預算辯論 · 2023-03-01 · 屆國會 14

新加坡勞動力老齡化挑戰

AI 經濟與產業 AI 與就業 AI 與公共部門爭議度 3 · 實質辯論

議員質詢新加坡勞動力老齡化及人口結構變化對經濟的影響，指出部分行業老年員工比例高，未來勞動力可能快速流失。強調技術變革與工作態度轉變帶來的挑戰，呼籲政府關注靈活工作安排。政府回應未見，核心爭議在於如何應對老齡化與技術變革帶來的就業結構調整。

關鍵要點

• 人口老齡化加劇
• 部分行業老年工人多
• 技術與工作態度變化

質詢立場

關注老齡化影響與就業調整

政策訊號

推動靈活就業與技能培訓

“Technology, digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) have already changed the nature of many jobs.”

參與人員 (28)

完整譯文（中文）

Hansard 原始記錄 · 2026-05-02

主席：人力部S組。朱德明先生。

下午1時08分

新時代的勞動力

朱德明先生（淡濱尼）：主席，我請求動議，“將估算表中S組的總撥款減少100元”。

今年一月，當中國人口自1961年以來首次出現下降的訊息傳出時，中國股市出現波動。這是由於人口老齡化和生育率下降而被廣泛預期的，但仍是一個令人警醒的現實。潛在的消費萎縮和勞動力減少的現實。中國可能面臨類似日本三十年經濟停滯的局面。

在新加坡，到2030年，大約每四位公民中就有一位年齡在65歲及以上。2022年，我們的居民贍養比降至歷史最低點3.8，預計到2030年將降至2.7。

截至2022年6月，我們約有88萬人，即大約三分之一的居民勞動力年齡在50歲及以上，其中40萬人年齡在60歲及以上。這40萬中的相當一部分預計將在本十年末退休。

老年人在陸路交通及輔助服務行業佔54%，包括計程車司機、私家車司機和公交司機；在餐飲服務（F&B）、小販或飲食攤位助理中佔42%。這些比例遠高於其他行業。

這對我們國家意味著什麼？隨著勞動力減少，我們的經濟將變得不那麼充滿活力。某些行業可能出現空心化，如陸路交通、餐飲、技工和機械操作員。

如果這是一個漸進的轉變，有足夠時間調整，問題不大。但情況可能並非如此。

我們的嬰兒潮一代中最年長者77歲，最年輕者59歲。他們很可能在本十年末大量退出勞動力市場。雖然我們的出生率在70年代末至80年代初達到峰值，給予我們大約十年的緩衝，但結構性變化可能加速快速流失。

科技、數字化和人工智慧（AI）已經改變了許多工作的性質。這些技能是1960、70和80年代出生的人可能不具備或難以輕鬆掌握的。

工作態度也發生了變化。我們的人民在晚年不願以同樣的節奏、步調和強度工作。朋友們說想放慢節奏的情況很常見，但跑步機似乎只能加速。

在最近與淡濱尼居民的預算後對話中，一位50多歲的居民半喜半憂地表示，他可能不得不在照顧孫輩和全職工作之間做出選擇，因為很少有兼職或輕鬆的工作機會。

新冠疫情也促使人們重新思考工作與生活的優先次序，導致一些年長的新加坡人如果無法找到折衷方案，可能永久退出勞動力市場。我們面臨勞動力的嚴重斷崖式下降，這可能從根本上動搖經濟和社會。

我們面臨的問題是：年長工人是否為未來工作做好準備？工作是否適合年長工人？

首先，我們需要將為老齡化勞動力做準備作為全經濟的優先事項。65歲及以上老年人的就業率從2021年的31.7%降至2022年的31.0%，但2019年至2022年間平均仍有所上升，這是積極的。

我們也已明確採取措施，通過擬議的《職場公平法》解決老年工人長期抱怨的年齡歧視問題。這將令許多年長工人感到安心。然而，這些措施對未來可能還不夠。我們需要在每個產業轉型圖（ITM）中加入“適老”崗位的建立和轉型支柱。僅創造高經濟價值的崗位已不夠，我們還必須關注年長新加坡人能夠且願意從事的崗位。

重點當然是引入促進經濟增長的崗位。但在整個價值鏈中，我們必須識別成熟工人能夠勝任的崗位。我常想，有多少現有和即將出現的崗位能滿足年長新加坡人的身體、心理和生活方式需求？

我們需要加倍努力進行崗位再設計。未來幾年將有多少崗位被重新設計以適應老齡化勞動力？這是我們必須密切追蹤的數字。

接下來，我想分享SBS Transit（SBST）的經驗。我宣告我是SBST的獨立董事。年長工人在公司中佔重要比例。尤其是列車系統的維護工作非常繁重且體力要求高。像許多其他公司一樣，我們難以吸引年輕工人。

為了幫助55歲以上的年長工人繼續保持生產力，SBST從根本上重新設計崗位。他們有架空接觸網系統，即為列車供電的電纜。檢查和維護需要使用重型裝置進行艱苦的體力勞動。如今，他們使用雷射測量儀等輕型裝置。採用基於狀態的維護以減少體力投入。年長工人被重新部署到較低位置的檢查工作。一些工人轉為導師或培訓師角色。已有超過50名維護人員受益，未來還會有更多受益。

SBST董事會密切監控此類發展。我們需要更多像SBST這樣的公司。誠然，SBST規模較大，資源較多。我們還需要為僱傭大部分勞動力的中小企業（SMEs）尋找解決方案。

下午1時15分

接下來，我們需要重新設計工作結構。

我們常聽到成熟工人希望有兼職或微型工作，但這類工作稀缺。

創造兼職崗位對公司成本更高。但作為支援低薪工人的社會契約義務，也許現在是對年長工人採取類似思考的時候了。

人力部的兼職再僱傭補助金（PTRG）幫助增加了年長工人的兼職再僱傭機會。請問部方能否更新該補助金的進展和成效？能否續期並加強PTRG？

我們也可以考慮公私合作伙伴關係，促進兼職和微型工作。

日本自1975年起設立銀髮人力資源中心，作為老年人的就業中介。這些是會員制組織，為年長日本人提供臨時和短期工作。公共和市政機構積極創造和尋找適合年長工人的工作。

相關的是設立專門中心，幫助年長工人管理就業需求。

我們現有的就業安置體系對一般勞動力需求運作良好，但年長工人有不同需求，如培訓週期短、身體限制和生活期望。

2017年，日本啟動了Hello Work Senior，這是專門為60歲以上工人服務的就業中介。該服務與僱主合作，瞭解其需求和偏好，並匹配合適的年長候選人。

正如老年醫學是醫學的一個專科，銀髮就業中心在我們的安置體系中也應有其特殊地位。

我們的老齡化勞動力也是推動輔助技術發展的機會，幫助工人更長久、更安全地工作。

我們的公共交通運營商已安裝司機監控、碰撞避免和司機警覺技術。許多公交司機如今能工作至60多歲甚至更久。

還有許多其他行業，尤其是擁有大量年長工人的行業，我們必須深入研究。

我們必須建立專門研究中心，幫助工人延長就業時間。此類研究中心可專注於開發輔助技術、識別更適合年長工人的崗位及開發相應培訓。

我們的高等學府，如新加坡管理大學（SMU）成功老齡化研究中心，就是一個例子。請問部方是否考慮設立此類研究中心？

靈活工作安排（FWA）常被視為平衡年長勞動力需求與企業業務需求的解決方案。確實，它不僅對年長勞動力是重要工具。

我們在擴大FWA方面取得顯著進展。三方指導原則有助於推動FWA實施，但未來我們可能需要採取更大膽的措施。

鑑於實施難度，我們應允許企業自願採用FWA。我們甚至可以給予實行進步做法的企業貨幣激勵。但如果進展未達需求，我們可能需要考慮賦予工人某些FWA權利，以加速FWA的推廣。

最後，老齡化勞動力也要求我們審視外籍勞動力的角色。

隨著人口老齡化，某些行業如醫療保健和護理支援、技工和工匠工作（如管道工、空調維修和木工）對勞動力的需求顯著。

如果未來十年內我們無法顯著提升生產力，可能不得不大幅增加外籍勞動力。

目前新加坡已有約130萬外籍工作準證持有者。因此，我們的外籍勞動力框架需要更加細緻、差異化，並促進更高生產力。

某些高接觸行業我們希望由更多年長新加坡人承擔，而其他更多體力勞動的行業則需要更多外籍支援。現行的廣泛行業基礎方法需更細緻區分。

這是一項艱鉅工作，可能需要多年努力。請問部方能否向議會說明如何在老齡化勞動力背景下調整外籍勞動力框架？

快速老齡化的人口對財政可持續性和經濟增長構成嚴重結構性挑戰。

老年工人退休後，處理高通脹等問題的能力減弱。年輕工人可能承擔更重的照顧責任，有些甚至不得不離開勞動力市場。

如果新加坡人無法填補職位空缺，僱主將不得不依賴外籍勞動力。我們必須果斷迅速行動，確保不陷入此困境。

我們需要在老齡化人口背景下發展新的社會契約。只有當我們的崗位和年長工人彼此準備好，才能管理這場潛在危機。

[(程式文本) 動議提出。 (程式文本)]

中小企業

鄭麗慧小姐（淡濱尼）：主席，眾所周知，中小企業是我們經濟的支柱。我們在日常生活中經常接觸到許多中小企業，尤其是在零售、餐飲和商業領域。中小企業也是跨國公司的重要支援。

我今天的發言將聚焦於中小企業僱主面臨的人力挑戰和障礙。

截至2022年9月27日，我們擁有超過29萬家中小企業，過去十年持續增長。

在與中小企業代表的討論中，招聘和留住員工的問題反覆被提及。中小企業表示難以與大型企業公平競爭。總體而言，中小企業資源不及大型企業充足。

部分中小企業的人力資源人員還兼任財務或行政職務，導致負責招聘的人員無法專注於人力資源工作。這加劇了招聘難題，可能導致招聘失敗或聘用不合適人員。

資源不足也意味著難以提供有吸引力的待遇，其中最重要的是薪酬。

還有公司品牌和聲望的認知問題。求職者可能覺得大型企業更具吸引力，且有助於未來職業發展。

小公司晉升和發展空間有限，潛在員工可能認為從事此類職位是走向職業死衚衕。

我們如何合理期望中小企業與大型企業和政府機構在同一人才庫中競爭人力？當前的通脹壓力使情況更為嚴峻。

主席，我在乘車時與兩位Grab司機交談。

一位是擁有12年建築經驗的專案經理，另一位有20年油氣行業經驗，且持有NACE三級認證（一種專業塗層檢查員認證）。

我內心為行業失去管理和專業技能感到惋惜，但我也理解他們說Grab工作意味著擁有汽車和空調工作環境的便利，無需承受安全壓力和專案交付壓力。

我也想到如果公司找不到本地人才接替這些職位，贍養比的損失。

主席，許多中小企業正面臨且將繼續面臨生存壓力。中小企業僱主的擔憂源於影響公司及員工及其家庭生計的真實問題。我懇請人力部關注他們的真實和感知問題，確保沒有中小企業在成長和創新的道路上被落下。

遠端工作中的勞動力競爭力

沙拉爾·塔哈先生（巴西立-榜鵝）：主席，雖然我們60%的勞動力是專業、管理、執行和技術人員（PMET），靈活工作安排（FWA）或某種程度的遠端工作在疫情後職場似乎已成常態，但遠端工作是一把雙刃劍。

員工歡欣鼓舞，因為它給予我們管理日常生活的靈活性，但這也意味著某些工作可以遠端完成，因此可以在全球任何地方完成。

有了FWA或遠端工作，我們的新加坡PMET勞動力不再僅在新加坡內部競爭工作，而是與全球勞動力競爭。

因此，鑑於我們的較高工資，我們如何定義新加坡勞動力對全球的獨特價值主張？我們如何裝備勞動力具備競爭力和生產力水平，使新加坡人才在全球經濟中保持相關性並創造價值？

有了遠端工作，我們的PMET勞動力如何拓展視野，獲得海外工作機會？必須裝備PMET哪些技能？如何培養這些技能，確保PMET在全球人才市場具備競爭力？

新加坡技工核心

普里坦·辛格先生（亞歷山大）：去年四月，我曾詢問人力部長，部方是否在研究新策略以改善新加坡人從事技工職業（如持證電工和管道工）的前景。這是對本屆議會開幕演講的後續。

部長回覆稱，鑑於本地勞動力有限，且老齡群體多於進入勞動力市場的群體，期望在每個職業中都擴大新加坡人核心並不現實。

閣下，在我向可持續發展與環境部長提交的後續質詢中披露，新加坡約有950名持證管道工，其中近90%是新加坡人，約5%是永久居民，剩餘為外國人。約70%的持證管道工年齡超過50歲。

我向貿易與工業部長提出的同一質詢中，關於持證電工（LEWs）的資料則不夠詳細。

截至2022年6月底，持證電工約有4000人，其中不到1%是持S準證或就業準證的外國人。大多數持證電工年齡介於41至80歲之間。

與持證管道工不同，貿易與工業部未直接披露新加坡持證電工人數。

閣下，議會應瞭解，管道工和電工等技工職業在許多經合組織國家享有高度專業地位。這些人群收入中產階級工資，是經濟的重要組成部分。

今年1月9日，《海峽時報》報道，職工總會（NTUC）正尋求與新加坡管道協會合作，為管道行業推行漸進式工資模式（PWM），職工總會秘書長提到，40多歲的人在管道等職業中可能月薪達6000至7000元。

但他也強調，勞工運動不是政府，不制定國家政策，包括PWM的範圍。

上月9日，同一報紙宣佈擬設立職業晉升模式，支援技工行業，包括管道工和電工，旨在改善職業前景和薪資。

除了擁有強大新加坡人核心技工職業的戰略重要性外，事實是這些行業目前薪資較低，吸引力不及辦公室或空調環境工作。

鑑於部長去年四月的答覆，我想詢問政府打算採取哪些具體措施，針對新加坡工人進入技術工種崗位？

作為一個國家和社會，我仍然認為，果斷轉向積極推廣新加坡人從事技術工種崗位，也將改善我們對精英主義的理解。

有韌性且面向未來的勞動力

拉傑·約書亞·托馬斯先生（提名議員）：主席先生，去年《印度創業家》雜誌的一篇文章指出，印度幾乎所有的獨角獸企業都起源於印度的一線城市，並將此歸因於印度各地的大多數頂尖人才都遷往這些城市工作，導致這些城市成為人才的集中地。

新加坡只是一個城市，沒有更大的腹地可供我們吸引人才。因此，我們只能依靠本國人民作為持續成功的主要動力。

諸如縮短工作周或斷開連線權利等流行建議——坦白說，作為一名律師，這對我來說是一個完全陌生的概念——正在新加坡被反覆提及。這些趨勢的核心是讓員工內向，優先考慮個人舒適而非職業抱負。這些趨勢也是享有一定舒適水平的發達經濟體的特有現象。

我們的政府已謹慎開始關注這些問題，涵蓋心理健康問題到靈活工作時間。

我想請部長分享他本人及其部門對這些趨勢可能如何影響我們勞動力的韌性和生產力的看法，以及即使我們著眼於解決壓力、倦怠和工作生活平衡的實際問題，我們如何保持勞動力的韌性、競爭力和生產力。

同時，我們必須現實地認識到，並非所有新加坡人都是或能成為頂尖的全球人才。我很高興人力部在過去一年推出了吸引全球人才來新加坡的計劃，這增強了我們勞動力的韌性。

部長能否詳細說明未來繼續吸引頂尖人才來新加坡的計劃，以及我們如何確保這些人才與新加坡勞動力互補？部長也能否闡述我們如何促進外國人才向新加坡人傳授知識和技能，以便提升新加坡人在未來重要領域的能力？

下午1點30分

最後，主席先生，我還想跟進我在預算辯論演講中提出的問題，即人力部是否可以考慮讓行業協會和商會（TACs）在勞動爭議中發揮作用——不是作為代表，而是作為各行業獨特情況的專家，協助解決此類爭議。及早調解和解決爭議有助於和諧的勞資關係，進而促進勞動力的韌性。

創造就業，提升技能，增加價值

安珍妮女士（提名議員）：主席先生，SG United Jobs and Skills、SkillsFuture企業信貸、漸進工資模式（PWM）和工作收入補貼（WIS）都是關鍵措施，在疫情期間挽救了我們的企業和工人。

隨著新冠疫情過去，我們的企業期待再次增長。不幸的是，我們正直面完美風暴：食品和能源價格飆升、高利率以及人力成本和人力供應上升。人力部如何支援企業應對人力供應不足的問題？

PWM和外勞政策確實影響人力成本。人力部如何幫助企業管理成本上漲？

新加坡對全球人才開放不是選擇題。新加坡需要在大多數行業各層級擁有互補的外勞。人力部去年預算宣佈了互補性評估框架（COMPASS），今年將實施。

COMPASS能否根據公司規模和崗位技能區分，認識到微型企業可能需要較低的依賴比率上限（DRC），且某些專業崗位可能沒有受訓的新加坡人擔任？

人力部如何支援企業吸引本地新加坡人進入其行業或部門，尤其是薪資達到或高於S準證和就業準證資格水平的崗位？人力部還採取了哪些措施幫助企業減少對外勞的依賴？

面對多元化勞動力，職場良好實踐至關重要。人力部及三方夥伴如何管理《職場公平實踐法》的實施，實現其預期目標，同時確保維護職場和諧，防止訴訟文化滋生？

最後，政府如何加強崗位、技能與薪酬價值的匹配？公共服務部門如何樹立示範？

人工智慧與工作

韓賢德教授（提名議員）：主席先生，在被稱為第四次工業革命的時代，一個關鍵問題是人工智慧（AI）和機器學習驅動的機器人到來如何影響工人的薪酬和就業。

經濟學家研究的一個典型案例是機器人完全替代人類工人，能夠做出人類工人所能做的所有工作。

在這種情況下，機器人到來就像向經濟注入了大量同質工人，技術水平和機器及土地存量不變。結果是，傳統資本的回報提高，土地租金上漲，但人類工人的實際工資將下降。

這種可稱為自動化技術的技術特點是替代人類完成一系列任務，但不提升勞動生產率。然而，這可能不是全部故事，尤其是中長期內。還有其他渠道可能帶來工資增長的積極結果，作為採用機器人的後果。

問題是我們如何利用人工智慧的機遇，正面應對其威脅，以造福工人。

首先，有些機器人執行的任務與人類勞動互補，從而提升人類勞動生產率。

例如，AI社群科學家開發的深度學習演算法使機器能夠在一定程度上無需人工監督進行學習。

從事醫學研究的工人能夠利用深度學習篩選和分析大量醫學資料。這可能提升工人生產率，進而提高其工資收入。如何鼓勵開發和應用執行與零售及餐飲（F&B）行業工人互補任務的機器人？

第二，機器人到來有時會刺激對傳統機器、裝置和物理設施的投資，從而推高工資水平。此渠道可能惠及高薪和低薪工人。

在傳統增長理論中，邊際報酬遞減規律起作用，若無持續技術進步，資本積累逐漸放緩，因為每增加一單位資本的回報率降低。在像新加坡這樣勞動力稀缺的經濟體中，採用機器人可以提升資本回報，刺激資本投資。這將拉動整個技能分佈中工人的工資上漲。哪些具體行業可能因採用機器人而刺激資本投資？

第三，機器人到來可能促使部分工人從生產活動轉向創新活動，最終提升整體工資水平，因為它刺激創新，進而提升工人整體生產率。

可以進一步研究人工智慧領域，重構新加坡採用的生產流程，創造人類工人可執行的新高生產率任務。AI驅動的個性化教學方法可能提升對具備應用這些方法滿足學生多樣化需求技能的教育者的需求。增強現實技術也可能使工人與機器協作執行先進製造中的高精度任務。如何識別人工智慧在本地應用潛力，以提升工人生產率？

主席先生，機器人到來帶來威脅，當它們僅僅替代人類完成某些任務，壓低工人工資。但機器人也能帶來機遇，如果人工智慧能被用來創造新的互補任務，提升勞動生產率。可能需要全社會的綜合方法，最大化人工智慧機遇，減輕對勞動力的威脅。

人力資源

鄭興耀先生（提名議員）：主席先生，通脹壓力、利率上升和多個行業人力短缺的疊加，使許多企業，尤其是中小企業面臨挑戰。雖然我們希望企業投資崗位重塑和技術以提升生產率，但此類轉型需要大量時間和資源規劃與實現。

企業轉型需要特定新領域專業知識，而本地相關人才短缺，例如可持續發展和數字領域。

建築環境行業也失去了許多高技能的實操或工藝型勞工。這些崗位不受本地人歡迎，但即使我們努力推動行業向更高生產率轉型，這些崗位仍然關鍵。

鑑於企業面臨前所未有的多重挑戰，政府如何更好地幫助企業應對即時人力短缺，同時支援其轉型？

即使我們努力提升生產率，某些崗位仍缺乏足夠本地人，尤其是不受新加坡人青睞的崗位。政府能否採取多樣化策略，允許更多外勞補充本地勞動力？

強化新加坡人核心

阿卜杜勒·薩馬德先生（提名議員）：主席先生，我呼籲所有僱主確保新加坡人成為整體勞動力的核心。

我們的教育體系被認為是世界一流，如果這不能帶來就業機會，我們應感到擔憂。除了高標準的教育體系，我們還有許多成人培訓中心，能夠為本地勞動力提供必要技能。僱主應對技能不足的新加坡人持開放態度，並利用人力部提供的職業支援計劃（CSP）和職業轉換計劃（CCP）等相關資金支援。該支援計劃允許僱主在員工接受相關培訓以獲得新崗位技能期間，獲得政府資金支援以招聘本地勞動力。

全國職工總會推出的Worker 4.0旨在通過適應力、技術和技術三大領域的培訓，轉型本地勞動力。技術的應用早在新冠疫情爆發前就已開始，疫情加速了職場技術應用。我提醒並呼籲僱主和管理層，技術是人創造的，技術讓工作更輕鬆更好。我們不應讓技術取代工人，而應鼓勵工人在工作中擁抱技術，實現更好成果。

僱主應尋找能為員工提供技術知識的培訓機構，兼顧僱主和員工的便利。請聯絡全國職工總會學習中心，其主題是“隨時隨地學習”。

致所有同事，讓我們繼續學習、遺忘和重新學習技能，讓管理層難以輕易裁員。僱主應內部審視，是否公平對待本地勞動力，保持本地人與外勞的合理比例。

支援成熟專業人士

鄭德源先生（先鋒選區）：在全國職工總會-新加坡全國僱主聯合會（SNEF）專業人士工作組的諮詢、調查和焦點小組討論中，以及我們最新的#EveryWorkerMatters對話中，40歲以上的成熟專業人士尤其焦慮於就業和就業能力。對此，我有三點建議給人力部。

第一，延長就業增長激勵（JGI）並恢復職業支援計劃（CSP），以激勵和鼓勵僱主僱用成熟工人，尤其是專業人士。

第二，推出中年職業轉型計劃，提供個性化職業輔導、諮詢和支援，幫助所有成熟工人，包括專業人士，無論是否在職。

第三，雖然我讚賞特別就業補貼的延長，人力部能否考慮提高目前4000新元的薪資上限，使更多成熟專業人士受益？

職場歧視

梁文韜先生（非選區議員）：主席先生，我提及三方職場公平委員會最近釋出的中期報告。進步新加坡黨（PSP）對該委員會寄予厚望，該委員會成立於2021年9月外勞政策辯論前。但我們發現中期報告在至少兩個方面不充分。希望委員會在最終報告中考慮並採納我們的意見。

首先，報告對新加坡人就業保障關注不足。報告指出，最常見的職場歧視形式是國籍，佔三方公平就業實踐聯盟（TAFEP）收到投訴的近60%。鑑於外國人無自動工作權，外國人投訴歧視的可能性較低，許多投訴應來自新加坡人，抱怨外國人被優先錄用。因此，新加坡人遭受職場歧視普遍存在。

我希望新立法能在政府包括總理於2021年7月指出的外勞工作證持有者的質量、數量和集中度問題上，強制實施有意義的改變。

應採取更強有力措施確保職場多元化。人力部應考慮實施多元化配額，或限制某一外國國籍員工在公司總勞動力中的比例。這比COMPASS更能保障職場不成為某一外國國籍偏愛的群體。

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為配合該政策，應取消第9條建議，該條為僱員少於25人的中小企業提供豁免。這是潛在漏洞，可能讓大公司設立子公司，僱用1名本地員工和24名外國專業人士。

PSP也多次敦促政府對就業準證持有者徵收每月1200新元的稅費。這對新加坡專業人士平衡競爭力至關重要，因為隨著普通工資上限提高，僱主需為新加坡人支付更多公積金，使新加坡人在工資上不及外國人。

第二，我關注職場和就業法律的世俗性質。每個人應自由信仰宗教，但這不應妨礙他人謀生。

我注意到中期報告第10條建議，允許宗教組織基於宗教及宗教要求做出僱傭決定，適用於所有員工。

這似乎與人力部2013年的立場相悖。當時，一名懷孕7個月的教會女職員因婚外懷孕被解僱，人力部介入確保其獲得賠償，強調職場應保持世俗空間。

因此，我希望部長澄清第10條建議如何與人力部2013年立場一致，或人力部立場是否已改變。

若採納第10條建議，我呼籲政府將性取向納入反歧視法保護類別。這符合廢除第377A條的精神，更好保護LGBT工人免受基於性取向的歧視。LGBT工人應享有基於能力的公平就業機會。

最後，我希望政府說明自2022年10月以來採取了哪些措施，確保無真實職業需求的僱主不再實行疫苗差別措施（VDS）。各年齡組未接種公民的就業率是否已恢復至與接種者相當水平？

主席先生，職場公平是一個重要議題。人民行動黨很高興政府明年將把這一點寫入法律。但在起草法律時，我希望政府能為新加坡人營造一個公平競爭的環境，並確保職場保持世俗性。新加坡人值得擁有更好的環境。為了國家，為了人民。

