Public Sector Unions negotiated for higher bonus payment to recognise Civil Servants' hard work
27 November 2007
Media Statement
1 The Public Service Division (PSD), Prime Minister’s Office, has announced the Civil Service Year-End Payment for 2007 today.
2 The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and our eight affiliated civil service unions[1] are pleased that the Government has agreed to pay civil servants higher bonus payment given the better economic performance. This comes after PSD’s close consultation and negotiations with NTUC and the civil service unions representatives, and acceptance of our recommendation for a higher bonus payment. The higher bonus payment serves as a stronger recognition for civil servants who have worked hard, and as an encouragement for them to work even more effectively and efficiently in serving the public.
3 We are glad that, in addition to the Annual Variable Component (AVC) of one month’s salary and the 13th-month Annual Wage Supplement (AWS), the Government will also reward civil servants who have performed well in their work. For the first time, good performers will receive an additional 0.5 month salary while better performers will get up to an additional 0.8 month salary in March 2008 under the new Growth Bonus. On the whole, civil servants can expect a higher bonus payment for 2007 after taking into account the Mid-Year and Year-End payments, and the Growth Bonus.
4 At the same time, we are happy to note and support PSD’s efforts in looking into redesigning the jobs of some of the civil servants in the lower grades in order to give them better job prospects by enhancing their job scopes and market values.
5 Finally, we hope that the private sector will take cue from the Civil Service in rewarding their workers according to good economic growth and their contributions to their organisations, while at the same time, ensuring that built-in wage increases would be sustainable in the long-run and lag behind productivity growth. We also urge workers to continue to upgrade their skills and productivity during the good times so as to prepare for tougher times ahead.
Mdm Halimah Yacob
Deputy Secretary-General
National Trades Union Congress
*****
Additional Quotes from Unionists:
a) Mr Teo Yock Ngee
General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, and
Secretary for Financial Affairs, National Trades Union Congress
“The AUPE is happy that the Government will be paying a Growth Bonus to reward good performers on top of the one month AVC and 13th month AWS for 2007. This is in view of a better full year GDP growth forecast of 7.5% to 8% by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. We are also pleased that the Government continues to reward its employees in good times.
b) Mr G Muthukumarasamy
General Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers
“For my AUPDRW’s union members, who are daily-rated workers, this announcement definitely brings good news as the AVC, AWS and Growth Bonus would help to offset some of their living expenses. We are appreciative that the Government has accepted the civil service unions’ recommendations for a higher year-end payment.”
[1] The eight civil service unions include: Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers, Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union, Singapore Government Shorthand Writers' Association, Singapore Interpreters' & Translators' Union, Singapore Malay Teachers' Union, Singapore Tamil Teacher's Union and Singapore Teachers' Union.
