NTUC sets wage targets for cleaners

SINGAPORE: The labour movement is embarking on a progressive wage system to further help low-income workers.

Labour chief Lim Swee Say outlined the concept of progressive wages during a cleaning industry forum on Thursday.

Under this concept, NTUC will set specific targets to lift wages of cleaners to S$1,000, S$1,200 and S$1,500 or more.

For example, the labour movement aims to help some 7,000 cleaners currently getting less than S$1,000 to earn at least S$1,000. They work mostly as cleaners in hawker centres, schools.

For those already earning S$1,000, NTUC wants to lift their wages to S$1,200.

These targets could be met when workers go for skills upgrading and productivity improvements.

Mr Lim said: "Our philosophy, our belief is that every job can be improved in terms of skills, in terms of productivity, in terms of outcomes, in terms of wages."

NTUC aims to help 10,000 cleaners receive higher pay under the progressive wage system.

It wants to reach out to 100,000 low-wage workers in 12 industry clusters by 2015.

The progressive wage system is expected to roll out to other sectors.

Mr Lim said that the progressive wage system will operate under the existing Inclusive Growth Programme and Best Sourcing Initiative.

He believes the progressive wage approach is a pragmatic one and would be better than implementing a minimum wage policy.

The labour chief described minimum wages as "sticky wages", and is concerned if employers choose to keep minimum wage down to remain competitive.

"If we set too low the minimum wage it will not solve the problems faced by the low wage workers. If we impose too high the minimum wage then some of the low wage workers may become unemployable," Mr Lim said.