殘疾人士職場歧視

嚴彥松議員（亞逸）：先生，根據AWARE和Milieu Insight去年八月的一項調查，約78%的殘疾人士（PwDs）報告在職場中經歷過歧視。殘疾人士面臨的歧視可能包括剝削、貶低、刻板印象以及對他們表現出居高臨下的態度。

政府已宣佈有意將公平就業實踐三方聯盟（TAFEP）指南納入新的職場反歧視法中。確保該立法為殘疾人士提供足夠保護非常重要。

為實現這一目標，法律應包含幾個關鍵條款，這些條款也已由殘疾人協會建議。

首先，需要對殘疾進行定義，涵蓋新加坡所有殘疾群體。

其次，應要求僱主為殘疾員工提供合理便利。

合理便利是指對工作或工作環境的調整，使合格的殘疾人士能夠履行工作核心職責，並享有與健全同事相同的就業機會，同時不對僱主造成不合理負擔。

新加坡十年前已批准聯合國殘疾人權利公約（CRPD）。該公約第27條要求締約方採取適當措施，包括立法，確保職場為殘疾人士提供合理便利。合理便利的例子包括提供螢幕閱讀器、安裝坡道、提供靈活工作安排（FWA）或線上召開會議。

第三，立法必須能夠及時執行，並提供必要的補救措施和防止重複違法的措施。

將這些條款寫入反歧視法中，將確保其有效防止殘疾人士被排除在勞動力之外。

我們需要改變社會態度，促進職場對殘疾人士的包容性。我們不能將殘疾人士視為慈善的受益者，而應認可他們作為擁有平等權利併為勞動力貢獻寶貴技能的個體和工作者。請問相關部委是否計劃更多地突出殘疾人士在職場的貢獻？

提升職場公平

楊婉玲議員（巴西立-榜鵝）：三方職場公平委員會的中期報告建議備受期待。報告中納入性別、婚姻狀況、懷孕狀況和照顧責任等特徵，對全國職工總會（NTUC）婦女與家庭組尤為重要。

勞工運動數十年來致力確保職場女性擁有積極安全的工作環境，實現職業抱負。將此類保護寫入法律，將助力我們消除女性職場歧視的鬥爭。

然而，NTUC婦女委員會注意到女性仍面臨職場歧視。在我們今年二月與女性工會領導的最新調研中，64%的人同意其職場存在歧視。

許多感受到歧視的女性難以清晰表達不滿，或缺乏合適渠道和機會。僱主，尤其是中小企業，也常告訴我們他們缺乏資源和專業知識來應對這類情況。

雖然我們歡迎即將出臺的立法，但我們知道實現目標仍任重道遠，實際操作可能充滿挑戰。

我們呼籲相關部委與勞工運動合作，賦能並裝備工人，使其能清晰表達歧視投訴，並請問部委將如何與企業合作，支援其有效落實職場公平實踐？

新加坡人核心

鄭德源議員：主席，我宣告本人是三方職場公平委員會成員。

我很高興人力部接受了NTUC-SNEF專業經理人工作組的建議，我們將推出專門的職場公平立法及通過COMPASS的積分系統來規範就業準證的發放。請問人力部能否提供COMPASS的最新情況？

同樣，請問人力部能否更新公平考量框架（Fair Consideration Framework）以及三方公平與進步就業實踐聯盟（TAFEP）迄今接獲、調查和結案的案件數量及型別？

我還想詢問加強新加坡人核心計劃的進展，並建議是否可以公佈“三弱”企業名單，因為職場公平立法將於2024年下半年推出，並於2025年及以後生效。

此外，新立法出臺後，公平考量框架、TAFEP及觀察名單的地位將如何？

外勞政策

葉漢榮議員（楊厝港）：主席，目前我們面臨勞動力緊缺。低生育率意味著我們需要外勞補充本地勞動力，以保持全球競爭力。

其他國家正展開全球人才爭奪戰。紐西蘭和香港等地已在疫情後採取措施吸引外籍人才。

我們必須引進具備合適技能和資格且價格合理的外勞。這在滿足勞動力需求與保護公民利益之間是一種微妙的平衡。

其中一個擔憂是外勞湧入可能加劇新加坡住房短缺，推高租金。政府如何平衡為外勞提供住房與保障新加坡人可負擔租賃房屋的需求？

同理，高租金可能令外勞望而卻步。政府有何計劃緩解此類擔憂？

部長能否分享外勞政策更新，包括COMPASS？即將頒佈的職場公平立法會帶來哪些變化？

引進人力不是唯一問題。人力部如何推動職場技術和生產力提升措施？我們還能做些什麼激勵企業投資自動化及其他技術？如何裝備工人掌握在技術驅動職場中茁壯所需的技能？

COMPASS短缺職業名單

嚴彥松議員：短缺職業名單（SOL）是COMPASS框架中的一項標準。人力部表示首個SOL將於本月公佈，預計將識別本地勞動力中技能短缺的職業。

部長能否分享SOL將包含哪些職業？SOL是否會考慮本地理工學院、理工學院和大學畢業生的供應情況，包括本地和外國院校？例如，如果明年資訊與通訊技術（ICT）領域有大量本地畢業生，SOL應相應調整。

掌握SOL中的技能短缺資訊後，學校、高等院校和成人教育中心能更好規劃課程和招生規模，幫助本地學生和工人填補空缺。政府應與理工學院、理工學院和大學緊密合作，擴大SOL相關職業課程的招生。

SOL將多久審查一次？我希望能頻繁審查，以便及時響應行業需求變化，避免某職業在本地人才充足時仍留在SOL中。

最後，SOL應作為COMPASS的基礎標準之一，而非僅為加分標準。這可促使企業在求助外勞前更努力尋找本地人才。

所有這些措施都能為新加坡人創造更多職場機會，減少對外勞的過度依賴。

外勞政策更新

梁榮華議員（武吉班讓）：先生，幾乎在我近期與企業的每次交流中，勞動力短缺問題都會被提及。

隨著疫情後大部分經濟活動恢復，這一問題似乎加劇。許多企業抱怨，雖然有更多業務和增長機會，但缺乏足夠工人抓住這些機會。許多企業請求提高外勞配額和/或放寬外勞准入標準。

先生，現實是新加坡已接近充分就業。事實上，我們依賴龐大的外勞群體來擴充套件整體經濟能力和增長潛力。

數字龐大。目前外勞總數為131萬，略低於疫情前的143萬，佔總勞動力的三分之一，比例相當顯著。

在我們這座小島上，容納更多外勞存在物理和社會限制。我相信我們在數量上已接近極限。

過度依賴外勞也使我們面臨來源國風險和集中風險。疫情期間邊境關閉或限制時，這些脆弱性顯現無遺。

先生，過去依賴人力驅動的增長策略在當前環境下已不可持續。

請問部長，企業如何應對外勞限制？是否觀察到企業更多采用技術和培訓提升生產力和能力？

下午2時

去年，人力部宣佈多項外勞政策調整。COMPASS框架作為透明系統推出，旨在強化勞動力互補性和多樣性，防止來源集中。

就業準證和S準證的最低薪資門檻已於2022年9月提高，建築和工藝行業的依賴比率上限（DRC）將於2024年1月跟進降低。

海外網路與專才（ONE）準證針對各行業頂尖人才，戰略經濟優先人力計劃（M-SEP）支援對新加坡戰略經濟優先領域有貢獻的企業增長。這些計劃附帶嚴格條件，並設有外勞僱傭比例和人數上限。M-SEP參與企業還須承諾僱用和培訓本地員工。約有1000家企業符合M-SEP資格，不到總企業數的1%。

先生，我支援加強互補性和多樣性的政策方向，設定具體要求確保本地與外勞勞動力的互補組合，目標是打造強大的新加坡人核心。請問部長，針對實現這些目標，外勞政策有何最新進展？

退休保障充足性

薩克提安迪·蘇帕特議員（碧山-大巴窯）：物價上漲威脅退休長者應對不斷增長的開支能力，他們無法享受工資上漲的好處。我在預算辯論中提出了幾個關於退休保障充足性的問題。

首先，公積金最低退休金額應包含足夠緩衝，以應對未來突發事件，如價格劇烈上漲。是否應調整分配比例，將更多資金分配到特別賬戶，而非普通賬戶和醫療儲蓄賬戶？

其次，隨著2023年市場利率突破4%，我們是否打算調整各公積金賬戶的利率？公積金終身計劃（CPF LIFE）遞增計劃每年提高2%的派息率，鑑於長期通脹預期變化，可能需要調整。

最後，我更關心自僱人士和非就業家庭主婦，他們沒有最低退休金額。

請問部委能否更新新加坡人的退休保障狀況？我們如何幫助那些難以應對支出衝擊、儲蓄耗盡或從未積累多少儲蓄的退休家庭？這類家庭是否日益增多？

阿卜杜勒·薩馬德議員：主席，退休保障充足性話題在各年齡層工友中引起關注。

感謝政府加強努力，確保工人55歲時擁有基本退休金額。此時，我呼籲政府、政府關聯公司甚至淡馬錫關聯公司，若經營良好，繼續維持17%的公積金繳納比例，而非55歲後減少。這將有助於工人公積金儲蓄，也體現企業社會責任（CSR）。

請問部委，截至2022年12月，有多少新加坡人達到基本、全額和增強退休金額？有多少人在55歲時選擇增強退休金額？有多少人以房產作為抵押，彌補基本與全額增強退休金額的差額，以便55歲時提取現金？

我們每位新加坡人都夢想退休時擁有足夠財富，健康和收入是關鍵。再次強調，我堅信新加坡人期待政府支援，尤其是對錶現良好的工人，不在55歲時減少公積金繳納。

主席：劉志強議員，兩項發言請。

提升公積金回報

蔡慶偉議員（盛港）：主席，關於提升公積金回報，我想再次藉此機會提出我過去兩年在議會中表達的關切。

公積金計劃在保障新加坡人退休需求中扮演重要角色，這也是公積金局的使命。

提升回報的機會是許多新加坡人持續關注的。近期銀行因定期存款促銷排長隊，足以證明這一需求。過去一個月，主要銀行如華僑銀行和星展銀行開始提供額外產品，允許投資者將公積金普通賬戶（OA）資金配置於此。華僑銀行現提供八個月期定存，利率為3.88%，星展銀行則接受使用公積金OA資金線上申請國庫券投資。排長隊現象表明，新加坡人對OA資金更高質量回報的需求尚未得到滿足。儘管這些額外OA投資產品的長期回報相對有限（例如與全球多元化交易所交易基金（ETF）相比），但需求依然旺盛，顯示市場對更多投資選項存在潛在需求。

在2021和2022年預算中，我曾就公積金終身退休投資計劃（LRIS）尋求澄清。去年，我詢問專家投資委員會是否完成研究，政府是否仍考慮推出LRIS。譚思凌部長曾保證政府仍在評估該計劃，我想再次瞭解自那時以來研究是否已有結論。

畢竟，自2016年8月首次宣佈計劃至今已近七年。部委是否有更具體的時間表，分享LRIS的詳細方案？我希望部委意識到，拖延越久，新加坡人退休儲蓄的機會成本和實際成本越高。

此外，我想重申，目前新加坡人可選擇的投資選項有限，難以更好掌控財富。自我去年發言以來，仍只有六隻ETF供新加坡人投資。隨著金融素養提升，民眾應被賦能，根據風險偏好和財務目標自主投資。

公積金普通賬戶利率改革

公積金局的願景之一是通過終身收入保障新加坡人退休安全。因此，我們必須持續審視並在必要時調整相關機制，確保其有效實現目標。

目前令新加坡人感到困擾的一個主要問題是通貨膨脹。我理解普通賬戶（OA）的流動性使其利率與短期利率掛鉤。然而，在我們大部分工作生涯中，我們的大部分公積金供款都分配到普通賬戶。我讚賞已設定的2.5%的利率下限。但我們必須在普通賬戶利率與保持退休資金購買力、抵禦長期通脹的目標之間取得平衡。雖然我們的公積金資金投資於由政府全額擔保的特別新加坡政府證券（SGS），但過去20年，政府投資公司（GIC）的投資組合在名義和實際回報率上分別達到7.0%和4.2%，均能跑贏通脹。

將普通賬戶利率與存款利率掛鉤存在問題，因為這可能相當武斷。例如，星展銀行（DBS）表示，12個月定期存款利率對於存款金額不超過19,999新元為3.2%，而用於普通賬戶計算的20,000新元利率卻降至0.05%。

我們開始看到利率的鮮明對比。近期新聞報道顯示銀行之間為吸引存款展開競爭。大華銀行（UOB）甚至將其最高獎金利率從3.6%提高到7.8%，而許多銀行目前提供3%至4%的定期存款利率。儘管如此，公積金局對2022年11月至2023年1月期間主要本地銀行利率的評估為0.52%，令人不禁覺得這些利率被不切實際地壓低了，考慮到當前本地銀行的存款環境。

主席先生，普通賬戶的計算公式自1999年以來未曾改變。我們許多人現在擁有如星展Multiplier賬戶或大華UOB ONE賬戶，這些賬戶相比傳統儲蓄賬戶更容易獲得更高利率。即使政府不願考慮通脹因素，我也敦促政府在24年後重新審視該公式，考慮當前三家本地銀行的定期存款和儲蓄利率的實際情況，使其更貼合經濟現實。

工作場所健康與安全

普里坦·辛格先生：主席先生，今年一月，國際工作場所安全與健康諮詢小組第八次會議提出了建議，政府已接受。

人力部（MOM）新聞稿指出，“2022年發生了一系列工作場所死亡事故，主要由於基本安全疏漏，如安全規劃和控制措施不足，以及未遵守安全措施。”

我也知道原定於2022年9月至2023年2月的加強安全期（HSP）已延長三個月至5月31日。延長本身表明之前的加強安全期未能充分達到目標。雖然工作場所死亡率有所改善，但不幸的是，加強安全期前三個月內重大傷害的年化率實際上從每10萬人16.8例上升到18.7例。

特別是在建築環境行業，重大安全疏漏是否多發生在分包工作中？因為利潤空間和完成工作的時間可能更緊張，這裡是否更普遍存在安全疏漏？

我理解政府正努力解決工作場所死亡和重大傷害問題，但請問政府在落實2023年新建議時將採取哪些不同措施？人力部是否預見需要在工作場所安全態度上進行更深層次的文化變革？如何更有效地遏制死亡和重大傷害？

主席：鄭麗慧小姐不在。楊益財先生。

確保更安全的工作場所

楊益財先生（拉丁馬士選區）：主席先生，在我的預算辯論演講中，我表達了對當前糟糕工作場所安全結果的失望，這導致了許多本可避免的基本錯誤而造成的悲慘生命損失。

過去幾個月工作場所死亡人數激增，可能表明隨著加強安全期臨近結束，公司放鬆了嚴格的工作場所安全與健康（WSH）措施。

過去18個月報告的工作場所事故中，有多少是由於公司管理層缺乏或嚴重不足的安全措施造成的？

儘管加強安全期已延長，人力部是否準備將加強安全期設為常態，或至少將某些加強安全期要求如對系統性WSH疏漏的加重處罰永久化？

先生，我們需要建立更好的舉報渠道。必須營造一種文化，讓工人感到安全，敢於舉報他們在工作場所看到的不安全工作行為。必須確立一種文化，讓僱主意識到不安全行為不能被忽視或掩蓋。

人力部能否提供過去五年通過各種渠道收到的WSH反饋率的最新資料？人力部是否會審查並加強反饋機制，並在必要時建立新的舉報渠道，使任何人包括公眾更容易舉報不安全工作行為？

先生，我知道資源有限。因此，我敦促人力部將努力重點放在高風險行業，這些行業佔工作場所傷害比例過高。人力部資料還顯示，中小企業（SME）面臨較大WSH風險。我敦促部委加強對中小企業的推廣和資金支援，幫助其採用和部署WSH技術。我之前已強調這些技術如何提升工作場所安全標準，尤其是在高風險環境中。

先生，每位工人都應擁有安全的工作場所。勞工運動準備與三方夥伴緊密合作，盡一切努力幫助每位工人每天安全回家。

坐權

李安妮先生（阿裕尼選區）：主席先生，近期關於零售店鋪提供座椅及零售工人坐權的討論引發關注。

多項研究報告指出，長時間站立存在顯著健康風險，包括慢性靜脈功能不全、肌肉骨骼疾病，甚至在少數情況下孕婦自發流產。這是因無法交替使用肌肉造成的健康危害。

馬來西亞和南非等國已制定坐權相關法律。英國要求零售店提供座椅，並允許員工偶爾坐下。

先生，我呼籲政府探討類似法律，或許通過修訂工作場所安全與健康手冊（WSH Handbook）實現。

先生，現在是超越行業自律的時刻。我們的法律法規應促進零售工人的健康、福祉和長壽。

技能更應被認可

謝炳輝先生（荷蘭-武吉知馬選區）：主席先生，先生，我們需要更好地認可和重視職場技能。儘管持續努力解決不同崗位和行業的起薪及職業發展問題，但應對畢業生與非畢業生之間日益擴大的薪酬差距仍有提升空間。副總理黃循財在最近IPS新加坡視角演講中提到，大學畢業生的中位起薪是工藝教育學院（ITE）畢業生的兩倍，是理工學院畢業生的1.5倍。

隨著勞動力競爭加劇，差距擴大可能帶來負面影響。我們不希望許多有潛力的年輕新加坡人因缺乏必要學歷而感到被低估，儘管他們具備相關技能。

下午2時15分

緩解此類問題並非貶低學歷，而是實現對技能和能力的平等認可。在美國，谷歌和IBM等公司已減少部分技術崗位對學歷的要求。IBM已減少對學位的依賴，IT崗位中不到三分之一要求學位。谷歌和IBM在調整對能力水平的關注後，依然在科技領域保持競爭力。

尤其需要更大程度認可技能，特別是工藝技能。全國職工總會（NTUC）提出的職業晉升模型是提升技術工人工作前景和薪資的良好示範。我支援該模型，其具備明確框架和結構化技能培訓，確保質量標準。此類國家級努力可確保關鍵技能持續且日益被認可。我還建議人力部定期釋出特定技能級別的薪資調查，類似大學釋出畢業生就業調查及特定專業平均薪資水平，為合理對齊薪資與技能水平提供參考。

在推動全國範圍內實現技能與學歷同等認可的同時，這一變革需要人力資源（HR）經理和僱主邁出第一步。HR經理是推動結構性變革和最佳化職場政策的關鍵。自新冠疫情以來，HR經理的角色顯著演變，包括因經濟日益複雜需更細緻招聘。隨著經濟不斷變化，HR經理還需參與重新設計員工崗位。再加上人力部更有針對性的外勞政策，HR經理的職責更為複雜。

因此，我建議人力部為人力資源行業推出產業轉型圖（ITM），支援HR專業人士擴充套件職責，從而顯著改善招聘和技能重視。HR經理在擴充套件職責中獲得相關專業知識的同時，也需不斷更新對崗位和技能需求的瞭解。

因此，我想問人力部如何協助僱主和HR經理更好理解各職業及技能需求的細節，與技能發展局（SSG）的技能框架相銜接，使招聘不僅基於學歷，也基於技能認證。

總體而言，我們也不能忽視中小企業，尤其是資源有限的微型企業。為幫助中小企業應對HR經理角色的演變，我再次強調需要設立首席人力資源官（CHRO）服務，類似信息通信媒體發展局（IMDA）的技術長即服務（CTO-as-a-service）。此類服務可幫助中小企業獲得HR資源和專業支援。

進一步強化新加坡人力資源

鄭德源先生：良好的人力資源（HR）實踐和流程是營造公平包容職場的關鍵。對此，我向人力部提出三點建議。

第一，建議規定公司必須至少擁有一名人力資源專業學院（IHRP）認證的HR專業人士，方可獲准聘用外勞。

第二，建議IHRP認證課程和考試納入三方合作理念，包括所有相關三方標準、指南和建議，以及與工會和勞資關係體系的合作知識。

第三，HR不能是推動進步實踐的唯一守護者。人員經理在支援和推廣良好人力資本實踐中也扮演關鍵角色。我相信在這方面還有提升空間，專業機構如IHRP可與新加坡全國僱主聯合會（SNEF）、全國職工總會學習中心（NTUC Learning Hub）、高等院校（IHLs）及HR協會合作，提升人員經理的技能和知識，更好地管理和培養員工。

漸進工資模式（PWM）實施更新

莫哈末·法米·阿里曼先生（海洋坊選區）：先生，違反PWM要求的僱主可能面臨罰款、處罰及工作準證特權暫停或撤銷等後果。人力部與三方夥伴定期開展公眾教育和推廣活動，提高僱主和工人對PWM及其要求的認識。然而，任何政策或法規都可能存在僱主未完全遵守PWM要求的情況，無論是技術層面還是精神層面，這使低薪工人易受剝削。

因此，我想請人力部更新PWM實施情況，並介紹現有措施或探索的執法策略和機制，以確保公司遵守PWM工資及其他要求。

提升低薪工人

楊婉玲女士：勞工運動的漸進工資模式（PWM）是保護弱勢群體的關鍵，它提升了低薪工人的生活水平，同時為工人提供必要培訓以提升技能。PWM目前覆蓋七個行業的174,000名低薪工人，包括清潔、安全、零售及從今天起的食品服務行業。

PWM最近也擴充套件至行政和駕駛職業。作為零售和食品服務三方叢集的主席，我注意到這些叢集納入PWM框架的重要性。這些行業與許多新加坡人息息相關。行業工人每天觸動新加坡人的心靈和生活，企業的創新和成就使新加坡成為真正的全球城市。鑑於我們希望吸引更多有才華的年輕新加坡人進入這些行業，部委能否更新如何支援和鼓勵企業建立有吸引力的職業階梯並提升生產力？

我也注意到這些行業是首批主要面向消費者（B2C）的行業引入PWM框架。因此，支援低薪工人也包括消費者作為利益相關者。我們呼籲部委與勞工運動合作，傳遞提升低薪新加坡人生活是全社會共同努力的資訊。

外勞福利

李安妮先生：主席先生，去年發生了46起工作場所死亡事故，是自2016年以來最高數字。我們需要對此進行反思。

外勞因議價能力有限，更易遭遇不安全工作環境。他們需要僱主同意才能轉職，除非有例外。這可能被用來對付他們，他們可能因害怕遣返而不敢發聲。

我們需要使競爭環境更公平，或許允許工人在兩種情況下無需僱主同意即可轉職。第一，如果他們提供不安全工作證據，應允許他們無須提前通知辭職，並在證據成立的情況下留在本地兩個月尋找新僱主。第二，如果他們已在現僱主處工作至少一年，允許提前一個月通知轉職，且現僱主在此期間不得取消其工作準證。這將激勵僱主創造更安全、體面的工作環境。

此外，人力部能否賦權工人舉報不安全工作行為？在安置期間，人力部可向他們保證舉報者身份保密，且受保護免遭解僱。若投訴屬實，人力部可對舉報者給予獎勵。

接著，根據《工傷賠償法》（WICA），指定保險公司處理所有WICA索賠。問題在於，WICA保險公司成為“守門人”，決定索賠有效性後才進行賠償評估。這存在利益衝突，因為保險公司可能有動機拒絕賠償。

2019年，時任國務部長表示人力部正在推行監督機制。人力部是否已評估WICA保險公司的表現，確認該機制是否充分？人力部是否主動監控各保險公司表現，還是僅在接到投訴後調查？如何確保指定保險公司遵守索賠處理時限？未遵守者是否受罰？

應公佈WICA保險公司手冊，便於公眾監督保險公司並舉報潛在違規。

人力部能否考慮恢復使用獨立評估員，如前勞工專員？紐西蘭和愛爾蘭均採用此做法。

最後，關於外勞優質飲食，過去曾出現問題，我曾在議會發言建議：一、新宿舍應配備烹飪設施，許多外勞喜歡自己做飯；二、新加坡食品局（SFA）是否可考慮要求餐飲食品按國家環境局（NEA）對活動餐飲的規定安全配送？若需冷藏或微波爐裝置，也應支援。

公積金供款

包慧珊女士（非選區議員）：我有幾個關於平臺工人公積金供款的問題。

已宣佈將為收入低於2,500新元的平臺工作者提供過渡援助，以幫助他們應對新的公積金繳納要求。然而，收入高於2,500新元的平臺工作者也將面臨調整較低實得工資的困難。人力部是否會分階段實施員工繳納公積金的政策，以給予他們更多調整時間？

其次，年齡超過30歲者可以選擇不繳納公積金。如果平臺工作者選擇退出，這是否意味著平臺業主也無需繳納公積金？如果是這樣，選擇加入的工作者將比選擇退出的工作者給平臺業主帶來更高成本。我們希望更多平臺工作者選擇加入，以便他們擁有更多退休儲蓄。但我擔心選擇加入者是否會因成本較高而受到歧視？是否會有措施防止對選擇加入者的歧視？

最後，選擇加入或退出公積金是一次性決定嗎？平臺工作者之後可以改變決定嗎？

自由教練和/或指導員

潘麗萍女士（惹蘭勿剎選區）：主席，體育、健身、學習以及視覺和表演藝術領域的自由教練和指導員群體是新加坡經濟的重要組成部分。作為全國職工總會附屬機構——全國指導員與教練協會的顧問，我希望人力部關注提升這群自由職業者的工作和收入保障及福祉。

第一，公平報酬。平臺工作者和低薪工人已取得不少進展，自由職業者群體也應根據其技能、貢獻和業績獲得公平報酬。如今，他們往往是價格接受者。即使有合理理由如業務成本上升，他們也猶豫調整合同費率。合同到期時，常擔心因收費較高而失去合同給最低報價者。他們在客戶方面也受限，例如公共機構如教育部、人民協會或健康促進局的客戶人員，因預算已批准且需額外審批手續，難以在合同期中批准費率上漲。我敦促人力部推動制定採購指南，確保可持續的雙贏安排和自由職業者群體的公平報酬，尤其從公共部門客戶開始。

