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The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the outsourced private security sector was first announced in 2014 and implemented from 2016. For security officers, basic wages before overtime (OT) was licensed at $1,100 in 2016 and today, it is at $1,650, an increase of 50 per cent over seven years.
From 2024, the Security Tripartite Cluster committee (STC) had recommended for the basic wages for the rank of Security Officer to be increased to $2,650. This will assure security officers of sustainable wage growth without needing to clock excessive hours for a higher gross wage. By setting a basic wage of $2,650, security officers will be able to negotiate for better employment terms with their employers and focus on reducing their overall working hours.
As all security officers will cross the current $2,600 monthly basic wage threshold for coverage under Part IV of the Employment Act, which provides basic protection on hours of work, rest days, and other conditions of service, the STC recommended capping extra working hours (above the 44-hour workweek) at 72 hours a month to protect officers from working beyond what was the current shift pattern.
The STC’s work is not done yet. It will continue to work with all key stakeholders to step up engagement and promotional efforts to further reduce overtime hours and improve the working conditions of our officers.
The PWM was first mooted by NTUC to ensure that our workers, especially those earning lower wages, enjoyed the fruits of Singapore’s economic growth. From the first three sectors, it has now been expanded to cover even more sectors and professions.
NTUC and our affiliated unions is watching this space tightly to ensure that our workers reap the benefits as intended under the PWM. We will ensure that their employers and service buyers alike, honour their legal and social obligations to our workers.
Taking action on errant companies
The Union of Security Employees (USE) is currently dealing with one such case of egregious behaviour. A security agency, which hires more than 1,000 officers, had demoted some 300 officers as it no longer had the contracts to keep these officers at their current employed job ranks. This forced demotion, in fact, is an attempt to reset the wages of the security officers.
Late last year, USE was informed of these errant practices by some of its union members and immediately took action by engaging the agency. After the union’s intervention, the agency agreed not to demote these officers, but instead, extended their working hours. This is yet again, another attempt to reset the employment terms of these officers.
Due to the unfairness of this unilateral action, USE took the agency to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for conciliation. The agency had agreed to the union and MOM’s request to conduct joint engagements with affected workers to establish remedial actions.
NTUC and USE is keeping a close watch on this case and will not hesitate to take the agency to task should there be further non-compliance. Companies are also reminded to refer to the Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower and to consult the union before undertaking actions that impact our workers.
NTUC Secretary-General
Ng Chee Meng
