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The Tripartite Cluster for Waste Management (TCWM) Industry has released its recommendations on the implementation of a new Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the waste management (WM) industry. The recommendations outline wage, skills and career progression ladders that will further boost the productivity and jobs of new and existing waste management workers.
Key recommendations comprise:
- Higher wages: Introduction of PWM Baseline Wages; a multi-year schedule of wage increments as well as a mandatory PWM Bonus
- Better skills: Enhancement of training requirements to ensure WM workers are adequately equipped to perform their job duties professionally and to gear up for higher value work in line with industry transformation efforts
- Better jobs: Provision of a clear career progression pathway for specified PWM job roles in operational and supervisory positions
The PWM for the WM industry, which is set to take effect from 1 July 2023, will benefit about 3,000 resident waste management employees in the waste collection and materials recovery sub-sectors.
Higher wages: PWM wage ladder, schedule of annual increases, PWM bonus
Taking reference from the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers’ (TWG-LWW) recommendation for wages to be expressed in gross terms, the PWM wages for the WM industry are recommended as follows:
(i) Baseline wage: Stipulated in gross terms for regular contractual working hours (i.e. excluding overtime pay);
(ii) Hourly overtime rate of pay: Stipulated minimum hourly overtime rates of pay for each job to safeguard the workers’ interest when they have to put in overtime hours.
The TCWM recommends a multi-year wage schedule from 1 July 2023 till 30 June 2029 that comprises fixed annual increments for all job rungs, with faster wage growth for the lower job rungs. The wage recommendations are summarised in the following graphs:
The PWM Baseline Wages of waste collection crew will increase by an average CAGR of 8.1 per cent from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2029 ($2,210 to $3,260), while that of a materials sorter will increase by an average CAGR of 8.4 per cent in same period ($2,110 to $3,160).
To enable employers to better attract and retain their workers, the TCWM recommends for eligible resident WM workers to be paid a PWM Bonus, a mandatory annual bonus starting from January 2024. The PWM Bonus quantum is to be no less than one month of the worker’s prevailing basic monthly wage.
PWM Career and Skills Ladders
To provide a clear career progression pathway for the existing WM workforce and to attract new entrants, the TCWM maps out the operational and supervisory job roles within the two sub-sectors as follows:
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Waste Collection
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Crew à Senior Crew à Team Lead à Supervisor
Driver* à Senior Driver à Captain
Note: A Crew/Senior Crew/Team Lead may be deployed as a Driver provided that the worker has attained at least a Class 4 driving license and met the required training requirements
*may operate either Rear-End Loader (REL) or Hooklift trucks
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Materials Recovery
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Sorter à Senior Sorter / Machine Operator à Team Lead à Plant Supervisor
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To ensure the WM workforce will be adequately trained to handle their assigned tasks and observe safety standards due to the higher occupational risk of their work, the TCWM recommends setting a minimum number of Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) training modules that commensurate with the job roles of the workers:
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Waste Collection Sub-Sector
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Materials Recovery Sub-Sector
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PWM Training Requirements
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Minimum 2 WSQ modules
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Senior Crew
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Team Lead
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Driver*
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Senior Driver
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Senior Sorter
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Machine Operator
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Team Lead
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Minimum 3 WSQ modules (cumulative^)
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Minimum 4 WSQ modules (cumulative^)
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*may operate either Rear-End Loader (REL) or Hooklift trucks
^cumulative modules would include the WSQ modules attained at the preceding job level
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Whole of society support to uplift our waste management workers
Underscoring the PWM and other industry efforts to uplift the lives and livelihoods of WM workers, greater support from whole of society is crucial, such as:
• Government to provide transitional wage support and defer any further adjustments to the dependency ratio ceiling
• Service providers to map out a training plan for workers and consider forming Company Training Committees with NTUC to support the plan
• Service buyers to support workers’ upgrading and adoption of more technology-enabled solutions
• Workers to embrace upskilling to improve productivity and employability
Mr Fahmi Aliman, Chairman of the TCWM, said, “Waste management is a critical and essential service. Our waste management workers put in very hard work to keep our environment clean, and the work that they do is undoubtedly very tough. Indeed, they deserve due recognition. The TCWM has been working hard for the past year to come up with a Progressive Wage Model that will boost the wages and skills as well as improve career progression opportunities of our waste management workers, and in time, attract more workers to the industry. Beyond the PWM, the TCWM will press on our efforts to uplift the image of the industry, and urge all of society to recognise and value the importance of our waste management workforce especially amidst challenges due to COVID-19.”
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