第二，資源獲取。許多自由指導員和教練面臨有限的資源獲取，如課堂設施、裝置或培訓材料。提升他們可包括提供更多體育或學校設施的使用權，或通過政府資助。

最後，認可與專業發展。自由職業者也需要終身學習和支援，確保保持相關性和競爭力。因此，應策劃並提供本地及海外的專業發展機會，幫助他們掌握行業最新動態。

加強對弱勢工人的支援

楊婉玲女士：平臺工作者的影響力顯而易見。他們已成為我們日常城市生活不可或缺的一部分，改變了我們的飲食、購物和出行方式。雖然我們慶祝這類工作帶來的好處和回報，但不能忽視越來越多平臺工作者面臨的潛在風險，如退休儲蓄不足、健康保障和住房問題。

為此，勞工運動鼓勵政府認識到這些問題。我們感謝政府接受平臺工作者諮詢委員會提出的12項建議，這將加強我們對平臺工作者的社會和生活保障。諮詢委員會期待工作組就這些建議的具體實施細節進行討論，但我們的平臺工作者已表達對公積金引入可能影響實得收入及生活的擔憂。

因此，我們歡迎引入公積金過渡支援措施，以緩解這些擔憂。請問人力部能否提供過渡支援的最新情況？此外，我們呼籲人力部與勞工運動及平臺協會密切合作，確保平臺工作者與平臺公司之間公積金繳納的公平分攤。

對許多平臺工作者而言，一天的工作也是一天的收入損失。除了建議中提出的工傷保險福利外，我們呼籲人力部考慮為工作中受傷的平臺工作者提供更多保障，如增加醫療補貼和加強傷殘及收入損失計劃。

下午2時30分

在加強社會契約的同時，我們不能忘記關注邊緣的弱勢新加坡人，支援他們追求體面生計和回饋社會的機會。

提升退休保障

葉漢榮先生：主席，我們需要推動提升老年人的就業能力，並鼓勵願意工作的老年人繼續就業。我有三個方面的問題。

首先，令人擔憂的是，某些群體如低薪和臨時工作的老年人，公積金儲蓄不足以保障退休生活。人力部將如何特別幫助這部分人？

其次，儘管公積金過渡補償僅為期一年，鑑於老年人公積金繳納率提高，如何確保企業繼續留用老年員工？

第三，要真正瞭解新加坡人是否有足夠退休保障，我們需要超越基本生活水平，制定正式定義，明確老年體面生活的標準。

2019年，本地研究團隊推算了老年人在新加坡實現基本生活標準所需金額，該研究被廣泛引用。人力部是否認可該結果，或計劃自行開展深入研究？此外，過去兩年高通脹，是否應重新評估該金額？

第四，我們可以在勞動力方面做更多工作，提供更靈活的工作選擇。許多老年人希望兼職工作，甚至在工作與休閒之間靈活切換。有些人想多陪伴家人，有些想旅行、照顧孫輩後再返回工作崗位。

企業可通過多種方式實施此類安排，允許老年員工請幾個月假後復職。工作職責的覆蓋需靈活且富有創造性。我們也應推動工作分享和微型工作，這些議題此前多次被提及。還應考慮分階段退休概念，讓老年人逐步減少每週工作天數直至退休。人力部如何鼓勵這些舉措？

我們必須持續推進提升退休保障和老年人就業能力。對於通過工作獲得就業的老年人，我們可幫助維護其身心健康，同時提供經濟保障。

老年人就業與退休保障

莫哈末法米·阿里曼先生：主席，退休保障仍是許多新加坡老年人的重要關切，尤其在通脹環境下，因為通脹會逐漸侵蝕退休儲蓄的購買力。

隨著生活成本上升，退休儲蓄的價值可能下降，使老年人更難滿足基本需求和維持退休生活水平。此外，醫療費用通常隨年齡增長而增加，進一步加大退休儲蓄壓力。

這些因素可能導致財務不安全，使老年人難以實現退休目標。因此，政府和個人需採取措施應對通脹環境下的退休保障問題。

鑑於退休保障的重要性，尤其在通脹環境下，人力部能否更新將採取的措施，以保護老年人的脆弱性並加強其退休保障？

新加坡製造——家庭關懷假

黃國旺先生（義順選區）：副總理強調我們希望幫助老年人優雅、有尊嚴和安全地老去。良好的醫療和退休基金固然重要，但這些都無法替代與子女共度的時光。

就在上週六，我在205座組屋探訪時，一位居民分享他需要請假帶母親去多次複診。

立法設立家庭關懷假將讓新加坡人能陪伴照顧父母。我相信政府也有同感。所有公務員已有超過十年的家庭關懷假，是時候將此福利擴充套件至所有工人。

靈活工作安排

蔡慶偉先生：當DORSCON綠色警戒宣佈時，許多新加坡人擔心將回到疫情前的工作模式——這在很大程度上已成事實。

事實上，許多老闆要求員工回辦公室工作，更傾向於“看到”員工在工作，擔心他們不產出工作成果。正如我在預算辯論中分享，一位朋友戲言，他老闆說（我意譯）：“你不在辦公室，我怎麼知道你在工作？”

這種陳舊觀念需要被打破。多項研究顯示，一家中國公司在遠端工作試驗中，員工生產力提升了13%。去年，我呼籲公共服務部門帶頭開展四天工作周試點，類似英國企業的做法。我很高興向議會報告，英國試點中超過九成採用四天工作周的公司將繼續採用更靈活的運營方式。

《婦女發展白皮書》也提出，靈活工作安排（FWA）應成為“普遍且可持續的職場規範”，促進更包容的工作環境，尤其幫助已婚婦女，她們可能比男性更早離開職場。常態化的FWA將確保員工的申請得到公平考慮，而非根本不給選擇。

我們瞭解到，三方關於靈活工作安排的指導方針預計2024年出臺。在此之前，我認為有必要強調，這些指導方針應立法並強制執行，而非僅作為可選的建議，允許公司不向員工提供此選項。

我曾在演講中提及其他政府已立法並尋求加強員工享有FWA權利，旨在創造更包容的工作環境。

鑑於FWA對婦女、年輕父母及個人整體福祉的諸多益處，這不應被視為“可有可無”或“額外福利”，而應成為公司應提供給員工的基本條件。

我們已有機會體驗FWA的可能性。我希望新加坡不會重回疫情前的職場常態。

營造包容職場

楊婉玲女士：即使許多人已適應新常態工作，我們希望靈活工作安排（FWA）得以保留。營造安全包容的職場，不僅要消除對“誰”工作的歧視，也要尊重我們選擇“如何”工作的方式。

FWA已被證明是員工實現工作與生活和諧的關鍵，有助於提升員工參與度和生產力，使員工能在工作時完成任務，同時兼顧家庭責任。

三方職場公平委員會的建議與FWA相輔相成，提供靈活性以照顧需照顧幼兒或年邁親屬的返崗女性，確保女性在職場和家庭中扮演多重角色時不受歧視。

FWA不僅限於工作地點，也可延伸至工作時間、工作周甚至工作任務。

鑑於許多行業面臨人力困難，僱主需創新採用FWA，最大化勞動力，尤其是那些具備技能且願意返崗的女性。

鑑於FWA的重要性，我請求人力部說明如何鼓勵更多公司持續採用FWA，特別是在績效評估、崗位及文化重塑方面，支援有照顧責任的女性留任或順利復工。

主席：沙拉爾·塔哈先生，請兩段發言。

就業機會——老年人、殘障人士及兼職工人

沙拉爾·塔哈先生：謝謝主席。靈活工作安排（FWA）可包括彈性時間、彈性地點和彈性工作量。

FWA結合崗位重塑，可為老年人、殘障人士（PwDs）、兼職工人及照顧者開闢就業機會。例如，呼叫中心操作員或幫助臺服務可通過遠端工作實現，為老年人、殘障人士和兼職工人創造機會。

另一種可能是資助老年人培訓成為培訓師，將其知識傳授給行業。鑑於人口老齡化，越來越多老年人希望就業，儘管節奏較慢，我們如何通過崗位重塑為老年人創造結構性就業機會？

同樣，我們如何為殘障人士創造結構性就業機會？

在巴西立，我們有幾戶家庭有成年子女患有輕度自閉症或智商較低。其中一戶有三名20至30多歲的殘障子女，父母均60多歲，父親是唯一經濟來源，擔憂子女未來。子女未能找到工作，整日呆在家中。

我們是否有機會鼓勵企業僱用殘障人士？

隨著延長老年就業補貼、兼職就業補貼及引入前科人員就業提升補貼，這些計劃的成功衡量標準是什麼？我們如何確保這些資金轉化為老年人、殘障人士及兼職工人的實際就業改善？

靈活工作安排最新情況

我欣慰地看到，在推動經濟增長和提升工人技能的同時，我們也關注加強社會契約，確保增長包容並關注工人工作與生活平衡。

根據與巴西立居民的交流，疫情後，少部分工人完全遠端工作，少部分每天回辦公室，大多數專業管理及技術人員（PMET）採用三天遠端加兩天辦公室或兩天遠端加三天辦公室的混合模式。

人力部是否有企業遠端工作比例的指標，尤其是中小企業？FWA在僱主與員工之間存在諸多摩擦點，如工作時間、工作周時長及績效評估等。

因FWA引發的感知不公平投訴是否增加？三方靈活工作安排指導方針及其他可提前實施的措施進展如何？

主席：王慧玲小姐，請五段發言。

提升殘障人士勞動力參與率

王慧玲小姐（西海岸選區）：本月10日釋出的綜合勞動力調查（CLFS）資料顯示，2021及2022年，15至65歲居民殘障人士（PwDs）中，65.7%未參與勞動力市場。

根據社會及家庭發展部（MSF）2020年估計，工作年齡殘障人士約32,000人，意味著約21,000名工作年齡殘障人士仍未參與勞動力市場。

在未參與勞動力市場者中，77%（約16,000人）表示健康狀況不佳、年齡過大或殘疾無法工作。但調查未詳細說明受訪者所指“殘疾無法工作”的具體含義。

瞭解這77%中是否存在實際具備工作能力但因不知如何行動或不相信有適合其殘疾的工作或職場而未就業的群體非常重要。通過深入瞭解他們的求職經歷，我們可識別其參與勞動力市場的障礙，從而努力減少這些障礙。

配合2030年新加坡成為包容性社會的願景，我想請人力部長分享他們從針對勞動力之外的有工作能力殘疾人士（PwDs）調查中獲得的更多見解，以及新加坡如何提高適齡殘疾人士的勞動力參與率？

為殘疾人士照顧者提供職場支援

正如我在預算演講中提到的，照顧嚴重殘疾人士的照顧者在工作選擇上面臨巨大挑戰，他們需要在履行持續照顧責任的同時，經濟上支援自己和被照顧者的高額醫療費用及未來退休需求。

工作時間和工作地點的靈活性，以及在需要時請假的能力，對這些照顧者至關重要。這是因為他們照顧的物件無法工作，需要持續照料，而照顧者必須對突發或緊急需求做出響應。

那些獲得工作的照顧者往往被安排在明顯低於其能力的崗位，薪酬也顯著較低，這是照顧者為了換取靈活性所接受的權衡。

然而，即使有這些降低的工作期望，靈活工作安排（FWA）也不易獲得，因為照顧者常常面臨面試官和職場文化對靈活工作照顧者的偏見。

英國是一個探索支援工作照顧者舉措的國家。近年來，英國工作照顧者數量呈上升趨勢，無論是照顧老人還是兒童。2022年，英國每五名居民中就有一名是工作照顧者。

為支援他們，英國公務員部門推出了名為“照顧者護照”的倡議。該護照為照顧者及其僱主提供有關員工照顧責任如何影響工作的資訊，並引導雙方就結合工作與照顧所需的靈活性進行對話。

下午2時45分

該護照旨在平衡員工需求與企業需求。自2010年推出以來，照顧者護照已推廣至英國各地的醫院、僱主、社群、學校和大學。我希望鑑於我們人口老齡化及鼓勵生育更多子女的政策，未來新加坡也能看到推行類似舉措的價值，從而滿足日益增長的照顧者需求。畢竟，新加坡近四分之三的照顧者都有就業。

我想請人力部長考慮政府是否可以為需要因必要性而採取靈活工作安排的嚴重殘疾人士照顧者，制定類似安排？我們如何繼續鼓勵企業為更廣泛的崗位能力提供靈活工作安排，使照顧者能夠更可持續地自我支援？

殘疾人士照顧者重返職場

經過多年照顧，找到替代照顧方案的殘疾人士照顧者因年齡和經驗問題，重返職場困難重重。在求職過程中，他們的照顧技能雖具可轉移性，卻未被職場認可。

這些技能包括專案和時間管理、增強的同理心和抗壓能力，以及在照顧過程中處理衝突的溝通技巧。幫助識別和認可這些職場技能對照顧者極具價值。

在面試時，他們不確定應透露多少照顧責任，擔心因僱主偏見而遭受歧視或職業負面影響。我想請人力部長說明政府如何支援這些照顧者的求職、輔導及重返職場準備，並可能減少僱主對照顧者的偏見？

殘疾人士的退休保障

研究顯示，殘疾人士（PwDs）比非殘疾人士更貧困、財務更不安全。根據本月早些時候公佈的統計資料，新加坡適齡殘疾人士的就業率僅為31.4%。雖然部分殘疾人士可能受益於父母通過特殊需求信託公司設立的信託，但並非所有殘疾人士都能獲得類似支援。

我想請人力部長說明殘疾人士與非殘疾人士在退休保障方面的評估情況，以及在考慮他們所需承擔的醫療費用後，政府採取了哪些措施提升他們的退休保障？

殘疾人士照顧者的退休保障

對於無法工作的殘疾人士，其照顧者成為主要的經濟保障來源。我在預算演講中詳細說明了這類照顧嚴重殘疾或罕見疾病人士的照顧者面臨的高額開支，因為其被照顧者的治療費用極高，每年可達20萬新元。

這些照顧者將大量財務資源用於治療其嚴重殘疾的子女和被照顧者。因此，我們看到那些大半生都在照顧親人的人，自己的退休儲蓄卻很少。

在2023年預算中，政府已著手加強老年人的退休保障。我想請人力部長說明，如何為嚴重殘疾人士的照顧者提供類似支援，因為他們往往需要一名家長停止工作，同時還要應對持續的高額醫療費用？

支援僱用前罪犯

先鋒選區議員鄭德源先生：作為我們上月#每個工人都重要對話的一部分，我與全國職工總會（NTUC）同事及志願者，有幸在NTUC場所舉辦了一場對話會，邀請了100多名僱主、前罪犯、黃絲帶新加坡（YRSG）、新加坡監獄服務（SPS）及新恩使命朋友。這是NTUC及勞工運動首次與該群體進行對話。

本月早些時候，我和團隊還在樟宜監獄與一群囚犯進行了交流，作為#每個工人都重要對話的一部分，分享並聽取他們對工作、技能、培訓及就業能力的看法。我讚揚YRSG和SPS的工作，使我們能直接聽取該群體的聲音，共同打造新的工人契約。

雖然聽到一些僱主願意幫助和僱用前罪犯令人欣慰，但我們也聽到即將獲釋的囚犯對重新融入社會和職場的恐懼與焦慮。

我有三點建議供人力部考慮，以幫助這群工人：第一，人力部應支援並更好激勵和鼓勵僱主、企業及行業協會僱用前罪犯，併為他們提供實習機會，幫助他們融入工作崗位。

第二，人力部及我們的職業安置機構（包括私營機構）可為這類求職者提供職業輔導、諮詢及指導服務，減少期望不匹配。

第三，人力部應與YRSG及SPS緊密合作，支援就業技能培訓，包括求職準備專案，如簡歷和求職信寫作、求職及申請流程導航，幫助他們在獲釋前做好準備。

工作時間外的工作溝通

楊益財先生：先生，我首次提出賦予員工斷開工作聯絡權是在2020年7月。隨後，2020年11月釋出了《職場心理健康三方諮詢建議》，其中包括工作時間外溝通的建議。2021年9月，工作與生活和諧行動聯盟釋出了政策模板，幫助企業設定更明確的工作時間外溝通界限。人力部能否提供新加坡企業採納此類政策的最新情況？人力部如何鼓勵更廣泛採納？

根據2023年世界經濟論壇（WEF）報告，法國、比利時和葡萄牙等多個國家已立法允許員工斷開工作聯絡。例如，葡萄牙將其工作與生活平衡立法稱為“休息權”，擁有10名或以上員工的企業若在規定工作時間外聯絡員工，將面臨處罰。報告還指出，包括比利時一家化工公司和義大利一家銀行在內的跨國公司，已與其歐洲工作委員會簽署跨國協議，支援員工斷開工作聯絡權。人力部能否研究這些趨勢，並探討如何將部分立法及非立法理念本地化應用於新加坡？

主席：譚思凌部長髮言後，我們將休息。

人力部長（譚思凌博士）：除非議員們想行使斷開聯絡權。

主席：哦不不，請繼續。[笑聲]

譚思凌博士：主席，我感謝政府議會委員會（GPC）議員及其他議員積極關注人力部工作，並支援我們的工人和企業。去年勞動力市場表現強勁。2022年總就業人數增長超過20萬，超過疫情前水平3%。本地居民就業已比2019年高出4.4%。本地居民失業率已恢復至疫情前水平。居民工資增長加快。2021年全職居民的名義中位收入增長8.3%。[請參閱辯論後續澄清。]

這一增幅是前一年3.2%的兩倍多，即使扣除通脹，2022年實際中位收入增長仍是2021年的兩倍多。然而，我們正處於多重十字路口，中期內全球經濟不確定性、全球通脹及地緣政治挑戰將對勞動力市場產生壓力。

我聽到大家對自身及工作影響的擔憂，尤其是年長工人。但請放心，我們將全程陪伴您。無論您是20多歲、30多歲，還是40多歲中期或50多歲後期，我們將賦能您尋找並追求新機遇。但我們需要您的幫助和支援，邁出第一步，前進，提升職業前景。

若您想轉行，我們將提供支援助您提升技能和再培訓。若您失業，我們將介入幫助您求職。若您偏好實務工作，我們將提供更多機會，讓您掌握技能並獲得回報。臨近退休時，只要您持續工作並繳納公積金，便能滿足基本退休需求。

我們將利用持續的經濟增長為您提供優質工作，持續改善您的就業成果。即使在不確定中，仍有重大機遇可供把握。我昨日在與貿易及工業部（MTI）聯合演講中分享了多項促進企業人才發展的計劃。

對於剛起步者，有新加坡全球執行計劃（SGEP）支援應屆及近年畢業生在高增長企業中追求結構化職業發展路徑。全球人才準備計劃（GRT）通過共同資助本地年輕人才，支援其參與本地及海外實習，助力人才儲備。Tech@SG試點自啟動三年來，已在科技初創企業創造逾1500個本地職位。

對於有潛力中小企業的高階領導，企業轉型領導力（ELT）計劃幫助其發展商業策略和領導能力。面對不斷變化的經濟，我們需持續推動經濟轉型，使新加坡更強大，抓住新機遇。我們希望您加入這場轉型之旅，這也是我們通過“前進新加坡”計劃與國人溝通，瞭解他們的願望、對經濟的焦慮及就業擔憂的原因。

基於此，人力部本次供應委員會（COS）預算的重點圍繞三大主題：一、與您共抓機遇；二、加強對您的支援；三、與您共建更好職場。

首先，我們將與新加坡人共抓機遇，支援他們提升職業前景和韌性，使其有能力承擔優質工作。同時，我們將繼續歡迎合適人才，滿足企業需求，打造本地與外籍人才的最佳團隊，實現包容性增長，讓各類工人共享經濟成果。

因此，第二重點是加強對新加坡人退休保障的支援，通過完善中央公積金（CPF）體系，讓他們在晚年安心。我們還將繼續全社會努力，支援平臺工人、低薪工人及年長工人，保障其職場權益。高階國務部長許寶琨和扎基·穆罕默德將在各自演講中詳細闡述。

最後，我們每個人都渴望並應享有公平機會，在職場貢獻並茁壯成長。這引出第三重點，即作為團結社會共同努力，確保更安全、公平和進步的職場。我們將持續改善婦女、殘疾人士及前罪犯的就業機會。國務部長顏曉芳將在演講中詳細說明。我們也將繼續提升職場安全，高階國務部長扎基將在其演講中涵蓋。

讓我先分享如何賦能新加坡人承擔優質工作。我們擁有強勁且充滿活力的經濟，已在疫情中展現韌性。我們有令人振奮的願景，繼續轉型經濟。為抓住機遇，新加坡人需保持開放，迎接新挑戰和職業，不斷提升和裝備未來技能。

人力部及政府將全程陪伴您，助您提升職業前景。

下午3時

疫情期間，政府成立國家就業理事會（NJC），在經濟衰退和勞動力市場疲軟時提供就業和技能機會。

2020年4月至2022年4月，政府、工會和僱主共同努力，通過SGUnited就業與技能計劃，支援約20萬本地人就業，其中約15萬獲得永久職位，其餘進入培訓和實習崗位。

就業與就業能力局（WSG）和全國職工總會的就業與就業能力學院在全國設有24個SGUnited就業與技能中心，2022年協助安置3400名求職者。

為配合NJC工作，我於2021年9月成立就業工作組，專注幫助更多本地人在資訊通訊、製造業和金融服務等10個關鍵行業獲得新工作。

阿卜杜勒·薩馬德先生會高興得知，通過針對關鍵行業的定製努力，我們幫助逾1.1萬本地人在這些行業找到新工作。

NJC和就業工作組的成就證明了本地工人的素質和靈活性。人力部和WSG將繼續幫助新加坡人轉型新工作和新職業。

例如，WSG提供多項職業轉換計劃（CCPs），為僱主提供薪資和培訓支援，幫助新聘員工和現有員工重新培訓以適應新或重新設計的崗位。2022年，WSG推出多項針對新興崗位的CCPs，如可持續發展專家、碳專案開發員和客戶智慧分析師。

鄭麗慧小姐詢問我們如何幫助中小企業招聘。中小企業可利用WSG提供的全套計劃。特別是，WSG設計了針對中小企業高管的CCP，滿足中小企業新員工的特定需求，幫助他們適應中小企業工作環境。

朱德明先生和鄭德源先生關心如何更好支援成熟工人，包括專業管理人員（PMEs）的就業和就業能力。我理解成熟工人轉行可能更具挑戰性，因此CCPs為40歲及以上成熟工人提供更高支援——覆蓋90%的薪資和培訓費用。為提供更多選擇，WSG還推出了SGUnited中年職業路徑（SGUP），為40歲及以上人士提供帶津貼的全職實習崗位。

2022年，WSG通過CCPs支援約1900名工人，通過SGUP支援約1100名工人。

其中一位是50歲的努爾·雜湊姆先生，曾是本地一家安全審計公司的獨立系統安全審計員。他希望探索IT行業的職業選擇，報名參加了技能未來職業轉型計劃下的六個月課程。

雜湊姆先生掌握了新的技術技能後，於2022年9月在MyCareersFuture網站上申請了SGUP計劃。他獲得了主辦機構Swiz Technologies的IT雲和基礎設施專家實習崗位。

在為期六個月的實習期間，Swiz Technologies提供了在職培訓，包括逐步演示，幫助他了解如何執行IT雲和基礎設施專家的工作任務。

我很高興聽到，基於他在實習計劃中的出色表現，雜湊姆先生本月將轉為Swiz Technologies的全職員工。

最終，勞工部（MOM）旨在支援新加坡人的職業抱負。這就是為什麼我們一直與各行各業的新加坡人交流，瞭解他們的抱負以及他們對經濟和就業的焦慮。

這些在“前進新加坡”計劃下的對話使我們能夠共同締造新的社會契約。社會契約必須是相互強化、相互鞏固的。這是一個雙向對話，以便我們能夠吸納您的反饋，共同締造新的契約。

我們與政策研究院（IPS）合作，召集了一個關於就業韌性的公民小組，召集一群公民討論並提出增加職業流動性和幫助工人從失業等挫折中恢復的建議。公民小組將在三月底完成工作，我期待聽取他們的建議。

迄今為止，聽取了許多新加坡同胞的意見，我聽到一個共同的主題。無論您是剛開始職業生涯，處於職業中期，還是職業後期，您都渴望改善職業前景。

更好的職業健康是幫助我們的工人攀升職業階梯、保持與時俱進和保持就業能力的關鍵，或者它促使他們能夠轉換到更符合其技能和興趣的新工作。

我在上個月啟動公民小組時談到了職業健康。就像身體健康一樣，職業健康有三個方面。

第一，擁有更好的洞察力和意識。我們需要更加敏感，更加了解我們的職業前景，相對於行業和經濟的增長或轉型。

第二，採取有意識和有目的的行動來保持我們的職業健康。資訊只有在我們處理並採取行動時才有意義。這意味著採取預防性和積極主動的步驟，保持領先競爭，並準備好抓住新機會。

第三，我們如何從挫折中反彈？有時，儘管我們做了各種努力，意外仍會突然降臨。我們正在考慮如何給予工人更有力的幫助，使他們能夠更強、更好地從挫折中恢復。但要實現這一點，工人需要保持職業健康，以便更好地準備應對挫折，更加準備好自我振作。

勞工部幫助提高職業健康意識的一種方式是通過職位轉型地圖（JTMs）。這些JTMs提供了各行業技術和自動化對職位影響的詳細洞察。

溫顯德教授和沙拉爾·塔哈先生詢問了我們如何確保勞動力具備全球競爭力，包括如何應對人工智慧（AI）帶來的威脅。

這些JTMs提供了各行業技術和自動化對職位影響的詳細洞察。JTMs將賦能您掌控職業發展和晉升，向您提供保持相關性和競爭力所需的關鍵技能資訊。

鄭興耀先生、安珍妮女士和梁榮華先生詢問了勞工部如何支援企業增長和應對人力短缺。

從根本上講，為應對人力緊缺，企業必須持續轉型，提高生產力和人力效率。政府仍致力於支援企業和工人實現這一目標。

JTMs將指導企業如何轉型其業務和職位，以保持競爭力和韌性。欲瞭解更多資訊，您可以訪問人力發展局（WSG）網站上的JTMs。個人也可以在那裡找到重新技能培訓、提升技能或開展職業轉型的資源。

