Model ID: 7ea54d27-759f-47d9-b74e-053ff95afa3a
Sitecore Context Id: 7ea54d27-759f-47d9-b74e-053ff95afa3a;
The Tripartite Cluster for Lift & Escalator (TCLE) has conducted a review of the Lift & Escalator (L&E) Progressive Wage Model (PWM) to ensure its relevance in uplifting and transforming the L&E industry. As Singapore continues to grow its infrastructure to support the nation’s economic growth, and provide housing and recreational areas to live, work and play, the demand for L&E maintenance is expected to increase in the coming years. It is therefore critical for the industry to be able to meet the higher demand with a strong and skilled L&E workforce.
Following several rounds of discussions with key stakeholders, key recommendations by the TCLE include:
i. Extending the existing Lift PWM to cover escalator maintenance workers
ii. Setting a six-year schedule of wage increase to the L&E PWM baseline wages from 1st July 2023 to 30th June 2029 for both lift and escalator maintenance workers
iii. Provision of a mandatory PWM Bonus
The wage review for the L&E PWM also takes reference from the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers’ (TWG-LWW) objective to ensure wage growth would help to narrow the income gap with the average worker.
Existing PWM Transitional Wage Benchmark Announced in 2018
Today’s announcement for the L&E industry builds on the existing PWM Transitional Wage Benchmark agreed upon in 2018 which maps a schedule of transitional wage benchmarks from 2020 to 2022 for L&E firms applying to be listed under BCA’s Contractors Registration System ME09 workhead. Details are as follows:
|
PWM Job Level
|
Minimum Basic Monthly Wages
|
|
By 1 July 2020
|
By 1 July 2021
|
By 1 July 2022
|
|
Assistant Specialist
|
$1,300
|
$1,480
|
$1,850
|
|
Specialist
|
$1,580
|
$1,800
|
$2,250
|
|
Senior Specialist
|
$1,820
|
$2,080
|
$2,600
|
|
Supervisor
|
$1,960
|
$2,240
|
$2,800
|
|
Principal Specialist
|
$2,240
|
$2,560
|
$3,200
|
Key Recommendation 1: Extending Lift PWM to Cover Escalator Maintenance Workers
In its latest report, the TCLE recommends that the PWM be extended to cover escalator maintenance workers as many workers under the Lift PWM are deployed to maintain both lifts and escalators.
In addition, the TCLE agrees to adopt the same Career Ladder and Wage Ladder for both L&E maintenance workers for clarity of progression and parity between both roles. However, as the mechanical and electrical components of lifts and escalators differ, the TCLE recommends that the Skills Ladder for escalator maintenance workers be customised to ensure that they receive the appropriate training.
Key Recommendation 2: Uplifting Wages and Work Prospects of Lift & Escalator Maintenance Workers
To ensure that wages continue to commensurate with skills, the TCLE recommends a six-year schedule of wage increases that will see base wages across all job levels increase year-on-year from 2023 to 2028. In setting the baseline PWM wages, the TCLE had considered the current median wages of the resident L&E maintenance workers as well as took reference from other similar occupations.
