can expect for their job roles and the usual time frame for promotion.

Mr Lim said that the implementation of the plan thus far has been "very encouraging", especially since the new reality of slower job growth has "finally sunk in".

He said: "We thus believe that the pace of implementation can be faster."

Mr Lim added that some 100,000 Singaporean workers could potentially get a boost in their jobs over the next two to three years under the progressive wage model.

This may not just be in the form of wage increases but also through the upgrading of skills, better career prospects or increased productivity levels, given the plan's "four-in-one" thrust.

Besides focusing on industry clusters, the labour movement will now expand the plan to target employment hubs, such as Changi Airport, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

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