Higher pay, career pathways for up to 3,000 workers with Progressive Wage Model for waste management sector

UP to 3,000 resident workers will get higher pay and career pathways under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the waste management industry, with tripartite recommendations having been accepted by the government.

Entry-level waste collection workers, for example, will see their monthly baseline salary increase from S$2,210 in 2023 to S$3,260 in 2028. This translates to a growth rate of 48 per cent over the 6-year period.

The 6-year schedule of sustained PWM wage increases will take effect from Jul 1 in 2023, with a review scheduled for 2025.

This was one of the 4 recommendations made by Tripartite Cluster for Waste Management that have been accepted by the government, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a statement on Monday (Jan 24).

As part of the PWM, 2 separate career progression pathways will be outlined for the waste collection and materials recovery sub-sectors. These provide workers with clear pathways to higher wages, better skills, and increased job responsibilities.

There will also be mandatory Workforce Skills Qualification training requirements to ensure that workers have the relevant knowledge and skills to carry out their work safely and efficiently. Firms are recommended to ensure that their workers attain the training requirements by Jul 1, 2023.

From January 2024, firms must also pay a mandatory annual PWM bonus to eligible waste management workers. "This will enable employers to better attract and retain waste management workers, and complement their efforts to invest in their workers' training to enhance productivity," said MOM.

There are currently PWMs for the cleaning, security, landscape maintenance, and lift and escalator maintenance industries. More PWMs are expected to be implemented to cover up to 94 per cent of full-time lower-wage workers in Singapore by 2023, with the retail and food services sectors being next in line.