SINGAPORE’S extension of employee-like protections for platform workers was welcomed by industry watchers, who said this closes gaps in voluntary provisions by the likes of Grab and foodpanda.

Nevertheless, some also flagged the possibility that platforms might engage in regulatory arbitrage and age discrimination – given exclusions for street-hail taxi rides as well as the initial batch of older workers.

There were also calls for implementation to be sooner than the planned rollout in the later part of 2024, at the earliest.