迄今為止，已完成10個JTMs，另有8個正在進行中。一個例子是企業新加坡於2022年12月釋出的食品製造JTM，該地圖識別了新興職位，如新型食品技術經理，並制定了重新設計職位的路徑。工人可以通過食品製造專業人員及助理的職業轉換計劃（CCP）和SkillsFuture工作學習計劃等專案重新技能培訓，轉向新興或重新設計的職位。今年還將推出更多JTMs。

利用資料和人工智慧提供更個性化的職位和技能洞察具有巨大潛力。這有助於改善職位匹配，使您更好地規劃下一步行動——無論是參加課程提升技能、轉行還是職業晉升。

我很高興宣佈，我們將在2023年第三季度在MyCareersFuture入口網站推出新的CareersFinder功能。CareersFinder是一款職位和技能推薦工具。

我們聽到反饋，一些工人希望同時探索職位機會和技能提升，因為兩者相互關聯。CareersFinder是嘗試整合職位和培訓推薦的第一步。它利用勞動力市場中技能鄰近性和職位轉換的資料，幫助求職者根據個人資料識別潛在職業機會，並推薦合適的培訓專案，助力實現職業目標。

CareersFinder是一個新功能，將以測試版形式推出，但隨著資料增長，它將變得更加強大。我們將持續改進，使其更能響應求職者需求。希望瞭解更多CareersFinder的個人也可通過WSG網站註冊興趣。

除了支援工人重新技能培訓和提升技能外，我們還需要建設一個更具包容性的勞動力市場，獎勵不同領域技能的精通。我們的勞動力市場還必須提供多條成功路徑，以滿足不同興趣和傾向。

我們的社會傳統上更重視“腦力”工作，而非“動手”工作和“用心”工作，這導致職業工資差距。但“動手”工作——製作精良物品、修理複雜機器所需的工藝——對社會運作同樣重要，正如謝偉強先生和普里坦·辛格先生也強調的那樣。

許多“動手”工作也需要深厚技能。我們正與全國職工總會（NTUC）合作，研究如何重新設計熟練工種，特別是那些在未來經濟中仍不可或缺的工種，以提供更好的薪酬、更清晰的職業和技能晉升階梯，以及其他吸引、留住和獎勵這些崗位工人的方式。

隨著時間推移，如果我們能夠改善這些職位的前景和認知，併為熟練工種提供有吸引力的職業路徑，我們將能夠以可持續的方式增加本地人在這些崗位上的數量。

關於這一舉措的更多細節將在“前進新加坡”計劃結束時公佈。

為本地工人創造良好機會的關鍵方面是擁有一個充滿活力、持續增長且對國際投資、公司和人才開放的經濟。

與全球人才和頂尖公司共事意味著本地人有更多機會承擔挑戰性任務並晉升職業。這也為生態系統中的其他公司創造更多機會，反過來為各級新加坡人創造更多優質職位，形成良性迴圈。

拉傑·約書亞·托馬斯先生詢問我們將如何繼續吸引頂尖人才來新加坡。

去年，我宣佈了海外網路與專業人才通行證（ONE Pass），適用於固定月薪至少3萬新元的人才，相當於就業準證（EP）持有者中收入最高的5%，或在藝術文化、體育、研究和學術領域有傑出成就的人士。這是一個高度針對性的提升，旨在吸引各領域頂尖人才，使我們保持競爭優勢。我很高興地說，我們迄今已收到來自各行業多樣化傑出人士的許多有前景的申請。

我想分享兩位ONE Pass持有者的例子，他們正在或有潛力為新加坡做出積極貢獻。

安井由紀女士是葛拉斯哥淨零金融聯盟亞太區網路的董事總經理，該聯盟是由領先金融機構組成的全球聯盟，致力於加速經濟脫碳。安井女士在推動新加坡脫碳方面發揮關鍵作用，包括幫助金融機構制定淨零轉型計劃，並動員資金支援能源、水泥和鋼鐵等關鍵行業的脫碳努力。

我們還有沃森教授，她本月加入新加坡科技研究局（A*STAR），擔任A*STAR皮膚研究實驗室及新加坡皮膚研究所執行董事。沃森教授在皮膚病學領域享有國際聲譽。

下午3點15分

通過她的領導，她將催化本地研究科學家、學者和行業專業人士社群，解決皮膚疾病和皮膚健康的複雜挑戰，造福新加坡及新加坡人。

這只是幾個例子。我們期待ONE Pass持有者帶來的寶貴貢獻及他們為新加坡人創造的機會。

正如拉傑·約書亞·托馬斯先生、梁榮華先生和葉漢榮先生所強調的，外籍勞動力補充本地勞動力以推動本地經濟至關重要。我們也想向葉先生保證，勞工部與貿易與工業部（MTI）和國土部（MND）等機構密切合作，確保我們的經濟增長可持續，同時保持各專案標之間的平衡。在上一次供應委員會（COS）辯論中，我宣佈了對外籍勞動力政策的重大調整，以加強外籍勞動力的互補性。我們的重點是妥善實施這些變革。請允許我簡要更新。

為確保持有這些準證的外籍人士具備合適的素質，我們已將聘用就業準證（EP）和S準證持有者的成本與本地專業人員、經理、執行人員和技術人員（PMETs）中收入最高三分之一，以及本地助理專業人員和技術人員（APTs）的工資進行了基準比較。有了這些明確的基準，僱主可以預期就業準證和S準證的最低工資和徵費將定期且可預測地調整。

今年，EP最低工資不會變動。但正如我去年宣佈的，我們將於2023年9月推進第二階段提高S準證最低工資和一級徵費。S準證最低工資將從3000新元提高至3150新元。考慮到本地APT工資隨年齡增長，年長S準證持有者的最低工資要求更高。S準證一級徵費也將從目前的450新元提高至550新元。僱主可在勞工部網站查閱相關詳情。

COMPASS——一套新的、透明且全面的就業準證申請評估框架——將於今年9月應用於新的EP申請。COMPASS激勵企業加強本地勞動力，同時輔以高質量和多元化的外籍勞動力。過去一年，我們陸續公佈了四項基礎標準的細節。企業現可通過MyMOMPortal上的勞動力洞察工具檢視其在COMPASS企業層面標準的表現，並與行業同行進行比較。

各位議員可能還記得，在COMPASS框架下，申請人可在第二標準“資格”項下獲得積分。如今，僱主已負責確保候選人資格的真實性。為防止通過提交虛假學歷資格進行欺詐，欲在第二標準“資格”項下得分的僱主須提交學歷驗證證明。我們已與三方夥伴及行業協會協商，將於2023年9月與COMPASS一同實施此新流程。我們將適時公佈更多細節。請放心，我們將確保順利實施，儘量減少對僱主招聘流程的干擾。

我們將在本月晚些時候公佈兩項加分標準的更多細節，即技能加分（第五標準）和戰略經濟優先事項加分（第六標準）。符合相應標準的申請人將獲得加分，計入COMPASS總分。技能加分適用於就業準證申請人所從事的短缺職業清單（SOL）中的職業。SOL識別出勞動力中短缺的、需要小眾且高度專業技能的職業，這些職業對維持關鍵增長或戰略優先領域的投資至關重要。

賈拉德·賈姆先生詢問了預計納入SOL的職業更新。勞工部正與行業機構協商，敲定首批SOL。我想向賈姆先生保證，評估過程嚴謹，既考慮短缺的量化指標，也考慮多種定性因素。一個關鍵考量是確保行業機構已與業界合作，制定發展本地人才儲備的計劃，包括與高等院校合作，裝備畢業生所需技能，以及培養和提升現有行業或相關崗位人員的技能。相關行業機構還徵求了業界合作伙伴和工會的意見。

SOL將涵蓋技術、醫療保健和可持續發展等領域的專業職位，這些領域全球技能人才短缺。SOL將定期審查，每三年進行一次重大更新。這確保SOL能響應行業發展，同時為企業提供足夠的確定性和準備時間。

戰略經濟優先事項（SEP）加分是與貿易與工業部、參與的經濟機構及全國職工總會共同設計的。這是一項高度選擇性的加分，支援通過雄心勃勃的投資、創新、國際化或公司及勞動力轉型活動，為新加坡戰略經濟優先事項做出貢獻的企業。

經濟機構將與獲得SEP加分的企業合作，推動這些關鍵經濟優先事項，並證明其致力於發展本地勞動力。全國職工總會將協助企業開展公司和勞動力轉型工作，例如設立公司培訓委員會（CTCs），制定工人技能提升計劃。獲得SEP加分的企業需保持健康的勞動力結構，包括國籍多樣性和本地PMET就業比例，作為續期條件。加分標準的完整細節將於三月底前在勞工部網站公佈。

帕特里克·鄭先生詢問公平考慮框架（FCF）的最新情況。自2016年以來，勞工部已與1800多家僱主就FCF進行接觸。

正如我在去年COS辯論中宣佈的，COMPASS建立在我們現有的FCF努力基礎上，通過在申請階段應用企業相關屬性。一旦COMPASS推出，FCF觀察名單將重新定位，重點關注企業相關屬性得分較低的企業。三方公平與進步就業實踐聯盟（TAFEP）將為這些企業舉辦研討會，強調企業可採取的改進招聘實踐的措施。

鄭先生還建議公佈勞動力結構較弱企業名單。我之前解釋過，公佈名單會影響這些企業的業務，可能阻礙其改進做法。因此，我們的做法是讓TAFEP與其合作，改善其做法。請放心，勞工部將繼續認真對待公平考慮，我將在演講後半部分詳細介紹我們在職場公平立法方面的努力。

朱德明先生和鄭興耀先生也建議進一步調整外籍勞動力政策，以解決某些行業本地人不足的問題，或應對人口老齡化。

我們今天已經在這樣做。建築和工藝等行業擁有較高的外籍工人配額，因為我們認識到較少本地人進入這些行業，我們也靈活支援醫療保健和公共住房清潔等關鍵服務。去年宣佈的措施也採取了更細緻和有針對性的方式。例如，貢獻於戰略經濟優先事項的企業可利用戰略經濟優先事項人力配額（M-SEP）計劃，獲得額外配額。

另一個例子是非傳統來源（NTS）職業清單。各位議員可能記得，我去年宣佈允許服務業和製造業僱主聘用來自NTS國家的工作準證持有者，涵蓋七種職業型別。該NTS職業清單旨在幫助企業適應S準證最低工資和徵費的提高。因此，我們將於今年9月1日實施NTS職業清單。

希望僱傭非技術性服務工作準證持有者（NTS Work Permit Holders）的僱主將受到8%的子配額限制，並需滿足每月至少2,000新元的固定薪資標準。子配額旨在防止過度依賴NTS工人，確保僱主多元化其勞動力。薪資標準則防止廉價採購，並激勵僱主從這些來源國僱傭更高技能或更有經驗的工人。將現有NTS S準證持有者轉為工作準證的僱主在滿足薪資標準方面不會有困難。人力部（MOM）將繼續與相關機構和行業密切合作，不時審查NTS職業名單。

議員們，我們的增長必須具有包容性，使所有工人群體都能分享成果。因此，我們將進一步加強對您的支援。讓我分享我們如何做到這一點，特別是在退休保障方面。高階國務部長許寶琨和高階國務部長扎基將在他們的發言中進一步闡述我們如何加強對平臺工人、低薪工人、年長工人和外籍工人的保護和支援。

即使在應對疫情的緊迫挑戰時，我們仍保持對提升工人退休保障這一長期目標的持續關注。

阿卜杜勒·薩馬德先生和薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生詢問了新加坡人退休保障的最新情況。我們認識到退休家庭數量在增加，因此不斷完善公積金（CPF）體系，特別是針對可能需要更多支援的弱勢群體，包括年長工人和低薪工人。

過去十年，55歲時達到同齡人基本退休額（BRS）的活躍公積金成員比例已從約五成提升至近七成。我們預計這一比例將在2027年增至約八成。

莫哈末·法米·阿里曼先生和葉漢榮先生支援提升年長者就業能力。這是幫助公積金成員在55歲後通過就業繼續積累退休資金的重要策略。高階國務部長許寶琨將詳細介紹我們支援年長工人退休保障的努力。

我們也為低薪工人提供額外支援。今年，我們提升了工作補貼計劃（Workfare Income Supplement Scheme，WIS），將最高年度支付額從4,000新元提高至4,200新元，並擴大覆蓋範圍，使超過50萬低薪工人受益。配合WIS的提升，我們提升低薪工人工資的努力將幫助他們為退休儲蓄更多。高階國務部長扎基稍後將分享更多細節。

對於需要更多退休支援的年長者，公積金支付是多種退休收入來源之一。年長者還可通過政府的定向支援計劃，如社會援助（ComCare）和銀髮支援計劃（Silver Support Scheme，2011年已加強）獲得幫助。[請參閱辯論後續的澄清。]

此外，在2023年預算案中，政府宣佈加強保障方案和永久消費稅券計劃，以幫助新加坡人應對高通脹時期並緩衝消費稅率上調的影響。年長者還可動用其積累的私人儲蓄（如有）。若無，則可通過慈善等社群支援獲得額外幫助。

正如您所見，我們是在強勢基礎上建設。我們正加大力度完善公積金體系。

劉志強先生要求審視公積金普通賬戶（OA）的利率。我們注意到，儘管當前利率環境較高，OA的掛鉤利率保持相對穩定，而其他具有相似風險和期限的市場工具收益率有所上升。

請允許我向議員保證，我們正密切關注利率環境，確保公積金利率掛鉤在當前運營環境中保持相關性，同時考慮長期前景。

下午3時30分

即使我們在研究此事，我也要指出，在過去十年低利率環境中，我們支付了公平的利率。OA的2.5%底線利率在20多年裡超過了掛鉤利率，即使在全球金融危機等市場利率低迷時期亦是如此。

薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生詢問，鑑於2023年市場利率超過4%，我們是否打算調整利率。特別賬戶（SA）利率掛鉤於10年期新加坡政府證券（SGS）12個月平均收益率加1%，並每季度審查。這有助於平滑短期市場利率波動。如果掛鉤利率超過4%的底線利率，成員將相應獲得更高的公積金利息。

此外，政府已並將繼續對成員合併公積金餘額的首60,000新元（包括普通賬戶首20,000新元）支付額外1%的利息。55歲及以上成員在首30,000新元合併餘額上獲得額外2%利息，接下來的30,000新元獲得1%。

劉志強先生還詢問是否可以使公積金投資計劃（CPFIS）更全面，或是否有比CPFIS更直接的方式讓成員獲得更高投資回報。

劉先生去年也提出過類似觀點。事後看來，獲得更高回報似乎容易，但我們曾說過，更高回報伴隨更高風險和更大虧損可能。

目前，公積金成員可投資多樣化產品，包括交易所交易基金（ETF）、股票和黃金產品。偏好無風險的成員，其退休儲蓄享有政府承擔投資風險的最高6%年利率。

我想向劉志強先生保證，除近期對公積金體系的提升外，我們定期審查公積金利率及CPFIS投資產品範圍，確保其符合成員需求及運營環境變化。

我也感謝普里坦·辛格先生在近期預算辯論中提出的建議，即為年輕成員將更多公積金供款分配至特別賬戶（SA）。這一建議曾由陳楚玲女士在2021年公積金（修訂）法案中提出，及薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生在其發言中提及。

我們正在考慮這一想法，並很高興議員們支援。我真誠希望，如果我們最終提出此方案，工人黨（WP）將全力支援。

為幫助中等收入新加坡人增加退休儲蓄，我們將於2026年將公積金月薪上限從6,000新元提高至8,000新元，以跟上薪資增長步伐。此舉將分階段實施，今年先提高300新元，以便僱主和僱員適應變化。年度薪資上限仍維持在102,000新元不變。

支援提高薪資上限的工人例子是法茲裡·賈米爾先生。他38歲，是南洋藝術學院（NAFA）三維設計學院副院長。僅因提高公積金月薪上限，他預計若工作至65歲並屆時開始領取公積金終身支付（CPF LIFE），其合併公積金餘額將增加約10萬新元，月支付額增加約500新元。當然，若他選擇推遲領取，每推遲一年，月支付額將進一步增加最多7%。

由於增幅分四年實施，僱主的經營成本預計仍可控。額外成本約為每年5億新元，因為並非所有工人都受最高2,000新元增幅影響。年度薪資上限保持不變，也限制了對企業成本的影響。

作為“前進新加坡”行動的一部分，我們正深入研究應如何改善新加坡人的退休保障。鑑於全球挑戰帶來的更大經濟不確定性，至少在中期內，這尤為重要。

目前50多歲至60多歲的群體工作和儲蓄時間有限。考慮到這一點，我們將審視公積金體系內外的多種方案，如基於工作的激勵措施和銀髮支援計劃，確保他們有更大保障滿足基本退休需求。

我們也將為年輕及中年工人，以及先鋒和獨立世代的年長者做更多工作，其中許多人已退休。

最終，我們希望加強支援，使您只要工作並持續繳納公積金，就能滿足基本退休需求。我們將在適當時候提供更多關於加強公積金體系的更新。

現在，我結束髮言的第一部分，提前進入茶歇。

我相信，只要我們共同走過這道十字路口，就能協調一致，締造新的社會契約，讓政府、僱主和新加坡同胞攜手改善職業前景、加強退休保障，併為各種工作帶來公平的回報和尊重。這是一個新加坡進步過程中沒有工人被落下的社會。

在您的工作年華，我們將賦能您尋找並邁向新機遇，只要您邁出第一步。我們也將幫助您提升技能、再培訓，並根據您的技能和興趣促進求職。通過改善職業健康，您將能領先技術趨勢，抓住本行業及其他領域的眾多新工作機會。

在您的黃金歲月，我們將支援您，使您若曾工作並持續繳納公積金，能安心享受退休生活。

我期待與您有更多對話，共同創造一個包容且充滿機遇的社會。下一部分發言中，我將分享更多關於保障更好工作場所的內容。[掌聲]

主席：秩序。我建議現在休息。

[（程式文本）於是議長離開委員會主席席，回到議會主席席。]

議長：我宣佈休會，下午4時繼續主持會議。秩序。秩序。

會議於下午3時38分休會，至下午4時繼續。

會議於下午4時繼續。

[議長主持]

[（程式文本）供應委員會辯論繼續。]

[議長主持]

[（程式文本）S項（續）]

下午4時

人力部高階國務部長（扎基·莫哈末）發言：主席先生，早前人力部長闡述了人力部將如何加強提升低薪工人及改善工作場所安全的努力。

我將在發言中詳細說明：（一）三方合作推進漸進工資措施的進展；（二）進一步支援和提升低薪工人的措施；（三）加強工作場所安全與健康的“安全強化期”（HSP）措施。

我還將闡述我們加強人力資源能力以支援企業、勞動力及工作場所轉型的努力。

主席先生，我們通過漸進工資提升低薪工人的三方合作之路始於十多年前，2012年清潔行業首個漸進工資模式（PWM）推出。PWM及其他三方努力已見成效。

去年，低薪工人的實際收入增長4.7%，高於中位數工人的2.0%。這意味著生活成本上升時，低薪工人的收入增長更快。更重要的是，我們正在縮小低薪工人與中位數工人之間的收入差距。我們將繼續努力支援低薪工人，實現更強的工資增長。

2023年是提升低薪工人之路的重要里程碑。我們將在7月全面落實三方低薪工人工作組的所有建議。這繼去年9月及今年3月實施各類PWM、本地合格薪資要求及漸進工資標誌（Progressive Wage Mark）之後。

請允許我彙報三方合作伙伴取得的進展。主席先生，能否請書記員分發一份詳細介紹我們支援低薪工人努力的資料？

主席：請繼續。[一份資料已分發給尊敬的議員們。]

扎基·莫哈末：謝謝主席。議員們也可通過新加坡議會議員手機應用訪問該資料。

去年9月，我們實施了新的本地合格薪資（LQS）要求，所有僱傭外籍工人的公司必須支付本地工人至少LQS水平的薪資。

同時，我們推出了零售行業PWM，並將現有的清潔、安全和園林PWM擴充套件至內部員工。

今年1月，我們啟動了漸進工資標誌認證計劃。

從今天起，我們邁入另一個里程碑。餐飲服務PWM及行政人員和司機的職業漸進工資將生效。

隨著今年7月廢物管理PWM的實施，漸進工資措施將惠及多達九成的全職低薪工人。

受行業漸進工資覆蓋的工人，到2028年累計工資漲幅將達到80%或以上。

PWM將繼續引領低薪工人的工資增長步伐。在勞動力緊張的情況下，未直接涵蓋PWM的低薪工人仍應看到實質性工資增長，因為僱主需根據市場力量調整以吸引和留住員工。

主席先生，隨著幾乎所有PWM的實施，我們現在關注確保僱主理解要求並遵守。

僱主必須根據PWM崗位支付正確的PWM工資。我們認識到PWM要求對許多僱主來說是新事物，僱主需要時間理解並做出必要的人力資源或運營調整以合規。

因此，自去年9月以來實施的新PWM設有六個月的過渡期，我們投入時間教育僱主和工人瞭解要求。過渡期後，發現不合規的僱主可能面臨暫停工作準證特權。

一些議員如拉傑·約書亞·托馬斯先生和莫哈末·法米·阿里曼先生詢問PWM如何影響僱主的人力部署或勞動力重組計劃。

三方合作伙伴認識到，僱主可能需根據運營環境調整人力部署或勞動力結構。但在調整時，僱主應遵循已建立的三方建議，如《管理過剩人力三方建議》（TAMEM）。

僱主應與工會和員工溝通協商，達成協議後再實施措施。最重要的是，僱主應特別注意儘量減少措施對低薪工人的影響。這些原則無論有無PWM都應遵守，這是基本準則。

感謝僱主迄今與政府及勞工運動密切合作，共同提升低薪工人。我也贊同楊婉玲女士和謝耀權先生的觀點，消費者和服務採購者在支援和提升低薪工人的全社會努力中扮演重要角色。

今年1月，政府推出漸進工資標誌（PW Mark），幫助消費者和服務採購者更容易識別支付漸進工資的公司並支援他們。

採用三方標準提升低薪工人福祉的僱主將獲頒漸進工資標誌加（Progressive Wage Mark Plus）。這些僱主不僅支付漸進工資，還實施支援低薪工人的其他措施，如提供休息區。

自去年12月開放申請以來，約有2,000家公司獲得漸進工資標誌。

政府將帶頭推動此舉，促進漸進工資標誌的採用。自今日起，政府新招標將要求合資格供應商及分包商在合同期內獲得漸進工資標誌認證。明年3月1日起，此要求將擴充套件至報價階段，涵蓋政府採購的眾多招標和報價。

提升低薪工人是全社會的共同責任。我強烈鼓勵僱主履行職責，支付漸進工資並申請漸進工資標誌或漸進工資標誌加。

消費者和服務採購者可通過購買獲得漸進工資標誌認證的公司產品，表達對低薪工人的支援和團結。

主席先生，PWM設定了強勁的工資增長目標，平均約每年8%。為支援低薪工人的工資增長，同時平衡僱主面臨的不確定經濟狀況，我們將繼續為僱主調整漸進工資措施提供有力支援。

去年，政府推出了漸進式工資補貼計劃（PWCS），以幫助僱主適應新的漸進式工資和本地合格薪金（LQS）要求，以及其他針對低薪工人的自願加薪措施。

副總理在2023財年預算陳述中宣佈，政府將在2023年提高對今年工資增長的PWCS共同資助比例。與去年提升類似，政府將為符合條件的低薪工人的工資增長共同資助高達75%，包括那些未被漸進式工資措施覆蓋的工人。

總體而言，這些PWCS的提升將抵消僱主因提升低薪工人收入而產生的顯著即時成本壓力，並減輕成本轉嫁給消費者的風險。

我敦促僱主抓住機會，加快業務轉型計劃，以提升生產力，提升工人技能，並確保我們能夠在長期內持續縮小收入差距。

勞工補助計劃是政府支援低薪工人的關鍵支柱之一。勞工技能支援計劃（WSS）是支援低薪工人提升技能、改善就業能力和收入的重要計劃。

根據WSS，僱主派遣低薪工人參加培訓時，可獲得相當於工人基本時薪95%的缺勤工資補貼。

自費參加培訓的員工將獲得培訓津貼，以抵消其培訓的機會成本。

WSS在支援低薪工人實現更有成效的就業成果方面取得了成功。因此，我們將從今年7月起提升WSS。

為了讓更多低薪工人受益於WSS並在職業生涯早期提升技能，我們將首先把WSS的資格年齡從35歲降低至30歲。此外，月收入最高可達2,500新元的工人現在也可符合WSS資格，較之前的2,300新元收入上限有所提高。通過這些提升，將有7萬名更多低薪工人符合WSS資格。

此外，由於通過WSS獲得完整資格的低薪工人更有可能獲得更高工資，我們將把完整資格的培訓承諾獎勵從500新元提高至800新元，以鼓勵更多低薪工人進行更深入和持續的培訓。

去年，政府宣佈對勞工收入補貼計劃（WIS）進行重大提升，自2023年1月起生效。

這些提升通過將勞工補助的適用年齡從之前的35歲及以上延伸至30至34歲，擴大了覆蓋範圍，同時將月收入資格上限從2,300新元提高至2,500新元。

此外，勞工補助的支付金額從之前最高4,000新元提高至最高4,200新元每年，約合每月350新元。所有殘疾人士（PwDs）無論年齡大小，均可獲得最高4,200新元的勞工補助等級。

通過這些提升，超過50萬名低薪工人將受益，支付總額達11億新元，高於之前的8.5億新元。

漸進式工資措施、WSS和WIS共同加強了我們對低薪工人的支援。

主席，接下來談談職場安全與健康（WSH）。Pritam Singh先生和Melvin Yong先生詢問政府減少職場死亡和傷害、以及強化安全運營文化的努力。

2022年，人力部（MOM）推出多項措施應對頻發的職場死亡事件。2022年全年共有46起職場死亡事故，死亡率為每10萬名工人1.3人，高於2019年和2018年疫情前分別為1.1和1.2的水平。

