The year-end bonus for civil servants was announced on 23 November 2018 by the Public Service Division (PSD).
Over and above the 13-month payment, some 84,000 civil servants will receive a year-end annual variable component (AVC) of one month.
Meanwhile, low-income earners will be getting a minimum AVC of $1,800, regardless of what they earn. This means that an officer earning a monthly salary of $1,500 will get a year-end AVC of $1,800, which is more than one month's worth.
This move will benefit some 1,380 lower-wage civil servants, signalling the Government’s commitment to helping lower-wage workers, said PSD.
In July 2018, civil servants received a mid-year AVC of 0.5 months, with a one-off lump sum of $300. Lower-wage civil servants received a lump sum of $500.
In 2017, civil servants received a year-end AVC of one month while lower-income earners also received a minimum AVC of $1,800.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry also forecasted the economy to grow by 3.0 per cent to 3.5 per cent for 2018.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Cham Hui Fong said that she is glad that the Government is fair in awarding civil servants with the one-month bonus and is also paying more attention to low-wage workers.
“NTUC will continue to work closely with PSD to upgrade and upskill our lower grade civil servants. At the same time, we will work in tandem with the Government to transform industries and raise workers' productivity,” she added.
Unions representing civil servants and public daily-rated workers also lauded the bonus payments.
Leaders from both the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) and the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers (AUPDRW) also believe that the year-end payout for civil servants is fair.
AUPE General Secretary Yeo Chun Fing said: “The agreement between the public service unions and the PSD to award a one-month year-end AVC, making a total of 1.5 months for the whole year, is reasonable given the steady performance of the economy which was anchored on the growth in the first three quarters and expected growth for the whole of 2018. Our union members would be quite satisfied with this payout.”
AUPDRW General Secretary G Muthukumarasamy said that the union appreciates the Government is giving a one-month ACV to civil servants and a minimum of $1,800 to lower-wage civil servants. He added that the union hopes the Government will continue to do more for them.
