Gig-economy players raise concerns as Singapore unveils new worker protections

SINGAPORE’S main gig-economy platforms welcomed the country’s move not to classify ride-hailing drivers and on-demand delivery persons as employees, but are opposing how street-hail taxis and certain logistics companies are excluded from the new regulations.

The government on Wednesday (Nov 23) accepted a set of recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers, which has spent the past year reviewing how Singapore should better protect this vulnerable group. Platform workers have thus far been treated as self-employed persons (SEPs).

Chief among the recommendations is that platform workers and companies will need to make contributions to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) at the same rate as employees and employers, excepting those aged 30 and above, in the year the measure kicks in.