若未實施去年9月啟動的加強安全期（HSP）措施，職場死亡人數本會更高。

2022年1月至8月（HSP前）平均每月死亡人數為4.5人，9月至12月（HSP期間）降至2.5人。2.5人的月均死亡數對應的年化死亡率為每10萬名工人0.8人，低於我們的WSH2028目標1.0，也遠低於HSP前的1.5。這表明只要我們用心，行業能夠保持較低的死亡人數。

我們也密切監控重大傷害，因為它們反映持續的安全漏洞且影響嚴重。重大傷害的月均數從HSP前的49.1人上升至HSP期間的55.3人。

但情況並非全然悲觀，因為我們發現HSP的影響在各行業間不均衡。部分重大傷害極可能致死，而另一些如滑倒、絆倒等重大傷害致死機率較低。

建築業的月均死亡和重大傷害改善最明顯，但製造業的月均死亡和重大傷害則有所惡化。建築業死亡率下降也導致死亡人數減少，因為該行業的重大傷害更易致死。運輸和倉儲業的月均死亡人數保持不變，但重大傷害惡化。由此可見，需要更有針對性的行業措施。

針對議員們關於我們採取何種不同措施的問題，作為HSP措施的一部分，我們成立了多機構職場安全工作組，成員包括導致大部分死亡和重大傷害的行業主管機構。該工作組旨在研究應實施的額外廣泛及行業特定措施，分析各行業不同的風險特徵和HSP影響。

下午4時15分

我們還於2023年1月召集了國際職場安全與健康諮詢小組。人力部及行業合作伙伴將採納其建議。因此，人力部在廣泛層面推動工作，同時各機構在行業層面參與。

自今日起，人力部將HSP延長三個月至2023年5月31日，以推動進一步的WSH改善並保持警惕。

企業高層領導須承擔起職場安全與健康的責任。他們對職場資源和優先事項的影響力推動組織的安全文化。根據《職場安全與健康法》，他們有責任確保工人的安全與健康。

去年10月公佈的《公司董事職場安全與健康職責守則》為他們如何履行法律義務提供了實用指導。

作為HSP延長的一部分，人力部引入額外措施加強公司領導的WSH責任感。因嚴重職場事故被發現存在嚴重WSH疏漏的公司CEO或董事會成員，必須參加半天的強制性面對面WSH培訓課程。這也是他們持續學習的一部分。

人力部還將提高最高罰款額度，以遏制違規的職場安全與健康行為。

為加強職場安全與健康生態系統，我們將發起一項運動，鼓勵並賦權工人就職場安全與健康問題發聲，並提高對舉報者保護的認識。

針對Leon Perera先生早前關於舉報的提問，現行《職場安全與健康法》已有舉報者保護措施。僱主不得解僱或威脅舉報者。若解僱舉報者，將構成WSH違規，我們將採取行動。

我向議員保證，如有理由，人力部將協助工人更換僱主，若您有具體案例，歡迎向我們反映。

針對Melvin Yong先生的提問，HSP是對所有僱主和工人的有益警醒，提醒大家提高警惕。但該措施不能無限期持續。我們需要以可持續方式加強職場安全與健康標準和實踐。

因此，作為多機構職場安全工作組的一部分，我們正在考慮更深入的改革，包括廣泛和行業特定措施。相關措施準備好後將予以公佈。

HSP期間的改善表明，打造更安全的工作場所是可能的。

正如Christopher de Souza先生和Wan Rizal博士所說，每個人都必須發揮作用，提升職場安全與健康，讓工人安心回家與親人團聚。

從高層管理開始，公司董事和CEO必須營造安全意識融入所有運營的組織文化，提供安全的工作環境和適當充分的培訓，並由主管和安全專業人員支援。

工人本人也應遵守安全工作程式，確保自身及他人安全。他們應向主管報告所有不安全行為，若問題未獲解決，應向人力部或工會代表反映。我們將採取行動。

工會領導應與公司管理層一同巡查，加強高層對工人的承諾。

公眾也可成為我們的“地面之眼”，通過人力部網站、熱線或專案告示牌上的二維碼舉報不安全行為。例如，舉報未佩戴安全帶的高空作業工人。人力部將跟進舉報，嚴懲違規僱主。

人力部將繼續與企業、行業協會和工人合作，建設更強的職場安全與健康文化。我們共同努力，實現《職場安全與健康2028》使命，將致命傷害率降至每10萬名工人低於1人，加入僅有四個達到此死亡率的經合組織國家行列。我之所以稱其為目標，是因為極少國家能達成，我們為自己設定了極高標準。

除了職場安全，促進職場身體健康也很重要。

Leon Perera先生詢問服務人員是否有坐下的權利。《僱傭法》對工作時間設有規定以保護員工福祉。例如，受該法第4部分保護的員工，每連續工作六小時應至少有一次休息。

除立法外，政府也推動為員工提供適當休息區。我們考慮到工作環境多樣，過度或過於嚴格的規定不適宜強制執行。儘管如此，我們願與三方夥伴及行業協會討論可能的三方指導，推廣僱主最佳實踐。

我們鼓勵所有僱主為包括服務人員在內的員工提供充足的休息和福利，若需要支援可申請工作關懷補助。為員工提供良好工作環境是僱主的責任，也能激勵員工積極投入工作。

談及人力資源能力，主席，請允許我分享我們加強人力資源能力的努力。

疫情後，強大的人力資源是業務和勞動力轉型的關鍵推動力。從幫助企業吸引合適人才到實施公平包容的就業實踐，人力資源將發揮重要作用。我們將加大支援力度，提升人力資源隊伍能力。

人力資源專業認證機構（IHRP）是一個三方組織，支援有志及現有人力資源專業人士的發展。我向Patrick Tay先生保證，IHRP認證框架嚴謹，確保人力資源專業人士具備正確心態及對人力法規的知識，包括公平就業實踐、勞資管理體系及現有三方指導。

所有認證人力資源專業人士均加入一個充滿活力的社群，獲得廣泛的專業網路和資源。例如，IHRP手冊由資深人力資源專家編寫，向社群提供精選的最佳實踐和工具，幫助組織應對勞動力挑戰。

迄今，IHRP已出版七本此類手冊，涵蓋混合辦公興起、數字化轉型及心理健康促進等重要議題。我們鼓勵企業及人力資源領導採納。

自2020年以來，IHRP認證專業人士數量已增長三倍，現超過6,500人，顯示企業和人力資源專業人士認可認證價值。

雖然我們贊同Patrick Tay先生呼籲更多人力資源專業人士獲得認證，但目前無計劃強制執行，考慮到對企業的監管成本。此外，良好的人力資源實踐適用於所有公司，無論是否僱傭外籍勞工。

不過，我同意議員觀點，除了人力資源專業人士，人員經理也在支援良好人力資本實踐中扮演關鍵角色。為此，人力部將與IHRP及其合作伙伴合作，探討如何更好地裝備人員經理，提升其人力資源知識和先進實踐。

除了IHRP認證，我們同意Edward Chia先生的看法，人力資源專業人士需持續更新技能，提升專業水平。持續專業發展是認證人力資源專業人士的重要組成部分。人力資源專業人士可獲得IHRP技能徽章，涵蓋戰略勞動力規劃和人才管理等新興領域。

IHRP已被新加坡技能未來署任命為技能發展夥伴（SDP）。人力部正與IHRP合作，更靈敏地識別技能差距，開發基於技能的認證路徑。

專業化人力資源隊伍並賦予其相關技能和心態是必要但不足的。企業必須利用這些高技能人力資源專業人士，推動人力資源能力轉型。

為此，Edward Chia先生會高興得知，人力部將推出為期五年的人力資源行業轉型計劃。該計劃將制定路線圖，促使人力部與行業機構、行業和工會合作，推動人力資源轉型，打造未來適應型人力資源隊伍。更多細節稍後公佈，敬請關注。主席，請允許我用馬來語簡短結束。

（馬來語）：[請參閱本地語言發言。] 主席，正如人力部長所述，政府致力於確保我們的勞動力政策為所有人提供更多機會。

幫助低薪工人一直是人力部的重點。自十多年前推出漸進式工資模式（PWM）以來，它在提高工資和支援低薪工人生活方面發揮了重要作用。

到今年7月，我們將擴大漸進式工資措施，覆蓋多達九成低薪工人。這不僅涵蓋清潔、安全、園林以及電梯和扶梯維護工人，還包括食品服務、零售、廢物管理等新行業，以及行政人員和司機等職業。

這些行業的工人將享有顯著的工資增長，並獲得培訓機會及職業晉升。

通過這些措施，受行業漸進式工資覆蓋的工人到2028年累計工資將增長高達80%或更多。例如，預計清潔工到2028年最低工資將達到2,420新元，保安人員將達到3,530新元。

所有與僱傭外籍勞工的公司合作的本地工人，月薪也將至少達到本地合格薪金（LQS）1,400新元。

總體而言，這些措施將支援我們進一步縮小低薪與中等收入工人之間的工資差距。同時，工人也必須積極參與培訓和技能提升。

（英語）：主席，政府致力於加強對低薪工人的支援，並與僱主合作改善職場安全。

我們必須共同努力，建設更具包容性和凝聚力的社會，讓每個人共享發展成果，確保新加坡進步過程中沒有工人被落下。社會也應繼續尊重和珍視各行各業的工人。

主席：人力部高階國務部長許寶琨。

人力部高階國務部長（許寶琨博士）：主席，在當前充滿挑戰的經濟環境下，年長工人和平臺工人需要更強的住房和退休保障網，以及更好的生計保護。

自僱人士（SEP）在本地勞動力中的比例保持在約8%至10%。然而，隨著平臺經濟的發展，平臺工人成為快速增長的SEP群體。

包括Hazel Poa女士、梁榮華先生、Saktiandi Supaat先生和Yeo Wan Ling女士在內的多位議員強調需降低平臺工人在工作中面臨的風險，並提出如何更好支援他們的建議。

政府確實認識到平臺工作的不穩定性。與典型自僱人士不同，平臺工人受平臺公司的管理控制，且收入通常較為有限。

因此，政府去年11月全面接受了平臺工人諮詢委員會的建議。平臺工人的公積金特別賬戶和普通賬戶繳納、公平代表權以及工傷賠償將於2024年下半年開始實施。

其他國家也在尋找保護平臺工作者的方法。西班牙政府於2022年通過了騎手法案，承認為數字平臺工作的食品配送騎手為僱員。美國勞工部提出了一項規則，旨在使平臺工作者更容易被視為僱員，享有同等的福利和聯邦勞動保護。雖然英國沒有專門針對平臺工作者的立法，但其法院通過判例法方式裁定了平臺工作者的身份。

下午4點30分

在新加坡，我們沒有簡單地將平臺工作者指定為僱員，也沒有將此政策問題交由法院決定，而是採取了經過深思熟慮的三方合作方法，為我們的平臺工作者提供三個具體立法保護領域。

在為期一年多的廣泛諮詢過程中，諮詢委員會與平臺工作者和平臺公司進行了深入交流，雙方強調平臺工作的靈活性是生態系統的關鍵特徵，應予以保留。

平臺工作者希望擁有選擇工作時間和工作量的靈活性。平臺公司需要靈活高效地匹配勞動力供需以滿足消費者需求。簡單地將平臺工作者指定為僱員會限制公司和工作者都渴望的這種靈活性和自主權。

我們的做法是在加強平臺工作者保護的同時，保留平臺工作的優勢，使平臺系統能夠在長期內保持可持續發展。

這就是我們獨特的三方合作方法。自政府接受建議以來，我們與三方合作伙伴、平臺工作者和平臺公司等主要利益相關者一道，在複雜問題上取得了良好進展。讓我分享一些最新情況。

我們成立了新的平臺工作者工傷賠償實施網路（PWIN），研究如何調整現有的員工工傷賠償制度，使其適用於平臺工作者，確保他們享有充分保障和快速理賠，同時考慮平臺工作的獨特性質。

Poa Hazel女士和Yeo Wan Ling女士談到了需要解決平臺工作者住房和退休需求的關切。

原則上，年齡和收入水平與員工相同的平臺註冊工作者，如果工作年限相同，應能通過公積金儲蓄實現類似的退休保障水平。然而，與員工不同的是，平臺工作者目前僅自行繳納醫療儲蓄（MediSave）部分，並未獲得平臺公司的公積金繳納。

因此，委員會建議將平臺公司和平臺工作者的公積金繳納比例分別與僱主和員工保持一致。這將幫助平臺工作者在公積金普通賬戶和特別賬戶中積累儲蓄，除了醫療儲蓄賬戶之外。同時，這也確保了在新加坡同一領域運營的所有公司處於公平競爭環境，並使平臺工作者獲得與員工類似的基本保護。

這一調整將從2024年下半年開始逐步實施。實施當年30歲以下的平臺註冊工作者，即1995年及以後出生者，將被強制納入。

事實上，政策研究所（IPS）的一項研究發現，年輕平臺工作者更傾向於額外的公積金繳納，以滿足他們的住房需求，因為他們更可能承擔住房義務或計劃購房。

IPS去年調研的一位平臺工作者Hamza表示，他剛轉為私家車司機時不得不支付一大筆現金購房，這讓他措手不及。他認為如果工作提供公積金繳納，這種擔憂會小得多。

一旦委員會關於公積金的建議實施，像Hamza這樣的平臺工作者將能利用額外繳入普通賬戶的公積金支付住房貸款，而不必動用現金。我們希望這能緩解許多年輕平臺工作者在償還住房貸款時的壓力。

1995年以前出生的年長平臺工作者可以選擇加入公積金繳納。針對Poa Hazel女士的問題，選擇加入後不可撤銷。平臺工作者目前享有選擇加入公積金的特權，這是員工所沒有的。堅持繳納公積金並讓收益隨時間累積利息，將幫助他們實現住房和退休保障。

此外，與平臺公司討論時，如果允許平臺工作者在選擇加入後再退出，將增加合規復雜性和成本。這是我們與這些公司實施討論中得到的反饋。

我們強烈建議年長平臺工作者選擇加入，因為他們同樣可以通過平臺公司的額外繳納積累退休資金。

事實上，藉助平臺公司的額外公積金繳納，65歲以上的平臺註冊工作者將能獲得與同齡員工相同水平的公積金繳納，而無需自行繳納額外公積金。與員工一樣，月收入在50至500新元之間的平臺註冊工作者也能獲得平臺公司的公積金繳納，而無需自行繳納。

公司、工作者和消費者在交流中都認可需要加強對平臺工作者的保護，但對這些建議的成本影響表示擔憂。Poa Hazel女士會高興地知道，政府計劃在五年內均勻分階段增加公積金繳納，平臺工作者每年約增加2.5個百分點，平臺公司每年約增加3.5個百分點。

這將有助於緩解他們的擔憂，平穩過渡。如有必要，我們將進一步調整。

考慮到平臺公司額外繳納的公積金，平臺工作者的總收入可能會增加。但我知道一些平臺工作者擔心公積金變化對實際收入的影響。因此，我們將為月收入不超過2500新元、繳納比例提高的低收入平臺工作者提供過渡支援，正如副總理在預算案中宣佈的。

我希望這能回應Poa Hazel女士、梁榮華先生、Saktiandi Supaat先生和Yeo Wan Ling女士的關切。

此外，提前將公積金繳納與員工對齊的平臺註冊工作者將獲得更強支援。第一年，我們將抵銷平臺工作者繳入普通賬戶和特別賬戶的額外繳納的75%。抵銷比例將在接下來的三年逐步減少，直至完成公積金繳納的分階段實施。

針對梁榮華先生呼籲政府支援平臺工作者再就業和技能提升，我想向他保證，無論平臺註冊工作者選擇在平臺工作多久，我們都會通過職業轉換計劃（CCP）為希望轉行的工作者提供薪資和培訓支援，同時通過就業與技能中心提供職業輔導和建議，正如部長在演講中提到的。

一旦平臺註冊工作者的公積金繳納比例完全與員工對齊，我們還將永久提高他們的工作補貼（Workfare）支付，達到員工水平。這意味著符合條件的平臺工作者每年可獲得最高4200新元，較目前的2800新元有所增加，其中40%以現金形式發放，而目前僅為10%。

他們的工作補貼增加將全部以現金形式發放。

從2024年下半年起，所有符合工作補貼資格的平臺工作者將開始按月而非按年領取工作補貼。屆時，由於平臺工作者的公積金繳納將更為頻繁，而非目前每年申報淨貿易收入並繳納醫療儲蓄後才領取工作補貼，我們將能夠實現更頻繁的工作補貼發放。

因此，隨著繳納頻率的提高，我們也將建立機制更頻繁地發放工作補貼。

上述措施將緩解實際收入的擔憂，同時確保平臺工作者的退休儲蓄顯著增加。以2024年滿30歲的中位收入平臺註冊工作者為例，若從一開始選擇加入公積金繳納，預計到65歲時可積累約45萬新元的公積金儲蓄，用於住房和退休需求。

在與平臺工作者交流時，他們還提出了平臺公司可能歧視選擇繳納公積金者，分配較少工作的問題，這也是一些議員提出的觀點。

三方工作場所公平委員會在其最新發布的中期報告中建議，增強三方公平就業守則（TGFEP），明確中介機構包括平臺公司應公平對待所有工人，包括合同工如平臺工作者。

這意味著平臺公司不得在分配工作時歧視，勞工部將調查任何不公平行為。我們希望向所有有此擔憂的工作者提供這一保障。

雖然歧視對收入的影響是許多平臺工作者關注的重點，但在交流中，他們也提出了工作條件、收入、安全和與客戶及時解決爭議等問題。

許多平臺工作者普遍感到他們的反饋和關切未得到應有的重視。

解決這些問題需要平臺工作者與平臺公司之間的平衡關係。應為平臺工作者提供明確的代表聲音，以表達他們的關切，維護平臺生態系統內的工業和平與和諧。

這種關係必須基於新加坡獨特的三方合作模式，鼓勵協商、開放溝通和調解。平臺工作者能夠自我代表併為自身利益談判至關重要，尤其是在行業持續發展和商業模式不斷變化的背景下。

例如，在英國和西班牙，工會已與平臺公司簽訂集體協議，就收入、申訴處理和安全等工作條件進行談判。在新加坡，目前有代表平臺工作者的協會，但它們未被正式納入我們的勞資關係框架，因此缺乏代表權。

雖然其他司法管轄區允許平臺工作者以與員工相同方式組建工會，但我們認識到平臺行業與傳統僱傭行業不同。例如，平臺工作者通常在多個應用平臺同時工作，且地理分佈廣泛，工作時間和接單時間較為短暫和流動，這影響了他們的組織方式和代表的選舉。

平臺經濟也極具動態性，商業模式可能迅速演變，這影響雙方可談判的內容。

因此，代表框架必須適應平臺行業的需求和特點。一個由三方合作伙伴、平臺公司代表及現有平臺工作者協會組成的三方工作組（TWG）正在討論如何通過法律支援的框架，正式授權代表機構集體代表平臺工作者。

這一三方結構是有意為之。TWG旨在為三方合作伙伴共同制定框架提供渠道。通過這一過程，他們不僅共同擁有最終框架，更重要的是建立相互信任。這是促進平臺領域和諧勞資關係的基礎，也是新加坡勞工環境的核心優勢。我們需要在平臺生態系統中培養同樣的三方合作精神。

討論進展順利，三方合作伙伴遵循三項核心原則。

第一，利益相關者同意維護三方合作精神，這一精神已為企業和工人帶來良好成果，也能幫助平臺行業可持續發展，惠及平臺公司和平臺工作者。

第二，利益相關者認識到，雖然現有的僱傭領域代表框架運作良好且具有參考價值，但平臺領域不同，代表模式需相應調整。

第三，利益相關者同意代表框架應足夠靈活，使平臺工作者和平臺公司的個別代表擁有最大空間進行談判，尋求對各方公平的雙贏結果。良好的判斷力和善意是實現這一目標的關鍵。TWG完成工作後，我們將提供進一步更新。

主席先生，加強平臺工作者保護需要全社會共同努力。這些果斷舉措對於建設更具包容性的社會至關重要。每個人都有責任維護平臺工作者的利益，使他們更好地應對未來經濟不確定性。

下午4點45分

平臺工作者需為其公積金繳納部分儲蓄。平臺公司則為其提供勞動力而繳納公積金。作為消費者的新加坡人願意承擔平臺服務成本的部分增加，因他們知道這將有助於提升平臺工作者的保護。

政府將在未來幾年分階段實施建議，並提供過渡支援，以減輕對平臺生態系統和消費者的影響。這是我們構建社會契約、促進更具包容性社會的方式。

正如Denise Phua女士和Saktiandi Supaat先生指出的，還有其他自僱人士（SEPs）擁有更大業務自主權，不受平臺工作者類似的管理控制，但他們在工作過程中也面臨獨特挑戰。

我們將繼續審視是否需要超越鼓勵SEPs自願繳納公積金的措施，綜合考慮SEPs的需求和挑戰及其工作安排的性質和背景。

作為需求多樣的群體，對SEPs的支援通常根據其所在行業的需求量身定製。

針對Denise Phua女士關於藝術和體育自僱人士支援的提問，文化、社區及青年部（MCCY）將在其供應委員會辯論中分享更多支援專業需求的舉措。

接下來，我想聚焦支援成熟工作者的努力。隨著健康狀況和預期壽命的改善，越來越多的長者能夠繼續從事生產性就業，支援自身退休生活。

因此，過去幾年我們建立了支援願意延長工作時間的長者的結構和政策，幫助他們實現更強的退休保障。

通過這些努力，我們的長者居民就業率保持健康，甚至在過去幾年疫情帶來的經濟動盪中有所提升。2019年至2022年間，55至64歲長者的就業率從67.6%升至70.6%，65至69歲長者的就業率從44.6%升至47.5%。這分別在經合組織國家中排名第11和第4，且與韓國等亞洲國家相當。

我們將抓住這一勢頭，繼續加強對願意繼續工作的長者的支援。

主席先生，請允許我用普通話繼續我的發言。

（普通話）：[請參閱方言發言。]葉漢榮先生詢問政府如何確保我們的長者工作者能夠繼續為經濟做貢獻。

多年來，我們制定了政策，支援長者工作者如願延長工作時間，並逐步增強退休保障。

因此，儘管近期經濟動盪，我們的長者居民就業率依然保持健康並有所提升。

我們將繼續加強對長者工作者的支援。

今年，我們將法定退休年齡和再就業年齡分別提高至63歲和68歲，支援長者工作者如願延長工作時間。

我們還將把高階就業補貼（SEC）延長至2025年，以支援僱傭年長員工的僱主。根據SEC，僱傭年齡在60歲及以上且月薪不超過4,000新元的新加坡籍員工的僱主，可獲得最高8%的工資抵扣。這些工資抵扣將自動發放給符合條件的僱主。

針對朱德明先生的問題，我很高興宣佈兼職再就業補助金（PTRG）將延長至2025年。該補助金將增加參與企業中年長員工兼職再就業的機會。

為了獲得最高12.5萬新元的補助支援，僱主必須提供兼職再就業崗位，在工作場所實施靈活工作安排（FWA），併為45歲及以上的成熟及年長員工採用結構化職業規劃。

這將幫助更多年長員工繼續就業，發展與公司共同成長所需的技能，並延長其職業壽命。

年長員工自身也在這一過程中發揮關鍵作用。我鼓勵他們積極開放地擁抱新機遇，準備提升技能並在新崗位出現時靈活轉型。

（英文發言）：我要感謝朱德明先生、王志豪先生、梁榮華先生和沙拉爾·塔哈先生對這些惠及年長員工努力的支援。

陳潔儀女士也詢問了有多少企業同時採用了這兩項計劃，以及這些年長員工所擔任的職位。

自引入以來，高階就業補貼（SEC）已惠及近10萬名僱主，這些僱主共僱傭了超過46.1萬名年長員工。同時，超過5,700名僱主成功申請了兼職再就業補助金（PTRG），並承諾實施漸進式年長員工就業政策，預計將惠及超過4.5萬名年長員工。

來自批發零售貿易、住宿和餐飲服務活動以及製造業等多個行業的僱主均受益於這兩項計劃。這些僱主提供了多樣的職位。

萊斯利·巴西爾·丹克先生是我們的一位年長員工，他在著名的新加坡萊佛士酒店工作了51年。他是兼職再就業補助金的受益者。自1972年從維護部門開始，丹克先生擔任過各種活動管理和監督職責。如今，他是萊佛士酒店的導師兼駐店歷史學家，兼職工作。這種安排使他能夠逐步減少工作時間，更多陪伴家人，同時通過導覽向賓客分享酒店豐富的歷史。也許你們中的一些人有機會參加他的導覽。

他對酒店歷史的深入瞭解在2017年至2019年酒店重大修復過程中發揮了重要作用，他與工程師、建築師和室內設計師密切合作完成了翻新工程。

這是兼職再就業補助金如何惠及年長員工和僱主的一個極佳例子。

兼職再就業補助金的申請將於下個月四月重新開放。我希望僱主能利用這些計劃提供的資源，推行漸進式做法。

我們的三方夥伴也一直與企業合作，提升年長員工的就業能力。新加坡全國僱主聯合會（SNEF）推出了指導手冊，幫助僱主開展結構化職業規劃，職工總會（NTUC）則通過公司培訓委員會（CTCs）協助僱主採用結構化職業規劃。

結構化職業規劃為僱主提供了一個主動規劃未來業務需求的流程，識別年長員工需要發展的技能以與公司共同成長，並支援他們獲取這些技能。這不僅保護了年長員工的就業能力，延長了他們的職業壽命，也幫助僱主在勞動力緊張的市場中留住經驗豐富的員工。

正如阿卜杜勒·薩馬德先生、王志豪先生和莫哈末·法米·阿里曼先生指出的，退休保障是我們支援年長員工的另一個關鍵領域。

正如黃循財副總理在預算案中宣佈的，我們致力於提高年長員工的公積金繳納率。

我們已根據三方工作組（TWG-OW）的建議，於2022年和2023年提高了年長員工的公積金繳納率，並將在2024年繼續提高，以加強他們的退休保障。至此，我們將完成對65至70歲員工公積金繳納率的既定提升計劃。對於55至65歲員工，我們將繼續推進。

