Are all cleaners supposed to get an increment with the reviewed Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the cleaning sector announced in December last year?
The increment only applies to cleaners who earn a basic wage of lesser than $1,060 as of 1 July 2017. This increment also depends on the effective date of the service contract between the service provider and service buyer.
Service providers with service contracts that take effect from 1 July 2017 must adopt the reviewed PWM wage schedule for 2017 and pay their workers a minimum of $1,060.
Workers earning between $1,000 and $1,060 would have received an increment that would bring their basic wage to $1,060.
For existing service contracts that took effect before 1 July 2017, service providers will have until 1 July 2018 to adopt the wages according to the PWM wage schedules for 2018 onwards, which is $1,120.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners chairman Zainal Sapari shared that there are some cleaners who think they will automatically get a $60 increment from 1 July 2017.
He was addressing 140 cleaners at a workers’ appreciation event by Weishen Industrial Services (WIS) on 17 August 2017 at Downtown East.
ASG Zainal added: “I believe there are only a handful of cleaners with this misconception, and I’m certain that employers are responsible enough to clarify their employees on this misconception.”
Model Employer, Service Provider
ASG Zainal said that WIS is one of the enlightened employers who is paying its employees above the market rate. WIS CEO Gary Woo explained: “Not only do we pay a one-month annual bonus to about 30 per cent of our employees, we also pay their union membership fees.”
The reviewed PWM requires employers to pay employees only two weeks’ worth of annual bonus from 2020. ASG Zainal said that service buyers should recognise service providers like WIS.
He added: “WIS also has a good Singaporean core, and they prioritise the welfare and development of this core. This ensures good retention and assures workers on their training.”
The workers’ appreciation event is an annual affair for WIS and all of its employees. The event on 16 August 2017 was attended by cleaners working in the east sector and Downtown East.
WIS held another appreciation event for its cleaners in the west sector on 7 August 2017 at the National University of Singapore. Mr Woo said that WIS regularly holds luncheons for its employees to appreciate their contributions.
WIS was also given the Plaque of Commendation Award by the Labour Movement in the recent May Day Awards.
