SINGAPORE: The labour movement's plan to implement a progressive wage system for low-wage workers is aimed at encouraging tripartite partners and Singaporeans to look at low-wage jobs in a different light.
Labour chief Lim Swee Say told the media at a grassroots event that he wants to make today's low-wage jobs into tomorrow's jobs of the future.
He is confident this can be achieved in today's environment, compared with five years ago.
The NTUC will set wage targets for low-wage workers under its progressive wage approach.
Workers who are currently getting less than S$1,000 a month would strive to earn at least S$1,000. For those already earning S$1,000, NTUC wants to lift their wages to S$1,200.
NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say explained that raising the wages of these low-wage workers is just the beginning.
"Not only do we want to help them to up their wages, we also have to do our very best to ensure their wages will go up faster rate than the medium wage.
"Secondly, we should not always look at the low-wages jobs as always a low-wage job, because the other developed countries have done in a very different way and the workers take pride in what they do, the public shows them respect and they earn a very decent salary," Mr Lim added.
The labour movement will kick off public education on the progressive wage structure with the cleaning sector, followed by the security, hospitality and food and beverage sectors.
On the private sector's response to the National Wages Council's recommendation to give a pay rise of S$50 or more for low-wage workers, Mr Lim said it is still too early to judge.
He said the message of helping low-wage workers with a more sustainable pace of wage increase is something that's not fully understood yet by the private sector.
- CNA/ck
Labour chief Lim Swee Say told the media at a grassroots event that he wants to make today's low-wage jobs into tomorrow's jobs of the future.
He is confident this can be achieved in today's environment, compared with five years ago.
The NTUC will set wage targets for low-wage workers under its progressive wage approach.
Workers who are currently getting less than S$1,000 a month would strive to earn at least S$1,000. For those already earning S$1,000, NTUC wants to lift their wages to S$1,200.
NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say explained that raising the wages of these low-wage workers is just the beginning.
"Not only do we want to help them to up their wages, we also have to do our very best to ensure their wages will go up faster rate than the medium wage.
"Secondly, we should not always look at the low-wages jobs as always a low-wage job, because the other developed countries have done in a very different way and the workers take pride in what they do, the public shows them respect and they earn a very decent salary," Mr Lim added.
The labour movement will kick off public education on the progressive wage structure with the cleaning sector, followed by the security, hospitality and food and beverage sectors.
On the private sector's response to the National Wages Council's recommendation to give a pay rise of S$50 or more for low-wage workers, Mr Lim said it is still too early to judge.
He said the message of helping low-wage workers with a more sustainable pace of wage increase is something that's not fully understood yet by the private sector.
- CNA/ck