阿卜杜勒·薩馬德先生會高興地聽到，到2030年左右完成全部提升時，55至60歲員工的公積金繳納率將與年輕員工持平。現年55歲的會員預計其每月退休金將提高約10%。

我們還將繼續通過公積金過渡抵扣支援僱主。

我要感謝我們的三方夥伴對這一重要舉措的支援和共識。這些建議對於繼續工作的年長員工以更有信心進入退休生活至關重要。

主席先生，我們已採取措施提升平臺工作者和年長員工的待遇。我們需要與利益相關者緊密合作，落實我所分享的各項舉措，並依靠新加坡同胞的支援，共同營造一個包容且更強大的勞動力市場，確保無人被落下。正如工會的姐妹兄弟們所說——每一位員工都很重要。

主席：人力部國務部長顏曉芳。

人力部國務部長（顏曉芳女士）：主席先生，感謝各位議員提出關於保障更公平、更包容工作場所的寶貴意見。

陳振聲部長談到將與大家一路同行。一個更公平、更進步的工作場所使每個人無論背景如何，都能根據自身優勢和興趣貢獻力量，實現最大潛能。

[副議長（克里斯托弗·德索薩先生）主持]

我將分享更多關於我們如何繼續與大家同行的計劃。

疫情改變了我們的工作方式。靈活工作安排（FWA）變得更加普遍和重要。僱主越來越認識到FWA在吸引和留住人才、拓寬人力資源池方面的價值。

疫情期間的重點是遠端辦公，但FWA不僅限於遠端辦公，還包括兼職工作、錯峰工作時間、工作共享、靈活排班等多種工作安排。

2021年，超過九成員工在提供至少一種持續性FWA的公司工作，高於2019年超過七成的水平。這是令人鼓舞的。

正如朱德明先生、黃振龍先生、王慧玲小姐、沙拉爾·塔哈先生和楊婉玲女士等多位議員指出的，我們可以做更多工作支援照顧者、年長者和殘疾人士（PwDs）繼續工作或重新進入職場。FWA是實現這一目標的關鍵策略。

我們已取得良好進展，將繼續與三方夥伴合作，以雙贏方式鼓勵更多FWA的採用。

企業運營環境各異，員工需求也多樣。關鍵是管理層與員工之間要定期對話，更好理解彼此需求，建立互信。在僱主尚未準備好之前，僵硬地推行FWA可能導致職場文化緊張，影響生產力，最終損害僱主和員工利益。

雖然我們理解蔡志強先生和黃振龍先生的良好意圖，但立法並非萬能良方。

在有FWA立法的司法管轄區，僱主仍可拒絕不切實際的申請。英國作為最早實施FWA申請權利立法的國家之一，使用FWA的員工比例僅從2013年的26%略增至2020年的30%。

我們首先需要塑造正確的職場規範，增進僱主與員工之間對FWA的相互理解。

如先前宣佈，三方夥伴正緊密合作，計劃於2024年制定並推出《三方靈活工作安排指南》。該指南將要求僱主公平合理地考慮FWA申請。

針對嚴傑拉爾先生的問題，僱主有權接受或拒絕FWA申請，但必須有合理理由。同時，員工應合理提出申請，負責任地使用FWA。

例如，某些FWA形式對某些崗位不切實際，如期望機器維護崗位完全遠端辦公。某些FWA可能涉及重大資源投入，僱主在評估申請時理應考慮這些因素。

我們還必須區分FWA對個人和團隊生產力的影響。

例如，部分員工可能覺得遠端辦公更高效，想更頻繁在家工作，但團隊生產力可能因面對面互動和協作減少而下降。因此，我們需給予僱主和員工時間調整，尋找個人與企業層面實施FWA的最佳平衡。

下午5點整

我們希望看到的職場規範是，員工能舒適地提出FWA申請，並理解因業務需求並非所有申請都能獲批，但申請會被公正合理地評估。三方夥伴將在制定《三方指南》時深入討論這些問題，並廣泛徵求意見，確保指南實用且平衡，兼顧企業和員工需求。

除了塑造規範，我們還與三方夥伴合作，加強對僱主實施FWA的支援。多位議員多年來呼籲此舉，包括楊婉玲女士、葉漢榮先生、蔡志強先生、黃振龍先生、王慧玲小姐、沙拉爾·塔哈先生和萬瑞扎爾博士等。調查顯示，FWA在各類漸進職場政策中對員工留任影響最大，僱主有動力推廣FWA。

我鼓勵提供FWA的僱主採納自願性的《三方靈活工作安排標準》，並在新加坡人力部的MyCareersFuture入口網站（MCF）及招聘會中被認可為進步僱主，以更好吸引求職者。

去年，採用《三方標準》的公司員工人數增長了18%。目前，超過29%的員工在採納該標準的公司工作。

星巴克是一個進步僱主的例子，許多人都熟悉。星巴克新加坡為一線員工提供多樣FWA，包括兼職、彈性班次和班次調換。他們為有特殊需求的員工提供額外支援，如允許父母轉為兼職以陪伴子女或新生兒，或照顧有特殊需求的家屬。辦公室員工在可能的情況下可遠端辦公。對不同崗位員工的靈活支援促成了星巴克員工低流失率，且五分之四的管理崗位由內部人才擔任。

我要感謝我們的三方夥伴——新加坡全國僱主聯合會（SNEF）和職工總會（NTUC）——在推廣職場FWA方面的堅定承諾。

僅去年，三方夥伴就與約2,000名僱主、人力資源從業者和員工接觸，鼓勵採納《三方靈活工作安排標準》和實施靈活工作。這些通過SNEF的培訓活動和NTUC的“更好職場運動”進行。我們也看到更多僱主利用各種資源，如人力資源專業認證機構（IHRP）的混合辦公手冊和免費診所，以及職場公平促進局（TAFEP）提供的行業指南。我們將繼續開發更多資源，指導僱主遵守即將出臺的指南。

沙拉爾·塔哈先生會高興得知，2022年，超過三成受僱居民在調查當月曾遠端辦公。過去兩年，TAFEP未收到任何關於遠端辦公不公平待遇的投訴。

然而，隨著更多人採用FWA，確保人力資源從業者具備公平實施能力將愈發重要。我們將持續加強相關工作，推動職場FWA。如果執行得當，我們能為照顧者營造更友好的家庭工作環境，許多人認為這比立法父母照顧假更可持續，正如黃振龍先生所建議。

楊文興先生提出的下班後溝通問題，是人力資源能力在政策實施中確保靈活工作適當採用的另一個例子。

迄今已有超過500名公司代表參加了SNEF的研討會和簡報，幫助人力資源部門實施該政策，該政策源自工作生活和諧行動聯盟制定的模板。

自2020年推出《職場心理健康三方建議》以來，人力部和職場安全與健康理事會鼓勵企業採納最適合自身需求的建議。正如之前所述，諸如休息權和斷聯權等立法可能導致僵硬和訴訟頻發的職場文化。相反，我們應採取支援性方法，鼓勵僱主定期與員工溝通，實施最適合企業和個人需求的公司政策。

我們贊同朱德明先生、沙拉爾·塔哈先生和楊婉玲女士的觀點，崗位重設計對推動職場FWA至關重要。需要進一步支援進行崗位重設計以提升崗位生產力和吸引力的企業，可利用政府計劃，如生產力解決方案補助中的崗位重設計支援。

女性尤其受益於FWA，因為她們通常承擔更多家庭照顧責任。也有女性可能中斷職業生涯，需要更多支援重返職場。因此，勞動力新加坡（WSG）於去年六月推出了名為herCareer的計劃。herCareer包括支援女性求職者的就業促進專案和服務，包括現場面試機會。過去三年，WSG和職工總會就業與就業能力學院（e2i）通過其專案和服務安置了超過83,000名女性求職者。

社群夥伴也在支援女性就業方面發揮重要作用。例如，新加坡工商聯合會於2021年成立了新加坡女性企業家網路，培養和支援女性人才。同年，新加坡婦女組織理事會（SCWO）推出了女性董事導師計劃，幫助女性實現職業發展目標。職工總會U Women and Family在全島推廣“女性支援女性”導師計劃，社群女性由女性領導和工會領導指導。職工總會U Women and Family、職工總會學習中心和e2i還啟動了“女性重返職場”專案，提供培訓和崗位匹配機會。同時，WSG與其他社群夥伴合作支援女性重返職場，包括馬登基金會（Yayasan Mendaki）和明天女兒（Daughters of Tomorrow）。

這些集體努力推動了25至64歲女性就業率的增長，從2020年的73%提升至2022年的76%，儘管疫情影響仍然顯著。我們將繼續與夥伴合作，為女性提供所需支援，並鼓勵僱主繼續發揮作用。

我們認識到某些群體可能需要更多支援以充分發揮職場潛力，如殘疾人士（PwDs）和前罪犯。我們致力於與夥伴攜手，為他們提供所需支援。

令人鼓舞的是，居民殘疾人士的就業率持續提升，2021至2022年達到31.4%。但作為社會，我們仍有提升空間。王慧玲小姐詢問如何提高殘疾人士的勞動力參與率，沙拉爾·塔哈先生詢問如何創造更多就業機會。最新發布的《賦能藍圖2030》中，社會及家庭發展部（MSF）和人力部設定了2030年殘疾人士就業率達到40%的目標。

全社會需共同努力實現這一宏偉目標。根據《賦能藍圖2030》，已成立由公眾及公私部門成員組成的新工作組，開發支援殘疾人士就業的新方法。

人力部將加強賦能就業補貼（EEC）。目前，EEC為月薪低於4,000新元的殘疾員工僱主提供最高20%的永久工資抵扣。僱傭未就業至少六個月的殘疾員工的僱主，還可獲得額外最高10%、為期六個月的臨時工資抵扣。2022年，EEC惠及超過10,000名殘疾人士，其中近2,000名為未就業至少六個月者。

我很高興宣佈，政府將通過將額外工資抵免的支援水平從10%提高到20%，並將支援期限從六個月延長至九個月，來加強額外工資抵免。

加上永久工資抵免，僱主在聘用至少六個月未工作的殘疾人士（PwD）時，前九個月可獲得最高40%的工資抵免，之後可獲得20%的工資抵免。這意味著在第一整年就業期間，最高可獲得8,400新元的工資抵免。

這一增強措施是在政府另外提供的補助之外，這些補助為僱主提供支援，以改善工作場所、重新設計崗位或根據需要提供培訓。

Vivian Ser女士是一位妻子和母親，在EEC和SG Enable的支援下，作為廚師在諾富特酒店工作。諾富特的人力資源團隊在她入職過程中與Ser女士的工作和行動輔導員密切合作。由於Ser女士視力受損，她承擔廚房中不涉及加熱的部分工作，如真空封裝和擺盤。諾富特還實施了簡單的工作場所便利措施，如帶語音功能的秤和觸覺貼紙，幫助她安全地導航環境。

家庭支援同樣關鍵。Ser女士的丈夫和兒子是她最大的支持者，也在交通安排等方面提供實際幫助。在家人、僱主、同事和輔導員的支援下，Ser女士最近慶祝了她在諾富特工作滿一週年。

從Ser女士的故事可以看出，全面的支援對幫助殘疾人士進入並留在就業崗位上起到了積極作用。Gerald Giam先生詢問如何解決與殘疾相關的歧視問題。

我們都可以採取的第一步是避免刻板印象，認識到每個人都有技能和經驗，可以為我們的工作團隊貢獻力量。展望未來，勞資三方工作場所公平委員會建議擬議中的《工作場所公平法》保護殘疾人士免受職場歧視。

Rachel Ong小姐也詢問了殘疾人士及其照顧者的退休保障問題。符合條件的低收入工人，包括殘疾人士及其照顧者，可獲得工作收入補貼（WIS），通過現金支付和公積金繳款提升他們的收入和退休儲蓄。自2023年1月起，我們進一步加強了工作收入補貼，允許所有符合條件的殘疾人士無論年齡大小均可獲得最高支付等級，最高可達每年4,200新元。

政府還提供額外支援以增強退休保障，支援那些無法工作且退休儲蓄有限的殘疾人士及其照顧者。這包括銀髮支援計劃，為工作期間收入低或無收入且家庭支援有限的老年人提供每季度最高900新元的現金支付。為鼓勵補充儲蓄，我們還於2021年推出了配對退休儲蓄計劃（MRSS）。根據MRSS，政府將為符合條件的老年人公積金賬戶的年度補充儲蓄最高匹配600新元。這些措施也將幫助提升Saktiandi先生提到的家庭主婦的退休保障。

Rachel Ong小姐還詢問了希望重返職場的殘疾人士照顧者的支援。照顧者可以利用新加坡勞動力發展局（WSG）的一系列就業促進計劃和服務。例如，需要求職協助的照顧者可以訪問WSG的職業連線中心和全國職工總會（NTUC）的e2i職業中心，獲得職業諮詢和指導。需要技能提升的，可以申請職業轉換計劃（CCP），該計劃為僱用併為中年求職者提供新職業培訓和薪資支援的僱主提供幫助。

我們特別關注的另一群體是前罪犯。就業對他們成功重新融入社會至關重要。

前罪犯有時在獲釋後面臨汙名化和有限的職業機會等挑戰。這些問題可能因教育水平低、缺乏行業相關技能和近期工作經驗而加劇。釋放後的最初幾年尤為困難，因為前罪犯面臨從監獄到工作環境的過渡問題。

針對前罪犯的僱傭激勵將鼓勵更多僱主為他們提供就業機會。我們將推出新的僱傭激勵——提升就業抵免（UEC），繼續支援僱用前罪犯。根據新的UEC，通過黃絲帶新加坡和新加坡監獄服務的就業計劃僱用前罪犯的僱主，將自動獲得前九個月20%的工資抵免，每名前罪犯員工最高可獲得5,400新元。

下午5時15分

直接僱用符合條件的前罪犯的僱主可通過稅務局（IRAS）申請此抵免。該抵免適用於2023年4月至2025年12月期間新僱用的前罪犯。

我們將在此後審查該計劃，以評估其在改善前罪犯就業結果（如工作保留和工資）方面的有效性。我們希望這能在支援前罪犯就業方面發揮一定作用。主席先生，請允許我用中文說幾句話。

（中文）：【請參閱本地語言發言。】為了建設包容性社會，我們將幫助社會中的每個人充分發揮其在勞動力中的潛力。有些人可能需要更多支援，如殘疾人士和前罪犯。

我們將加強殘疾人士的就業支援抵免。僱用至少六個月未工作的殘疾人士的僱主，將獲得為期九個月最高40%的工資抵免，之後獲得最高20%的工資抵免，第一年最高可達8,400新元。

我們還將推出新的僱傭激勵，幫助前罪犯，僱用前罪犯的僱主將在九個月內每月獲得最高20%的工資抵免，每名新僱用的前罪犯員工最高可達5,400新元。

在僱主、社群夥伴和政府的支援下，我們可以幫助殘疾人士和前罪犯為我們的勞動力和社會做出貢獻。

（英文）：主席先生，每個人都必須發揮作用，確保新加坡擁有更公平、更包容的工作場所。政府將繼續提供您所需的支援，陪伴您走過每一步。〔掌聲〕

副主席：譚思靈博士部長。

譚思靈博士：副主席，我想對我演講的第一部分做兩點澄清。

首先，我曾說全職就業居民的名義中位數收入在2021年增長了8.3%。我想澄清這是2022年的增長率。

其次，我曾說銀髮支援計劃在2011年得到加強。我想澄清是在2021年加強的。

高階國務部長許文遠、高階國務部長扎基、國務部長顏國興和我分享了人力部（MOM）本次供應委員會（COS）的三個主題：（一）抓住機遇，（二）加強對您的支援，（三）與您共同確保更好的工作場所。我之前已講述了前兩個主題，現在談談第三個——我們如何團結一致，與您共同確保更安全、更公平、更進步的工作場所。我們正通過多種方式實現這一目標。

國務部長顏國興已分享了我們支援女性工作者、幫助殘疾人士和前罪犯就業的努力。高階國務部長扎基也詳細介紹了我們確保工作場所安全的措施。現在讓我談談《工作場所公平法》，這是確保公平競爭環境的重要一步。

各位議員應已看到由我與黃志明兄弟和葉國榮博士共同主持的勞資三方工作場所公平委員會提出的20項臨時建議。

關於立法的呼聲可追溯至1998年，包括勞工議員在內的多方提出立法建議，以加強我們應對歧視的努力。確實，這一重大舉措將加強我們維護工作場所公平的整體框架。Gerald Giam先生要求為殘疾人士提供全面保護，梁文韜先生建議將性取向納入立法範圍。他們都可以放心，所有形式的歧視都不被容忍。這是我們的國家政策，也體現在現行的勞資三方公平就業守則（TGFEP）中。

勞資三方委員會建議新法加強對基於國籍、年齡、性別、種族、宗教、殘疾和心理健康狀況的歧視的保護。對擬議領域的更強保護也支援新加坡的關鍵社會和經濟目標。

例如，保護免受年齡歧視有助於支援成熟工人的就業，這對我們老齡化社會至關重要。這些特徵是新加坡職場中常見的歧視形式，過去五年勞資三方公平與進步就業實踐聯盟（TAFEP）和人力部收到的歧視投訴中，這些型別佔超過95%。

我們有處理這些案件的經驗，並有信心有效調解。勞資三方合作伙伴將與相關利益相關者合作，確保對定義和僱主責任範圍等問題有清晰認識，使立法達到預期效果。

部分議員提出了對立法的建議。梁文韜先生詢問立法如何保障新加坡人的就業安全。立法將通過更好地保護新加坡人免受職場歧視而使他們受益。針對違規僱主將有更廣泛且更有效的執法手段，以威懾職場歧視。公平考慮框架的職位廣告要求也將納入立法，使我們能對違反該要求的僱主採取行動，利用新的執法手段。

勞資三方委員會還建議保護舉報職場歧視或騷擾者免受報復，給予員工舉報的信心。大多數國籍歧視投訴確實來自本地員工，因此他們將從更強的保護中受益。

梁文韜先生還建議不應豁免小型企業。小型企業可能缺乏全面實施新規的企業能力。鑑於擬議立法只是第一步，我們將暫時豁免員工少於25人的小型企業。

然而，小型企業的員工仍受TGFEP保護。被不公平解僱者可向勞資三方爭議管理聯盟（TADM）提出申訴。對於這些僱主，我們也將通過TGFEP加強教育和執法。勞資三方委員會同意，立法實施後將監測實際情況，並在五年內審查豁免，考慮收緊範圍。

梁文韜先生提到2013年宗教組織的具體案例。根據當時的指導方針和法律，該教會無充分理由解僱該員工。隨著《工作場所公平法》的引入，勞資三方委員會諮詢了多個機構、宗教組織和倡導團體的意見。我們認識到維護宗教和諧對多宗教社會至關重要，因此必須給予宗教組織實踐宗教的空間。因此，鑑於宗教組織的宗旨和性質，勞資三方委員會建議允許宗教組織基於宗教及其宗教要求自行決定僱傭事項。

必須強調，這種賦予宗教組織的自由裁量權範圍非常有限。僅適用於宗教場所和具有單一宗教目的和功能的宗教組織。且不允許基於無宗教依據的其他受保護特徵進行歧視。

關於疫苗差異化安全管理措施（VDS），我們已聯絡未接種疫苗的工人並提供就業援助。如需進一步幫助，他們可聯絡新加坡勞動力發展局（WSG）或就業與就業能力學院（e2i）。若工人認為僱主無正當職業需要而強制接種疫苗，可向人力部或TAFEP求助。自2022年10月釋出更新的工作場所COVID-19疫苗接種建議以來，此類投訴僅有少數。

Janet Ang女士和Yeo Wan Ling女士也會放心，我們將繼續與僱主、員工、人力資源合作伙伴及其他關鍵利益相關者溝通，明確立法意圖及維護工作場所公平所需的全社會努力。在實施過程中，我們還將與全國職工總會合作，幫助員工更好地處理案件並尋求救濟。

我們也將與新加坡全國僱主聯合會（SNEF）合作，引導僱主採用公平就業做法並遵守立法。即使我們通過立法加強對工人的保護，我要強調，我們希望保持新加坡和諧且非訴訟的職場文化。

為此，委員會還建議鼓勵爭議首先在企業內部解決，如無法解決，則通過調解修復僱傭關係，法院裁決僅作為最後手段。

我們將繼續歡迎包括今天議員們在內的所有反饋。勞資三方委員會將考慮這些反饋，形成最終建議。主席先生，接下來請允許我用中文結束髮言。

（中文）：【請參閱本地語言發言。】過去一年，我參與了許多對話會。大多數新加坡人理解我們在經濟復甦路上面臨諸多挑戰。我很高興新加坡人仍對未來充滿希望，積極與我們分享他們的期望和願望。

這讓我想起一首新謠《細水長流》。歌詞說“誰人年輕時不曾夢想”。當我剛進入職場時，也充滿抱負，但我明白職業道路可能不會一帆風順，可能會遇到各種障礙，才能抵達理想的目的地。

無論你是年輕人，還是像我一樣的中年人，請放心，我們將陪伴你走過每一步，幫助你變得更有韌性，與你一同前行。無論你是20出頭、30多歲、40多歲還是50多歲，我們都會賦能你尋找並努力爭取新機會，抓住更好的工作機會。如果你想轉行，可以放心我們會支援你提升和再培訓技能。如果你剛失業，可以放心我們會介入幫助你找工作。如果你喜歡動手工作，可以放心會有更多學習機會。我們將助你職業轉型。

如果你臨近退休，我們將繼續加強公積金體系，幫助你滿足基本退休需求，讓你安享晚年。

俗話說，預防勝於治療。新加坡人能否持續抓住機遇，取決於他們的職業健康。我們應對自己的職業健康負責，瞭解職業需求、行業趨勢、興趣和能力。

為此，我們將在MyCareersFuture門戶推出新的CareerFinder功能。該功能將利用資料分析和人工智慧，為你提供更個性化的職位和技能洞察，提升職位匹配效果。

我們還需建設更具包容性的勞動力市場。俗話說，“行行出狀元”。雖然“腦力”工作仍是重點，但我們不應忽視“動手”工作。無論哪個行業，都應有多條成功路徑。

我們正在研究如何重新設計此類崗位——提供更好的起薪、更好的技能提升機會，以及其他吸引和留住員工的方式。改變社會對這類工作的看法需要時間和過程，我們必須堅持不懈。

我們也在加強對新加坡人退休保障的支援。公積金體系是新加坡退休保障的關鍵支柱，滿足工人的基本退休需求。為確保公積金體系保持相關性，我們必須研究如何提升老年人的公積金月度支付。

在《細水長流》這首歌的結尾，歌詞說，“人生有千般起伏，知己難尋，唯有真摯友誼如源頭流水，長長久久”。我希望你們將人力部視為職業道路上的親密夥伴，提供反饋和建議，共同創造和完善政策。這也是政府“前進新加坡”運動更新社會契約的目標。

我們將繼續與你們攜手共渡難關，邁向更美好的未來！

主席：我們還有時間進行澄清。Desmond Choo先生。

Desmond Choo先生：謝謝主席，我想向高階國務部長許文遠提出幾個澄清問題。

我們的資深員工就業率與經合組織國家相當，這令人非常安心。為這些資深員工設定一個就業率目標是否有意義？除了資深就業津貼（SEC）和兼職再就業補助金（PTRG）之外，還需要採取哪些措施以促使更多僱主僱用資深員工？

許寶琨博士：主席先生，感謝朱德明議員的提問。正如他所提及的，也如我在早前發言中分享的，與經合組織國家及其他先進亞洲經濟體相比，我們的資深員工就業率相當不錯。

在考慮是否應為資深員工設定就業目標時，重要的是要認識到，新加坡的每位資深員工，實際上每位資深人士，都有不同的人生志向。有些人更願意照顧孫輩，有些人則可能想做更多年輕時未能做的事情。

我們很難設定一個硬性目標，強迫所有人違背意願繼續就業。考慮到我們與其他先進經濟體相比，表現其實並不差。

因此，回應議員第二個相關問題，我們正努力創造一個支援框架，讓儘可能多的資深員工能夠繼續就業，前提是他們有此意願。

例如，逐步提高再就業年齡和退休年齡，給予他們法律保障，使他們若選擇繼續工作，能得到保護；確保公平就業實踐及法律框架，防止年齡歧視。這些措施同樣有助於保護他們，實現他們的志向。

此外，還有其他措施，無論是資深就業津貼（SEC），還是兼職再就業補助金（PTRG），都能幫助減少僱主因成本考慮而產生的摩擦，我們希望儘可能消除僱主的顧慮，給予他們額外支援，促成就業機會。

但最重要的是確保資深員工持續提升技能。他們必須具備行業所需的技能，才能獲得就業機會。

因此，我們從各個角度採取一整套措施，與三方夥伴合作，幫助他們進行結構化職業規劃，使僱主和人力資源專業人士意識到崗位重塑的必要性。

在員工達到退休年齡前的40多歲和50多歲時，與他們進行對話，規劃職業下一步，使他們即使進入50多歲和60多歲，也能理解公司需求，僱主、人力資源部門和員工共同努力，發展符合公司長期目標的技能。

這是一整套努力，我認為目前我們正朝正確方向前進。讓我們繼續推動現有工作，希望未來幾年資深就業率能持續攀升。

正如我在發言中所說，儘管經歷了疫情和經濟危機，我們的資深就業率實際上是上升的，而非下降。這是值得鼓勵的，我們將繼續努力。

主席：賈瑞德·賈姆先生。

賈瑞德·賈姆彥松：感謝部長回應我關於短缺職業名單（SOL）的提問。有兩點澄清。

勞工部是否也會發布針對技術工種、工業崗位及其他關鍵職業的短缺職業名單？例如，英國的短缺職業名單包括焊工、老年護理員、日託經理和醫療工作者。這些職業在新加坡同樣短缺。勞工部可據此與產業及教育機構合作，彌補本地勞動力的技能缺口。