From 2022 to 2023, the base wages of Assistant L&E Specialists will increase to $2,075, up from $1,850 in 2022. Wages for entry-level Assistant L&E Specialists will see a base-wage increase of about 66 per cent cumulatively from 2022 to 2028. This is a year-on-year base wage increase of close to 9 per cent for entry-level Assistant L&E Specialists. The PWM Baseline Wage refers to monthly basic wage paid to a full-time resident employee and excludes overtime pay and other payments. Details of the wage adjustments are as follows:
|
PWM Baseline Wage Floor
(Monthly Basic Salary excluding overtime pay and other payments)
|
CAGR*
|
|
PWM Job Level
|
2022
|
Effective from 1st July each year
|
|
2023
|
2024
|
2025
|
2026
|
2027
|
2028
|
|
Assistant L&E Specialist
|
$1,850
|
+ $225
|
+ $225
|
+ $225
|
+ $225
|
+ $165
|
+ $165
|
8.9%
|
|
$2,075
|
$2,300
|
$2,525
|
$2,750
|
$2,915
|
$3,080
|
|
L&E Specialist
|
$2,250
|
+ $210
|
+ $210
|
+ $210
|
+ $210
|
+ $190
|
+ $190
|
7.5%
|
|
$2,460
|
$2,670
|
$2,880
|
$3,090
|
$3,280
|
$3,470
|
|
Senior L&E Specialist
|
$2,600
|
+ $205
|
+ $205
|
+ $205
|
+ $205
|
+ $200
|
+ $200
|
6.6%
|
|
$2,805
|
$3,010
|
$3,215
|
$3,420
|
$3,620
|
$3,820
|
|
L&E Supervisor
|
$2,800
|
+ $215
|
+ $215
|
+ $215
|
+ $215
|
+ $215
|
+ $215
|
6.5%
|
|
$3,015
|
$3,230
|
$3,445
|
$3,660
|
$3,875
|
$4,090
|
|
Principal L&E Specialist
|
$3,200
|
+ $130
|
+ $130
|
+ $130
|
+ $130
|
+ $215
|
+ $215
|
4.4%
|
|
$3,330
|
$3,460
|
$3,590
|
$3,720
|
$3,935
|
$4,150
|
om* Compound annual growth rate
Key Recommendation 3: Better Incentives for Lift & Escalator Maintenance Workers
In addition to the wage increments, the TCLE also recommends a mandatory annual bonus, termed as “PWM Bonus” to be paid to eligible resident L&E maintenance workers, with effect from January 2023.
10. As workers must have worked with their existing employers for at least 12 months to be eligible for the PWM Bonus, the PWM Bonus will enable employers to better attract and retain workers. This in turn encourages employers to invest in workers’ training which will lead to enhanced productivity. The PWM Bonus total quantum each year must be no less than one month of the worker’s prevailing basic monthly wage.
Mr Zainal Sapari, NTUC Assistant Director-General and Chairman of the TCLE, said, “Like many other essential service workers, our L&E maintenance workers have specialised skill sets to ensure the smooth running of our lifts and escalators, without which we will all be greatly inconvenienced. The value of L&E maintenance work must therefore be recognised accordingly. In line with our continued efforts to uplift and transform the L&E sector and build a strong Singapore Core, I urge all service buyers and providers to support training efforts to improve the skill sets and competencies of workers in this industry for them to have better and sustainable wage increases over time through better productivity. This will be a necessary step to help the L&E maintenance workers have better wages, welfare and work prospects.”
More details of the above recommendations can be found in the TCLE Report.
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Additional Quotes from Tripartite Cluster for Lift & Escalator representatives
Mr Tong Dickson, Metal Industries Workers’ Union (MIWU), Executive Committee Member
“The Metal Industries Workers’ Union and fellow representatives from other unions are heartened that the latest PWM review will see more lift and escalator maintenance workers earning progressive wages that commensurate with their skill sets. We know that the key to this is ensuring that our workers take up relevant training so that they can move up the career ladder. The lift and escalator union leaders are committed to working closely with management partners through the Company Training Committees to identify any skills and training gaps and will also continue to encourage our workers to embrace training and lifelong learning.”
Mr Tony Khoo, TCLE Co-Chair, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) Representative
“The tripartite partners continue to call on service buyers and providers to work closely together to adopt outcome-based contracting, with technology adoption and workers’ training as key considerations in their tender evaluation criteria. This way, all stakeholders stand to gain, with a highly competent workforce delivering better service outcomes, more productively and safely.”
Mr James Lee, President, Singapore Lift & Escalator Contractors & Manufacturers Association (SLECMA); Asia Head, Hitachi Ltd Japan, Building Systems Business Units
“As employers, we hope to attract younger workers to join this evergreen industry. With the PWM recommendations, the industry will be able to provide a clear career path and wage ladder. The salary of the highest two job positions pays reasonably well, so much so that they can be left to market forces. As a service provider, I hope service buyers can recognise and appreciate the value of services provided by their team of lift maintenance workers. Our workers’ competencies in skills range from Specialist to Master Specialist job levels, performing a variety of tasks. Their work also requires a certain degree of physical fitness when working inside lift shafts for example. Hence, I hope that service buyers will recognise and reward them for the value of services that they provide accordingly.”
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