Introduction
COVID-19 has caused massive disruptions to our way of life. Experts are predicting that the way we live, work and play will be very much different post COVID-19. There will be a new normal. We experienced some of this possible new normal during the circuit breaker period.
As a nation, we were united, we showed resilience, we fought in solidarity, we strengthened our fortitude but, this crisis also revealed our vulnerabilities. We know we need to reduce our dependence in some areas and at the same time, develop new mindset and capabilities for us to live, work and play in the new normal.
Changes for the New Normal
This current crisis has forced many to re-think on the value that our society has placed on essential service workers. The services provided by these workers are truly useful, necessary and the impact will be felt if the work is not done. Unfortunately, in many societies, the more useful the work is, the less they pay you. However, this crisis has caused some to change their attitude and behaviour and we have witnessed many more people who are being gracious, generous, and grateful for the work of our essential service workers.
NTUC, together with our affiliated unions and associations, have long championed the cause of our low-wage essential service workers. To us, every worker matters and every job counts. While I am heartened that we have made good progress in terms of pushing for better wages and skills, there is much more to be done. In post COVID-19, what would be the new normal for essential service workers in the outsourced sectors that keep Singapore safe, clean and green?
Currently, most of the companies in the outsourced industries where the Progressive Wage Model is made mandatory, are characterised by an older workforce; limited use of technology; relatively low productivity; heavy reliance on foreign manpower; and their salaries hover at the bottom 5th percentile of the resident workforce in terms of gross monthly salary. This situation cannot persist in post COVID-19. As a society, if we truly value the work of our essential service workers, then it is time for all stakeholders to be bold and embrace change in the new normal.
In the new normal, we must change how we treat our essential service workers. We must continue to find ways to narrow the income gap and ensure their average wage growth continue to be higher than the median. Currently, under the mandatory PWM, our cleaners and landscape workers are given only two weeks of PWM Bonus but, there is none for the security officers. Simply giving them an annual bonus of one month would increase the percentage of wage increment by 8%. The tripartite committees overseeing these essential services must work together to enhance the skills and wage ladders to ensure our workers continue to remain relevant and due recognition be given for the importance of their work.
In the new normal, we need a Progressive Wage Model where these essential services would be anchored by a skillful and productive workforce, balanced with both the young and old. Attracting a younger or more skillful workforce has always been a key outcome desired under PWM and to achieve this, we must change how we do things by leveraging technology and digitalisation to support higher productivity and sustain higher wages to attract younger Singaporeans to be essential service workers.
As there will be older workers in these sectors, we also need to drive a change in our mindset. We must inculcate in all workers a growth mindset where one is never too old to learn new things. We need to encourage them to embrace technology to make the work safer and smarter.
Changing the way we do things for the future is already mapped out in the different Industry Transformation Maps for the respective essential services industries. This plan must be reviewed for the new normal. We need to change the assumptions when these plans were developed to accelerate the transformation of the industry for the new normal where we drive productivity increase through technology and digitalisation. All of this require a highly skilled workforce and the new PWM must reflect the changes in skills and productivity required to justify higher salaries.
In the new normal, we must change how we classify occupations. This crisis has shown the importance of the work of these essential service workers. With higher skills and greater productivity, these environmental services workers, security officers and landscape specialists should be regarded as specialists in their respective areas and would not be seen or regarded as low-wage workers. Only then perhaps, younger Singaporeans will see this as a viable career.
In the new normal, we need to change consumers’ and service buyers’ behaviour where we demand higher standards of procurement practices. Outcome-Based Contracting must be the norm for procuring services and service buyers should only award contracts to companies with progressive employment practices that reward and recognise their workers right. It is important that every socially responsible service buyer leads by example and reject service providers that provide services at low cost but at the expense of the welfare of these essential service workers.
This crisis has also forced us to reflect our core values and principles to fellow human beings and highlighted our unseen class system. At the same time, it also showed that we can rise to the occasion to put things right. I applaud all those who have played a part to help, protect and support our migrant workers.
In the new normal, we must change how we regard the migrant workers and welcome them in our community. We must realise that they are the ones who keep Singapore going; cleaners, and maintenance workers who keep our neighbourhoods clean and hygienic, workers who keep our transport running so we can get our essential supplies, workers who keep electricity and water flowing to our homes, and workers who provide other services in our neighbourhoods.
Some of these migrant workers will be housed in vacated school sites to ensure that the safety and welfare of our migrant workers as they continue working during this crisis. In my constituency, I am heartened that many of my residents demonstrated understanding for the need to have this arrangement but, what if these temporary dormitories must remain for a much longer period? Do we then adopt the perverse attitude of resisting them again because we don’t want them in our backyard? I hope the new normal for our foreign friends will see them being accepted as a fellow human being who has the right to enjoy the surrounding that they helped to maintain and build.
I see the changes needed for the new normal will complement our efforts to create better jobs, better wages and better welfare for our workers regardless of collar, age, nationalities and sector.
(In Malay) Dalam usaha kita berubah kepada norma yang baru, amatlah penting kita juga perihatin tentang masalah yang dihadapi sekarang oleh para pekerja-pekerja yang amat terjejas dari segi kewangan. Dalam tinjauan yang dilakukan oleh OCBC baru-baru ini, mereka berkongsi bahawa 70 peratus daripada orang dewasa yang bekerja tidak mempunyai wang yang cukup untuk menampung perbelanjaan mereka selama lebih daripada 6 bulan jika mereka kehilangan pekerjaan. Saya tidak rasa terkejut jika ramai pekerja bergaji rendah termasuk dalam golongan ini kerana mereka mempunyai simpanan yang sangat sedikit. Oleh itu, saya ingin kerajaan mengkaji semula kriteria untuk Bantuan ComCare Jangka Pendek hingga Pertengahan untuk membolehkan lebih ramai keluarga layak untuk menerimanya.
Ramai penerima WIS mengalu-alukan pembayaran tunai khas sekali sebanyak $ 3000 yang akan dibayar dalam dua pembayaran; $ 1,500 pada bulan Julai dan Oktober 2020. Saya berharap sekiranya krisis ini berlarutan, kerajaan dapat mempertimbangkan satu lagi pembayaran istimewa, tetapi mungkin dengan jumlah lebih kecil dalam jangka masa yang lebih lama.
Conclusion
The road ahead will be a long one, but hard times create strong people. Every one of us must play our part to create a new normal. This will require a shift in mindset for many, but we must also not lose sight of the opportunities ahead. If the $100 billion we have spent in this crisis does not lead us to a future where we can be more progressive, more equitable and more enlightened, then indeed it would be a tragedy if the only thing we did was just trying to survive rather than coming out stronger as a society.
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