第二，我注意到部長提到短缺職業名單每三年更新一次。鑑於就業市場快速變化，這是否足夠？勞工部能否更頻繁更新名單，以確保其與不斷變化的就業市場和環境保持相關性？

陳秀龍博士：感謝賈姆議員的兩點意見。澄清一下，鑑於我們市場規模相較許多勞動力龐大的國家較小，如果我們公開發布名單，許多勞工來源國將瞭解我們的某些弱點。

因此，我傾向於將名單範圍保持非常緊湊和狹窄，我們與貿易及工業部（MTI）、國家發展部（MND）、衛生部（MOH）及各行業機構緊密合作，策劃名單，並通過這些機構解決相關行業的短缺問題。這是第一點。

關於議員提到的三年審查週期，我們也希望為在新加坡設立或運營的企業提供一定程度的確定性和可預測性。如果名單頻繁變動，企業將難以適應和靈活應對。

我們認為三年是處理短缺職業名單問題的合理週期。我之前發言中已分享相關標準。為讓議員放心，MTI、我們及其他行業機構也會進行年度審查。如果某些短缺問題在一年內加劇，我們不會猶豫，及時作出回應。希望這能解答他的疑問。

主席：薩克提安迪·蘇帕特先生。

薩克提安迪·蘇帕特：謝謝主席。我感謝部長對我提出的退休保障相關問題及預算辯論中建議的回應。

我有一項關於公積金終身年金遞增計劃的澄清。鑑於物價上漲和通脹，以及我對新加坡及全球長期均衡通脹前景的擔憂，資深人士將如何受到影響？

目前，公積金終身年金遞增計劃每年約增長2%。我在預算辯論中建議，是否可將增長率提高50個基點，甚至100個基點，以考慮當前及未來群體的物價上漲，作為現有2%方案之外的額外選項或修訂。

陳秀龍博士：感謝議員澄清。公積金終身年金遞增計劃起步較低，但隨著時間推移，實際收益會超過標準及基本計劃。

當前，由於地緣政治不確定性，通脹較高。我們也見證了全球供應鏈中斷及多次加息。

我們推出的廣泛舉措將改善中長期退休保障。

在過去兩年及當前經歷的衝擊期間，政府持續介入，推出保障計劃；消費稅券成為永久計劃；還有一系列支援措施幫助新加坡人及公積金會員度過難關。

勞工部的公積金退休保障方案是長期措施，提供基本退休保障。在特定時期，政府會像免疫接種一樣，提供“加強針”，提升會員退休生活水平，緩解部分開支。

過去12個月推出的措施對低收入群體覆蓋廣泛，基本抵消通脹帶來的支出增加；對中等收入群體也有較大覆蓋。這是目前的構架。希望這能回應議員的關切。

主席：寶雅女士。

寶雅女士：我有兩點澄清。第一，新工作場所公平立法是否涵蓋平臺工作者？第二，部長剛才提到符合基本退休金額度的公積金會員比例，能否也告知符合全額退休金額度的比例？

陳秀龍博士：第一點，答案是肯定的。第二點，關於全額退休金額度，如果允許我先處理一兩項其他澄清，我稍後會回覆您。

主席：楊婉玲女士。

楊婉玲女士：主席，我想重申，目前約有26萬適齡女性未參與勞動力市場。若為女性創造合適條件，她們將成為新加坡強大的人力資源。我感謝甘副部長認可勞工運動及全國職工總會婦女與家庭組的工作。

此外，我想請高階國務部長說明政府如何進一步與勞工運動合作，支援尋求就業的女性？

另外，除了就業促進津貼（EEC），還有哪些就業支援措施幫助殘障人士？

甘秀凰女士：政府一直與全國職工總會及工會緊密合作，支援女性就業。我已提及多項措施。

展望未來，我們認為政府可與工會，尤其是女性工會領導者合作，組建導師圈，擴大與其他女性團體及志同道合組織的合作，拓寬覆蓋面，接觸更多女性。

關於殘障人士支援，有《賦能藍圖2030》，我之前提過。另有專門工作小組成立，社會及家庭發展部（MSF）將在準備好時分享詳情。

主席：梁文韜先生。

梁文韜：謝謝主席。我有三個問題要問部長，但首先感謝部長對我所有問題（除一項）給予直接簡明的答覆。我通常很少從其他部長那裡得到如此回應。

然而，我們必須繼續努力改善新加坡工人的狀況。儘管隨著重開，就業情況有所改善，但就業和工資增長仍然非常不均衡。

例如，勞工部承認2022年第四季度新增的47,400個職位中，大多數由非居民佔據。有IT畢業生抱怨難以立即找到工作。

我有三個問題。

第一，部長未答覆我的問題：為何您和政策制定者如此確定新加坡專業、經理及執行人員（PME）不會因僱主無需為就業準證持有人繳納公積金而處於不利地位？

第二，部長是否考慮加快推進工資保障機制（PWM）中的收入增長，使低收入工人在2024年即可獲得每月至少1,800新元的實得工資？

根據部長提供的資料，低收入工人要到2028年才能達到此水平，但這等待時間太長——五年之久，且許多工人在疫情期間也遭受了重大影響。

最後，鑑於未來幾年本地IT畢業生數量將顯著增加，部長是否預期新加坡人在IT行業，尤其是高層職位中，將佔據更大比例？

陳秀龍博士：感謝梁文韜議員的三至四個澄清，但我懇請先回應寶雅女士的問題，畢竟你們來自同一政黨。

關於她第二點的澄清，我先整體說明。過去十年，55歲時達到本群體基本退休金額度的活躍公積金會員比例，從約五成提升至近七成，預計2027年將增至約八成。

2022年能存下基本退休金額度的會員中，約七成可選擇存下全額退休金額度。

關於議員第一點，我想糾正議員關於平臺工作者是否涵蓋在工作場所立法中的說法。

工作場所公平立法要求僱主與僱員之間有正式合同和關係。

平臺工作的性質是許多平臺工作者同時為多個平臺工作，可能有兩三個平臺。或許許寶琨高階國務部長因其更深入瞭解，可更好回應此問題。

因此，單一僱主與僱員關係的定義與平臺工作不完全相同。但我們會進一步明確三方公平就業守則（TGFEP），涵蓋對平臺工作者的歧視問題。

關於梁議員的四點，感謝您的讚賞。這是勞工部全體同事的集體努力。我也從同事們的答覆中學到了很多。

目前我們幾乎實現充分就業，居民就業水平比疫情前高出3%。在居民就業處於如此高水平時，企業若要發展，必須招聘員工。第四季度您看到更多非居民獲得職位。

關於為何我確定新加坡PME不會因僱主無需為就業準證持有人繳納公積金而受損，請參考我過去多次解釋。我們設定最低合格薪金時，會考慮本地同類群體的總薪金及僱主公積金繳納額，作為基準。

從在新加坡工作十年者角度看，EP持有者薪金呈上升趨勢，不會僅為5,000新元。EP持有者的合格薪金通常超過10,000新元。

因此，我們相信已充分解決本地人與外國人之間的收入差距。

此外，我們認為無需強制外國人繳納公積金，因為公積金主要保障新加坡人的退休和住房安全。我們不認為外國人需要同等安全網，因此不對他們徵收公積金。

關於加快PWM收入增長，我將由甘子健高階國務部長回答。

議員最後一問，如何確保未來五年新加坡人在IT行業高層職位佔比增加，我們將繼續通過我過去兩天詳細介紹的各項計劃——如SGEP、全球人才計劃、Tech@SG——培訓、投資、提升和再培訓新加坡核心人才。

如果梁議員有更多建設性方案幫助培訓和提升新加坡核心人才，我樂意考慮。但是否能保證未來五年所有人都能進入高層職位，沒有人能保證。

我們能保證的是在各級別提供公平競爭環境，但不能保證每個人都取得同樣高的成就。希望這回答了您的問題。

甘子健部長：我想提醒議員們關注我們分享的這張資訊圖，梁議員也提及，我認為非常清晰。實際上，您看到的大多數PWM崗位薪資都遠高於1,800新元。

例如，保安崗位2023年薪資為2,585新元，預計2028年將達3,500新元，五年內增長56%。

園林工人目前為1,700新元，確實低於1,800新元。清潔工為1,570新元，但到2028年將增至2,400新元，五年內增長84%。

因此，雖然有既定步驟，但幾乎可以保證他們中的絕大多數，實際上是全部，在起薪時就超過1,800新元。

讓我們不要忘記，政府的做法不僅僅侷限於工資，如果議員忘了包括工作補貼（Workfare）。如果你考慮每年4200新元，大約是每月350新元，此外，根據你的年齡和標準，但通常你可以獲得這麼多。這大約覆蓋了你工資的25%，加上政府的補貼。所以，如果你看總收入，我認為，我們應該看整體情況。

但我必須感謝工會和僱主與我們站在一起，因為過去兩年並不容易。我們剛剛走出疫情，但看到勞工運動和僱主都同意如此激進的加薪，我認為這充分體現了我們三方合作運動在支援低薪工人和與他們團結一致方面的力量。我認為我們必須記住，我們仍然處於疫情後階段，但現在我們同意56%和84%的工資增長，這些數字非常顯著。

但我們也必須現實一點。要再推動更多，我認為僱主無法承受。因此，我們必須保持關注，這也是政府通過漸進式工資補貼計劃（Progressive Wage Credit Scheme，PWCS）支援他們的原因。所以，我只是想設定背景。但請放心，我們都在同一頁，我們在這裡支援我們的低薪工人。

許寶琨博士：主席，關於平臺工作者是否涵蓋在正在計劃的職場公平立法中，我想快速澄清一下。

答案是否定的，因為職場公平立法只涵蓋僱主與僱員的關係。我之前的發言中花了不少時間說明為什麼我們不將平臺工作者歸類為僱員——以保持雙方所需的靈活性。

但正如我之前所說，三方公平就業守則將明確宣告，任何對合同工的歧視都將被視為違反三方公平就業守則。人力部（MOM）可以調查並對這些平臺公司施加行政處罰，如果它們存在歧視行為。

我希望議員們也能意識到，公司歧視選擇加入公積金（CPF）的工人並不符合其利益，因為我們試圖提出的方案是，到2024年，30歲以下的人將被強制要求繳納公積金。這意味著，從此以後，所有1995年以後出生的年輕工人，無論他們何時進入平臺工作，到他們40歲或50歲時，只要出生於1995年以後，平臺公司都需要為他們繳納公積金。

換句話說，隨著時間推移，平臺工作的工人大多數將需要強制繳納公積金。因此，公司沒有理由歧視這部分更大的勞動力群體，因為這會限制他們獲得勞動力的能力。

主席：梁先生，我們稍後回到您這裡。還有三位議員尚未提問澄清問題。盧偉雄先生。

盧偉雄：謝謝您，主席。我感謝國務部長分享我們尚未準備好立法設立父母照顧假，但我至少想請求考慮制定三方標準或三方指導方針，關於帶薪父母照顧假。

其次，我想問政府為何為公務員提供父母照顧假，而這些理由為何不適用於其他所有工人？

顏曉芳女士：我想重申，政府認識到照顧父母是一項重要責任，尤其是在新加坡人口老齡化的背景下。我們這裡所有有父母的人都會同意這一點。

我們致力於為照顧者提供必要支援，使他們能夠兼顧工作和照顧責任。但除了議員盧偉雄建議的立法之外，我們認為有必要退一步問自己，對於照顧者，尤其是照顧年邁父母的人，什麼樣的支援更可持續。僅僅多一兩天的父母照顧假會有很大不同嗎？還是更可持續的家庭友好型職場文化對這些照顧者更有幫助？

下午6點

政府鼓勵僱主實行家庭友好政策，公共服務部門以身作則，為自己的員工提供父母照顧假。我們希望其他僱主也能效仿：關心員工，實行家庭友好政策，提供員工照顧年邁家屬所需的靈活性。

政府還加強了對老年照顧者的其他支援，包括那些需要在工作和照顧之間兼顧的人。照顧者可以利用一系列護理服務，如居家和日間護理，以支援其年邁親屬的日常和社交需求。

還有各種短期照顧選項，如老年護理中心和護理院的臨時照顧，幫助照顧者在短時間內照看老人，包括週末。因此，我們關注的是為老年照顧者提供更全面的支援，而不僅僅是增加幾天父母照顧假。

主席：謝炳輝先生。

謝炳輝：謝謝主席。我感謝高階國務部長許家銘宣佈人力部將推出人力資源專業人士產業轉型圖（ITM）。我覺得這將真正支援人力資源專業人士在其擴充套件角色中的工作。

我也注意到他提到人力資源專業人士學院（IHRP）有認證和操作手冊。我想進一步詢問，是否有更多支援人力資源專業人士在工作轉型、變革管理和崗位重塑方面的措施，以便他們更好地支援組織未來的工作並執行轉型。

他還提到IHRP為人力資源專業人士設有技能徽章。請問有多少人力資源專業人士獲得了這些技能徽章？未來有何計劃擴大這一舉措？

許家銘先生：感謝議員的提問。我認為這些非常有用，尤其是我希望人力資源界能認可我們所做的發展。

我先說技能徽章。2021年至2022年間，人力資源專業人士學院頒發了超過2400個技能徽章。這些徽章涵蓋了人才管理、戰略勞動力規劃等多種能力。作為人力資源領域指定的技能發展夥伴，IHRP將與行業合作識別新的技能缺口，並持續更新技能徽章以跟上新興趨勢。

關於議員第二個問題，關於我們與行業共同開發的崗位轉型圖（JTM），它們支援僱主和人力資源在崗位轉型工作中。這對我們的人力資源社群是有價值的。每個JTM詳細說明了技術和自動化對行業及勞動力的影響，併為僱主提供轉型崗位的路徑，給予工人獲得所需技能的機會。目前已有約10個JTM完成，包括一個針對人力資源的，另有8個正在規劃中。

此外，勞動力發展局（WSG）和IHRP正合作設立崗位重塑卓越中心，將與行業機構和行業協會合作。這很重要，因為它能幫助公司瞭解與其崗位設計需求相關的資源。

我希望這能幫助人力資源社群推動崗位重塑，並協助數字化轉型。我認為這仍是維持業務轉型的關鍵推動力。我也鼓勵人力資源界利用資訊通訊媒體發展局（IMDA）的技術長即服務（CTO-as-a-Service）計劃、人力資源科技轉型計劃以及生產力解決方案補助金。

因此，有多種政府補助支援我們的人力資源社群。我希望他們覺得這些有用，並推動企業的職業轉型。

主席：葉漢榮先生。

葉漢榮：謝謝主席。簡單澄清一下。我想問人力部，鑑於當前高通脹環境，現在是否是提高年長工人公積金繳納率的好時機，因為這會增加企業成本？

許寶琨博士：主席，我們理解僱主可能擔心業務成本的影響，正如議員所提。因此，僱主繳納率的提高是漸進的，每年不超過一個百分點。我們提前進行調整，給予僱主充足時間調整和管理業務成本的影響。

為了緩解2024年公積金繳納率提高帶來的業務成本上升，我們將提供公積金過渡補貼（CPF Transition Offset），以幫助緩解部分成本壓力。

我們預計年長工人公積金繳納率提高帶來的業務成本增加將較為溫和，因為此次提高的百分點較2022年和2023年之前的提高幅度更低。

因此，這次補貼肯定會幫助緩解我們計劃中的這輪提高。

所有這些公積金繳納率提高的補貼，是在我們為支援年長工人就業提供的其他計劃基礎上，如年長就業補貼（Senior Employment Credit，SEC）和兼職再就業補貼（Part-time Re-employment Grant，PTRG）。

這些都將幫助減輕企業僱傭年長工人的成本影響。

主席：我們接近截止時間了。我將接受最後兩個澄清問題。梁文偉先生和楊婉玲女士。

梁文偉：謝謝主席。就我剛才的問題再澄清一下。首先，關於漸進式工資補貼（PWM）。感謝高階國務部長的回覆。但我認為他沒有進行同類比較。

人民行動黨建議的生活工資是1800新元的實得工資，但材料中顯示的數字實際上是毛工資。所以我想澄清這一點。

我還想問一個澄清問題。如果政府已經在工作補貼（Workfare Income Supplement，WIS）方面投入更多，為什麼不把WIS直接加到工資裡，形成一個明確的單一政策生活工資？這是一個問題。

還有一個問題想向國務部長澄清。當然，部長，我之前已經得到您的回答。但我認為討論還未結束，所以我繼續問。關於——

主席：抱歉，梁先生，現在不是討論時間，是澄清時間。

梁文偉：是的，正確。

主席：這是您第二次提問，請簡明扼要。

梁文偉：好的，非常感謝，主席。

主席：為了全體議員的公平。

梁文偉：是的，是的，好的。

那麼，我想問您提到的工資組成部分，您調整了就業準證（EP）持有者的工資，使其與新加坡人繳納公積金相當，而EP持有者不需繳納公積金。您認為這足夠有力地起到威懾作用嗎？還是您認為我們提出的徵收附加費的建議會是更好的解決方案？

許家銘：我不確定我還需要講多少，但我們已經有一個清單，這裡每一項都肯定超過1800新元。我不知道你想如何定義生活工資，但任何人都可以給出一個數字。正如我所說，我們的做法與您的不同——任何人都可以給數字，無論是1800、1600還是2500，隨便你說。

但不同的是，我們的做法是僱主和勞工運動達成了共識。基本上，這意味著當我們給出數字時，是僱主認為他們能承受，市場能吸收的數字。這些工資增長已經是我認為在新冠疫情期間任何人都能做到的激進水平。你必須對市場上的僱主公平。正如我所說，再看看工資增長：清潔工84%，保安56%。這已經相當激進了。

我想再說一遍——請記住我們所處的市場環境。同時，我們的做法是公平平衡的，市場願意支付，僱主都同意。這個清單是透明的。因此，在很大程度上，我認為市場可以承受，政府也支援。

無論你是否把工作補貼算進去，老實說，工人真正關心的是他們每月實際拿到手的錢。這就是我們必須實施各種措施的地方。這不是唯一措施，因為政府還提供其他計劃，包括社會援助（ComCare）、銀髮支援（Silver Support）以及一系列政府補貼，支援我們的低薪工人，包括醫療補貼、住房補貼和教育補貼。

政府投入了大量承諾，這就是我們展示關懷的方式，不僅僅是生活工資，還有其他所有支援和補貼。

先生，我只想說，任何人都可以給數字。但關鍵是你能否兌現和執行。這將是我們未來幾年的重點。

主席：陳志榮部長。

陳志榮博士：梁先生，為了節省時間，我儘量簡短。但實際上，我只能請您回去看議會記錄，立場沒有改變。

我知道您問了很多問題，我想回應其中一些。

您提到的做法，限制公司從每個國籍僱傭外國人的硬性上限，我認為這種做法非常僵硬，過於死板。

我一生都在私營部門，也在多個國家創辦過企業。我認為如果這樣做，我很多老朋友可能會放棄來這裡。

現實是，如果你想發展產業，必須確保投資於本地人才，同時也能吸納——用“吸納”這個詞，而不是“敞開大門任由他們進來”——足夠的人才，使他們能補充本地人才，我們共同繁榮。我認為這是一種更細緻的做法。

我們推出了COMPASS，採取非常細緻的立場，激勵企業加強本地核心和勞動力多樣性。我們也確保這些公司能獲得所需的額外人才——這是過去幾天辯論中的共同主題。許多議員都在訴說新加坡人才和勞動力緊缺的情況。

所以，我們希望確保這些公司仍能獲得高質量的互補人才，當某些技能稀缺且不斷發展時，我們可以引進他們，同時培訓本地人才，為本地人創造更多好工作機會。

您一直強調徵收附加費。政府徵收附加費很容易，因為這能產生收入。但在就業準證層面，梁先生，我們的重點是確保能區分，吸引全球最優秀、最高素質的人才來這裡。

如果你看，僱主的勞動力預算不是無限的。我們應該考慮雙贏的合作伙伴關係，讓我們受益，讓僱主獲勝，這樣新加坡員工也會受益。這一直是我們的意圖。這就是為什麼我們所有政策都著眼於確保經濟充滿活力，有足夠資源繼續投資於人才，推動新加坡發展，成為充滿機遇、希望和樂觀的地方。

我希望您能放下分歧，專注於團結大家，共同建設未來的新加坡。這才是我們的核心使命。[掌聲]

主席：抱歉，楊女士，我們已到下午6點15分截止時間，您無法提出第二個澄清問題。

梁文偉：主席，我想說一點。

主席：抱歉，梁先生，我們已到截止時間。謝謝。朱德明先生，您是否願意撤回您的修正案？

下午6點15分

朱德明：主席，我感謝陳志榮部長、高階國務部長許家銘、許寶琨博士和國務部長顏曉芳耐心回答我們的所有質詢。我們知道，在人口老齡化和地緣政治緊張等結構性難題中，保持勞動力競爭力是困難的。

我希望我能用一首中文歌的合適歌詞來感謝他，但我沒有。我只能表達我們的感激之情，感到非常欣慰的是人力部和他本人將陪伴新加坡人口，從他們找到第一份工作直到退休。為此，我請求撤回我的修正案。

[(程式文本) 修正案，經許可，撤回。 (程式文本)]

[(程式文本) 3,759,250,200元撥款用於S項，列入主要預算。 (程式文本)]

[(程式文本) 106,763,800元撥款用於S項，列入發展預算。 (程式文本)]

英文原文

SPRS Hansard · Fetched: 2026-05-02

The Chairman : Head S, Ministry of Manpower. Mr Desmond Choo.

1.08 pm

Workforce for New Era

Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines) : Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head S of the Estimates to be reduced by $100".

When it was reported in January this year that China's population declined for the first time since 1961, the Chinese stock markets wobbled. It was widely expected because of its ageing population and declining fertility. But it was still a sobering reality. A reality of potential shrinking consumption and most certainly, a declining workforce. It faces perhaps a Japanese-style three decades-long economic stagnation.

In Singapore, by 2030, around one in four citizens, will be aged 65 and above. Our resident old-age support ratio reached an all-time low at 3.8 in 2022. It is projected to reach 2.7 in 2030.

As of June 2022, 880,000 or roughly one-third of our resident workforce is 50 years and above, 400,000 are 60 years old and above. A significant number of these 400,000 would have retired by the end of this decade.

Seniors comprised 54% share of workers in land transport and supporting services, people doing taxi, private-hire car drivers and bus drivers; and 42% of the Food & Beverage (F&B) services, hawkers or food and drink stall assistants. These are much higher than that in other industries.

But what does this really mean for us as a nation? Our economy would become less vibrant as our workforce shrinks. We might face a hollowing out of certain industries such as in land transport, F&B, tradesman and machine operators.

It is less of a problem if it was a gradual shift with sufficient time to adjust. But it might not be so.

The oldest of our baby boomer generation is 77 years old and the youngest is 59 years old. They are likely to exit the workforce by the end of this decade in large numbers. While our birth rate peaked in the late-1970s to the early-1980s, giving us another 10 odd years of buffer, structural shifts might accelerate rapid erosion.

Technology, digitisation and artificial intelligence (AI) have already changed the nature of many jobs. These are skill sets that people born in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s might not particularly equipped with or can be picked up easily.

Work attitudes have also changed. Our people also do not want to work at the same pace, cadence and intensity in their later years. How common is it to hear of friends saying that they wanted to slow it down? But the treadmill seemingly can only go faster.

At the recent post-Budget dialogue with Tampines residents, a resident in his 50s commented with part joy and part exasperation that he might have to make a choice between caregiving for his grandchildren and his full-time work because there are rarely part-time work or slower work opportunities to go into.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also fostered a re-thinking of work-life priorities and lead some older Singaporeans to exit the workforce permanently if unable to find a compromise. We face a serious cliff-drop in the workforce. It can unsettle the economy and society fundamentally.

The questions before us are: are the older workers ready for the future jobs and are the jobs ready for the older workers?

First, we need to make preparing for an ageing workforce an economy-wide priority. Our employment rate of seniors aged 65 and above has eased from 31.7% in 2021 to 31.0% in 2022. It still rose on average between 2019 and 2022. This is positive.

We have also moved definitively to tackle ageism, a perennial complaint of older workers, through a proposed Workplace Fairness legislation. This would reassure many older workers. Yet, these moves might not be sufficient for the future. We need to include within each of the Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) a pillar on creating and transforming "age-friendly" jobs. It is no longer sufficient to create jobs that are of high economic value. But we must also focus on jobs that our older Singaporeans can and will do.

The focus must rightly be so on bringing in jobs that grow the economy. But in the entire value chain, we must identify jobs that mature workers can do well. I often wonder what is the percentage of available and upcoming jobs that would match the physical, mental and lifestyle needs of older Singaporeans.

We need to double down on our job redesign efforts. What is the number of jobs that will be redesigned over the years to match our ageing workforce? This must be a number we track closely.

Next, I would like to share on the experience of SBS Transit (SBST). I would like to declare that I am an Independent Director of SBST. Older workers are a significant part of the company. Maintenance, especially in the train systems, can be very laborious and physically taxing. We struggle to attract younger workers into the workforce like many other companies.

To help the older workers aged above 55 years old to continue to be productive, SBST is redesigning jobs from the ground up. They have an overhead catenary system or the electrical cables supplying power to the trains. Inspection and maintenance require hard physical work with heavy equipment. Today, they use light-weight equipment such as laser-gauges. Condition-based maintenance is practised to reduce physical deployment. Older workers are redeployed to inspection closer to ground than higher-level ones. Some workers had gone into mentorship or trainer roles. More than 50 maintenance crew have benefited from this change. More will benefit in the years to come.

The SBST Board monitors such development closely. We need more companies such as SBST. Admittedly, it is a larger company with more resources. We need solutions for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which hire the bulk of our workforce.

1.15 pm

Next, we need to look at redesigning our work structure.

We have often heard of mature workers hoping for part-time work or micro jobs but there is a dearth of them.

Creating part-time jobs do cost companies more. But as it is a social compact imperative to pay more to support our lower-wage workers, perhaps it is also time for similar thinking for older workers.

MOM's Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) has helped to increase the availability of part-time re-employment to senior workers. Could the Ministry update on the progress and achievements of the Grant? Can we renew and enhance the PTRG?

We can also consider private-public partnerships in fostering such part-time and micro jobs.

In Japan, Silver Human Resources Centers have been established since 1975 as job agencies for seniors. These are membership-based organisations that provide older Japanese with temporary and short-term work. Public and municipal agencies leaned in to create and find work for older workers.

An associated point is creating specialised centres that focus on helping our older workers to manage employment needs.

Our current job placement ecosystem has worked well for the general needs of the workforce, but older workers have different needs such as a shorter training runway, physical limitations and life expectations.

In 2017, Japan started the Hello Work Senior. It is a job placement agency specially catered for workers aged above 60 years old. The service works with employers to understand their needs and preferences and match them with suitable older candidates.

As geriatrics is a specialty within medicine, silver placement centres can have its special place in our placement ecosystem.

Our ageing workforce is also an opportunity to advance assistive technology to help workers work for longer and safer.

Our public transport operators have already put in driver monitoring, collision avoidance and driver alertness technology. Many of our bus captains today are able to work well into their late-60s and beyond.

There are many other industries, especially those with a significant number of older workers, that we must deep dive into.

We must establish research centres dedicated to helping workers stay employed for longer. Such research centres can focus on developing assistive technology, identifying jobs that may be more suited for senior workers and developing appropriate training to transit into such jobs.

Our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), such as the Singapore Management University (SMU) Centre for Research on Successful Ageing, are a case in point. Can the Ministry consider looking into establishing such research centres?

Flexible work arrangement (FWA) is often cited as the solution to balance the needs of older workforce and business needs of companies. Indeed, it is an essential tool, not just for an older workforce.

We have made significant strides in expanding FWA. Tripartite guidelines are useful to guide tripartite progress in implementing FWA but we might need to take bolder steps in the near future.

We should rightly allow for voluntary take-up by companies because of the difficulties in implementation. We can even grant monetary incentives to companies with progressive practices. But if progress does not meet our needs, we might need to consider giving workers certain rights to FWA to accelerate the scaling up of FWA efforts.

Lastly, our ageing workforce also necessitates us to look into the roles played by our foreign workforce.

As our people age, there is a significant need in certain industries such as healthcare and caregiving support, tradesman and craftsman work such as plumbing, air-condition servicing and carpentry.

If we are unable to improve our productivity significantly over the next decade, we might have no choice but to greatly increase our foreign workforce.

There are already around 1.3 million foreign Work Pass holders in Singapore today. Therefore, our foreign workforce framework will need to be more nuanced, differentiated and promote higher productivity.

There could be certain high-touch industries that we would want to keep for a larger core of older Singaporeans and there are other industries where we need more foreign support, especially those involving more physical work. The current broad-based sector-based approach would need to be more finely differentiated.

This is difficult work and might require a multi-year effort. Can the Ministry share with the House how it would calibrate its foreign manpower framework within the context of an ageing workforce?

The rapidly ageing population poses serious structural challenges to fiscal sustainability and economic growth.

When older workers retire, they are also less able to deal with problems such as higher inflation. Our younger workers are likely to shoulder heavier caregiving loads, with some even having to leave the workforce to do so.

If Singaporeans are unable to fill job openings, employers will have to look to foreign labour to do so. We must act decisively and swiftly to ensure we do not find ourselves in such a predicament.

We need to evolve a new social compact within the context of an ageing population. Only when both our jobs and our older workers are ready for each other, would we be able to manage this smouldering crisis.

[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]

SMEs

Miss Cheng Li Hui (Tampines) : Mr Chairman, it is trite that SMEs form the backbone of our economy. We encounter many SMEs in our day-to-day life, especially in retail, food and beverages (F&B) and commercial sectors. SMEs also form critical support for multinational corporations (MNCs).

My speech today will focus on the manpower challenges and obstacles faced by SME employers.

As of 27 September 2022, we have more than 290,000 SMEs following consistent growth in the past decade.

In my discussions with SME representatives, the issues of hiring and retaining staff have been raised repeatedly. SMEs have shared that they are not able to compete with large enterprises on equal footing. Comparatively and in general, SMEs are not as well-resourced as large enterprises.

In some SMEs, their HR personnel are performing dual functions on top of their finance or administrative roles. Consequently, the persons responsible for employment matters are not able to exclusively specialise and focus on their HR duties. This exacerbates the problem since they may not succeed in hiring or may end up hiring staff who are unsuitable for their needs.

Having less resources also translates into being less able to put out attractive offers, the most important part of it would be remuneration.

There is also the issue of perceived branding and the prestige of the company in question. Jobseekers may thus find larger enterprises more attractive and that their CVs will be bolstered for future prospects.

For small companies, the runway for progression and development may be limited such that prospective employees deem taking up such positions as heading towards a dead end even right from the beginning.

How can we reasonably expect our SMEs to compete with larger enterprises and Government agencies for manpower from the same talent pool? This is made worse by the current inflationary pressures.

Chairman, I chatted with two Grab drivers during my rides.

One was a project manager with 12 years construction experience and the second had 20 years in oil and gas and was also a certified NACE Level 3, a specialised coating inspector certification.

In my heart, I lamented the loss in management and specialised skills for the industries. However, I also understand when they said that the Grab job meant the convenience of having a car and the comfort of working in air-conditioning. They are without the stresses of safety and the pressures of project delivery.

I thought about the loss of dependency ratio too if the companies cannot find local talent to take over such positions.

Chairman, many SMEs are and will remain increasingly hard-pressed to survive. SME employers' concerns stem from real issues that affect their companies and the livelihoods of all on the payroll, and the staff's families. I implore the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to address their concerns, real and perceived, to ensure that no SME is left behind in their journey towards growth and innovation.

Workforce Competitiveness in Remote Work

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol) : Chairman, while 60% of our workforce are PMETs and flexible work arrangements (FWAs) or some degree of remote working appear to be the norm for our PMETs in this post-pandemic workplace, remote working is a double-edged sword.

While employees rejoice as it gives us the flexibility to manage our daily lives, it also means that some jobs can be done remotely and hence can be done anywhere in the world.

With FWAs or remote working, our Singaporean PMET workforce are no longer competing for jobs only within Singapore but rather, we are competing against a global workforce.

Hence, given our higher wages, how do we define the unique value proposition of our Singaporean workforce to the world? How do we equip our workforce with competency and levels of productivity such that our Singaporean talents are relevant and add value to the global economy?

With remote working, how can our PMET workforce expand our horizon and gain access to jobs beyond our shores? What skills must we equip the PMETs with and how do we develop these skills to ensure that our PMETs are competitive in the global talent market?

A Singapore Core of Tradesmen and Women

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied) : In April last year, I asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry was looking into new strategies to improve the prospects of skilled trade jobs for Singaporeans such as licensed electricians and plumbers. It was a follow-up to my speech at the opening of Parliament this term.

The Minister replied to say that it would not be realistic to aim to grow the Singapore Core in every single occupation in view of our finite local workforce, with the ageing cohorts larger than the cohorts that are entering the workforce.

Sir, in reply to a follow-up Parliamentary Question (PQ) filed to the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, it was disclosed that of the 950 licensed plumbers in Singapore, close to 90% are Singaporeans, some 5% are Permanent Residents (PRs) while the remaining licensed plumbers are foreigners. Around 70% of the licensed plumbers are above the age of 50.

The reply to the same Parliamentary Question I put to the Minister for Trade and Industry for licensed electrical workers (LEWs) was less granular.

As of end-June 2022, there were close to 4,000 LEWs, of which less than 1% were foreigners from various nationalities on either S Passes or Employment Passes. The majority of the LEWs were between 41 and 80 years of age.

Unlike licensed plumbers, the number of Singaporeans who are LEWs was not directly revealed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).

Sir, the House would be aware of the highly professional status of plumbers and electrical workers, to name a few trade occupations in many OECD countries. Such individuals earn middle-class wages and are an integral part of the economy.

On 9 January this year, the Straits Times reported that NTUC was looking to work with the Singapore Plumbing Society to effect a Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the plumbing sector with the NTUC Secretary-General referring to a person is in his or her mid-40s potentially earning $6,000 to $7,000 in vocational trades such as plumbing.

However, he also stressed that the Labour Movement is not the Government and does not set national policy, including the scope of the PWM.

Earlier last month, on 9 February, the same newspaper announced the proposed setting up of the Career Progression Model to support the skilled trades industry, covering occupations such as plumbers and electricians, with a view to better career prospects and salaries.

Apart from the strategic importance of having a strong Singaporean Core in skilled trade occupations, the simple fact is that these trades do not pay as well today and are less attractive than working in an office type or air-conditioned setting.

In view of the Minister's reply last April, can I inquire what efforts the Government intends to take to specifically target Singaporean workers into skilled trade jobs?

As a nation and society, it remains my view that a decisive shift to aggressively promote skilled trade jobs for Singaporeans would also alter our understanding of meritocracy, for the better.

Resilient and Future-ready Workforce

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member) : Sir, an article in Entrepreneur India last year pointed out that almost all of India's unicorns originated from India's Tier 1 cities and attributed this to the fact that the majority of top talent from across India moves to these cities to work, leading them to become concentrations of talent.

Singapore is just a city and has no greater hinterland from which we could draw talent. As such, we can rely only on our people as the primary fuel for our continued success.

Trending suggestions like a shorter work week or a right to disconnect – which, honestly, to me, Sir, as a lawyer, is an entirely foreign concept – are being echoed in Singapore. The gist of these trends is for employees to turn inwards, to prioritise personal comforts over career ambition. These trends are also a particular phenomenon of advanced economies that enjoy some level of comfort.

Our Government has prudently started looking at these matters, ranging from mental health concerns to flexible working hours.

I would like to ask the Minister to share his views and the Ministry's views on how these trends may affect the resilience and productivity of our workforce and how, even as we look to tackling real issues of stress, burnout and work-life harmony, we can maintain the resilience and competitiveness of our workforce and its productivity.

At the same time, we must be realistic that not all of our Singaporeans are or can become top global-level talent. I am glad that MOM has introduced schemes in the past year to attract global talent to Singapore, which bolsters the resilience of our workforce.

Could the Minister elaborate on the future plans to continue to attract top talent to Singapore as well as how we will ensure that these talents are complementary with the Singapore workforce? Could the Minister also elaborate on how we can facilitate knowledge and skills transfer from foreign talents to Singaporeans so that we can level up Singaporeans in key areas that would be important in the future?

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Finally, Sir, I would also like to follow up on a question I asked in my Budget debate speech, that is whether the Ministry could consider a role for trade associations and chambers (TACs) to play in employment disputes – not as representatives, but as experts on each industry’s unique situation that could assist in resolving such disputes. Mediating and settling such disputes early can help harmonious labour relations, which contributes to workforce resilience.

Grow Jobs, Grow Skills, Grow Value

Ms Janet Ang (Nominated Member) : Mr Chairman, the SG United Jobs and Skills, SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit, Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) all are key measures that have saved our businesses and our workers during the pandemic years.

With COVID-19 behind us, our businesses are looking forward to grow again. Unfortunately, we are riding straight into a perfect storm with soaring food and energy prices, high interest rates and rising manpower costs and manpower availability. How is the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) supporting businesses to address the lack of manpower availability issue?

PWM and foreign labour policies do impact manpower costs. How is MOM helping businesses to manage the costs increase?

Singapore being open to global talent is not an option. Singapore needs a complementary foreign labour at all levels across most sectors. MOM has announced the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) at last year’s Budget and this will be implemented this year.

Can COMPASS differentiate companies by size and job skills, recognising that micro companies may need a lower Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) and some specialist jobs may not have any Singaporeans trained to take up those roles?

How is MOM supporting businesses to attract local Singaporeans into their industry or sector, especially for job roles at or higher than the S Pass and Employment Pass qualifying salary levels? How else is MOM doing to help businesses reduce reliance on foreign manpower?

With a diverse workforce, it is imperative for good practices at the workplace. How does MOM and the Tripartite partners intend to manage the implementation of the Fair Practice in the Workplace legislation and achieve its intended purpose while at the same time ensuring that we maintain workplace harmony and not allow for a litigious culture to take root?

And, finally, what is the Government doing to strengthen the alignment between jobs, skills and pay for value? And how does the Public Service intend to model the way forward?

Artificial Intelligence and Work

Prof Hoon Hian Teck (Nominated Member) : Mr Chairman, in the age, sometimes called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a critical question is how the arrival of robots enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning affects the pay and employment of workers.

A stark case economists study is where a robot is a perfect substitute for a human worker, able to do exactly what the human worker is able to do.

In this case, it is clear that the arrival of robots is like an influx of identical workers into the economy, with its given technology and stock of machines and land. The result is that while the return to conventional capital is raised and land fetches higher rent, the real wage earned by human workers will decline.

Such technology which might be called automation technology has the feature that acts to replace humans in a range of tasks and does not boost labour productivity. This is, however, not likely to be the complete story, especially over the medium to long term. There are other channels that might deliver more positive results on wage growth and as a consequence of adopting robots.

The question to be asked is how can we harness the opportunities and face head on the threats of AI in order to benefit our workers.

First, there are robots that perform tasks that make them complementary to human effort and thus to augment the productivity of human labour.

For example, with deep learning algorithms developed by scientists within the AI community machines are enabled to learn, to a certain extent, without human supervision.

Workers doing medical research are able to take advantage of deep learning to sieve through and analyse large amounts of medical data. This might boost the productivity of workers and further raise their wage earnings. What can be done to encourage the development and application of robots that perform tasks which are complementary to workers who are employed in the retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors?

Second, the arrival of robots sometimes stimulates investment in conventional machines, equipment and physical structures, which will then exert an upward pull on wage rates. This channel might confer benefits to both high-wage and lower-wage workers.

In conventional growth theory, the law of diminishing returns operates so that in the absence of steady technical progress, capital accumulation gradually slows down as each additional unit of capital fetches a lower rate of return. In the labour-scarce economy, like Singapore, the adoption of robots can boost the return to capital and spur capital investment. This acts to pull up the wages of workers across the whole distribution of skills. In what specific industries might capital investment be stimulated as a result of the adoption of robots?

Third, the arrival of robots by causing some workers in the economy to shift from participating in production to participating in innovative activity, might ultimately shift up the whole wage path because it stimulates innovation and thus the overall productivity of workers.

There can be further research in the area of AI that can restructure the production process adopted in Singapore to create new high productivity tasks that can be performed by human workers. AI-enabled individualised teaching methods might raise the demand for educators who have the skills to apply these methods to meet the diverse needs of students. Augmented reality technology might also enable workers to work alongside machines to execute high-precision tasks in advanced manufacturing. How can we identify potential applications of AI to our local landscape to boost worker productivity?

Mr Chairman, the arrival of robots produces threats when they simply replace human workers in a set of tasks and thus depresses workers wage earnings. However, the arrival of robots can also provide opportunities for workers if AI can be harnessed to create new complementary tasks that raise labour productivity. It is likely that a society-wide approach is needed to maximise the opportunities of AI and to mitigate the threats to the workforce.

Human Resource

Mr Cheng Hsing Yao (Nominated Member) : Chairman, the combination of inflationary pressures, increased interest rates and shortage of manpower across many sectors have made it challenging for many businesses, especially SMEs. Although we want companies to invest in job redesigns and technologies to improve their productivity, such transformation will take much time and resources to plan and realise.

To transform, companies require specific new areas of expertise that are short of relevant local talents, for example, in the areas of sustainability and digital.

In the built environment sector, it has also lost many highly skilled hands-on or craft-based labour. Such roles are not popular with locals. They are critical even as we try to transform the sector towards higher productivity.

In view of the unprecedented confluence of challenges companies are facing, how can the Government better help companies to deal with the immediate labour shortages, while supporting their transformation?

Even as we try to raise productivity, there are just insufficient locals to fill the demand for certain roles, especially the ones not favoured by Singaporeans. Can the Government adopt a variegated approach to allow more foreign workers to supplement local workers for such roles?

Strengthening of Singaporean Core

Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member) : Chairman, I would like to make a call for all employers to make and ensure our Singaporeans become the Core of the total workforce.

Our education system is considered one of the best in the world and we must be worried if this does not lead to job opportunities for them. Aside from our high standards of education system, we also have many adult training centres that should be able to equip our resident workforce with the required necessary skillsets. Employers should be receptive to Singaporeans who fall short of required skills but make use of the relevant funding support such as the Career Support Programme (CSP) and the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) that are provided by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). This support scheme allows an employer to received funding support from Government to recruit our resident workforce into their company while going through the relevant training to acquire the new skillsets for the new jobs.

When NTUC launched Worker 4.0, it was aimed at transforming our resident workforce by going through trainings in three broad areas: Adaptability, Technological and Technical. The use of technology has started even before COVID-19 struck the world. With COVID-19, it only accelerated the use of technology at the workplace. I would like to remind and appeal to employers and management that it is humans that created technology and technology makes jobs easier and better. We should not make technology replace our workers but rather encourage our workers to embrace technology during their course of work for better outcomes.

Employers should identify training providers that can provide technological knowledge for their workforce at both their and their workers' convenience. Do engage NTUC Learning Hub, whose theme is to "learn anytime and anywhere".

To all my fellow workers, let us continue to learn, unlearn and relearn skills so that your management finds it difficult and more challenging to release you. For employers, always look around internally and ask if you have done justice to our resident workforce with your ratio of locals to foreigners.

Support for Mature PMEs

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer) : During our NTUC-Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) PME Taskforce consultations, surveys and focus groups as well as in our latest #EveryWorkerMatters conversations, mature PMEs, especially those above 40 years of age, are anxious about the prospects of their employment and employability. In this respect, I have three suggestions for MOM.

First, extend the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI) and restore the Career Support Programme (CSP) which was the precursor to the JGI to incentivise and encourage employers to hire mature workers, especially PMEs.

Second, introduce a Mid-Life Career Transition programme involving individualised career coaching, advisory and counselling to provide personalised guidance and support for every mature worker including PMEs, whether they are in or out of employment.

And third, while I applaud the extension of the Special Employment Credit, can MOM consider raising the current $4,000 salary cap to benefit even more mature PMEs?

Workplace Discrimination

Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member) : Mr Chairman, I refer to the recently released interim report of the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has high hopes of the Committee which was set up just before debate on foreign talent policy in September 2021. But we have found the interim report to be inadequate in at least two areas. We hope the Committee will consider and incorporate our views in the final report.

First, there is an inadequate focus on the job security of Singaporeans. The report noted that the most common form of workplace discrimination is nationality, which accounts for close to 60% of the complaints received by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). As it is quite unlikely that foreigners will complain about discrimination when they have no automatic right to work in Singapore, many of these complaints must be from Singaporeans complaining that the foreigners have been preferred. Workplace discrimination against Singaporeans is thus prevalent.

I hope the new legislation would enforce meaningful changes in the quality, number and concentration of foreign work pass holders that the Government, including the Prime Minister, have identified as potential problems in July 2021.

Stronger actions can be taken to ensure that our workplaces remain diverse. MOM should consider imposing diversity quotas, or limits on the total percentage of a company's workforce that may be from a certain foreign nationality. This will be a stronger safeguard than COMPASS in ensuring their workplaces do not become communal enclaves where one foreign nationality is favoured over others.

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To complement that policy, we should also take out Recommendation 9, which provides exemptions for SMEs that employ less than 25 employees. This is a potential loophole that will allow larger companies to set up subsidiaries that employ one local and 24 foreign PMETs.

The PSP has also repeatedly urged the Government to introduce a $1,200 monthly levy on Employment Pass holders. This is urgently needed to level the playing field for Singaporean PMEs because employers will have to pay more and more CPF contributions for Singaporeans as the ordinary wage ceiling is raised, making Singaporeans less competitive on wages compared to foreigners.

The second area that I am concerned about is the secular nature of our workplace and employment laws. Everyone should be free to practise their religion but this should not hinder anyone else from earning a living.

I note that Recommendation 10 in the interim report that religious organisations should be allowed to make employment decisions based on religion and religious requirements for all workers.

This appears to be a reversal of MOM's stance in 2013. At that time, a pregnant church employee was sacked in the seventh month of her pregnancy because she had conceived a child in an extramarital relationship against church teachings. MOM intervened to secure compensation for her because employment law had been violated. MOM also stressed that workplaces must be preserved as a secular space in Singapore.

Thus, I hope the Minister can clarify how Recommendation 10 is aligned with MOM's stance in 2013 or whether MOM's stance has changed since then.

If Recommendation 10 is adopted, then I would like to call on the Government to include sexual orientation as a protected category in the anti-discrimination law. This is in line with the spirit of repealing section 377A and will better protect LGBT workers from discrimination based on their sexuality, which still exists in Singapore. LGBT workers should be allowed to earn a living on a level playing field based on merit, like anyone else in Singapore.

Finally, I would like the Government to elaborate on actions it has taken since October 2022 to ensure that employers without genuine occupational requirements no longer practise vaccination-differentiated measures (VDS). Is the employment rate of unvaccinated citizens back on par with vaccinated citizens for each age group?

Mr Chairman, workplace fairness is an important issue. The PSP is glad that the Government will be enshrining this in law next year. But when drafting the law, I hope the Government will enforce a level playing field for Singaporeans and ensure that workplaces remain secular. Singaporeans deserve better. For country, for people.

Workplace Discrimination against PwDs

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Aljunied) : Sir, about 78% of persons with disabilities (PwDs) have reported experiencing discrimination at the workplace, according to a survey last August by AWARE and Milieu Insight. Discrimination faced by PwDs can range from exploitation and denigration to stereotyping and displaying patronising attitudes towards them.

The Government has announced its intention to enshrine the TAFEP Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices in a new workplace anti-discrimination law. It is important to ensure that this legislation provides sufficient protection for PwDs.

To achieve this, the law should incorporate several key provisions, which have also been recommended by the Disabled People's Association.

First, it needs a definition of disability that is inclusive of the entire disability population in Singapore.

Second, it should require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to PwD employees.

A reasonable accommodation is a modification to a job or work environment that enables a qualified PwD to perform the essential functions of the job and have the same employment opportunities as their abled colleagues without imposing an unreasonable burden on the employer.

Singapore has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) a decade ago. Article 27 of the CRPD requires signatories to take appropriate steps, including legislation, to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to PwDs in the workplace. Examples of reasonable accommodations may include providing screen readers, installing ramps, offering FWAs or conducting meetings online.

Third, the legislation must be enforceable in a timely manner and provide the necessary remedies and measures to prevent repeat offences.

Enshrining these provisions in the anti-discrimination legislation will ensure that it is effective in preventing PwDs from being excluded from the workforce.

We need to change societal attitudes to foster inclusivity in the workplace for PwDs. Rather than viewing PwDs as beneficiaries of charity, we must recognise them as individuals and workers who possess equal rights and contribute valuable skills to the workforce. Is the Ministry looking to do more to highlight the contributions of PwDs in the workplace?

Enhancing Workplace Fairness

Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol) : The recommendations in the interim report by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness is one that is greatly anticipated. The inclusion of characteristics such as sex, marital status, pregnancy status and caregiving responsibilities are of particular significance to the NTUC's Woman and Family Unit.

The Labour Movement has for decades worked to ensure women in the workplace are given a positive and safe work environment to achieve their career aspirations. The enshrining of such protections will help in our fight towards eliminating workplace discrimination faced by women.

Yet, the NTUC Women's Committee has noted that women continue to face workplace discrimination. In our latest February sensing with women union leaders, 64% agree that discrimination is prevalent in their workplaces.

For many of the women who feel such discrimination, they often find it difficult to articulate their grievances clearly or they lack the right channels or opportunities to do so. Employers, too, especially SMEs, have often told us that they lack the resources and know-how to address such situations.

While we welcome the legislation to come, we know we have miles to go before we sleep and welcome it. Maybe in practice, it may prove to be a daunting task.

We call on the Ministry to work with the Labour Movement in empowering and equipping our workers to be able to provide clear articulation of discrimination grievances and seek clarification on how the Ministry will engage and support companies in effectively implementing workplace fairness practices.

Singaporean Core

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : Chairman, I declare my interest as a member of the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness.

I am glad that MOM has accepted the recommendations of the NTUC-SNEF PME Taskforce and we are going to introduce a dedicated workplace fairness piece of legislation as well as a points system via COMPASS to regulate the issuance of Employment Passes. Can MOM provide an update on COMPASS?

On the same note, can MOM also update us on the Fair Consideration Framework and the number and type of cases reported, investigated and closed at Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) thus far?

I will also wish to ask the status of the Strengthening the Singaporean Core efforts and suggest if we can publish the triple weak list of companies as the workplace fairness piece of legislation will only be introduced in the latter half of 2024 and is effective 2025 and beyond.

Also, after the new piece of legislation, what will be the status of the Fair Consideration Framework, TAFEP as well as the watchlist?

Foreign Workforce Policies

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) : Chairman, we currently have a tight labour market. Our low total fertility rate (TFR) means we need a foreign workforce to complement our local workforce to compete globally.

Other countries are waging a war for global talent. Countries such as New Zealand and Hong Kong already have measures to attract foreign talent post-COVID-19.

We must bring in foreign workforce with the right skills and qualifications and at the right price. It is always a delicate balance between meeting our labour needs and protecting our citizens' interests.

One concern is that the influx of foreign workforce may exacerbate the shortage of housing in Singapore, causing rental prices to go up. How does the Government plan to balance housing required for these foreigners and the need for affordable properties to rent for Singaporeans?

In the same token, foreigners may be deterred from working in Singapore due to high rents. What are the Government's plans to assuage these concerns?

Can the Minister also share updates to our foreign workforce policies, including COMPASS? What can we expect from the upcoming workplace fairness legislation that is to be enacted?

Importing manpower is not the only issue. What is MOM doing to promote technology and productivity-enhancing measures in our workplaces? What else can we do to incentivise companies to invest in automation and other technologies? How can we equip workers with the skills needed to thrive in a tech-enabled workplace?

COMPASS Shortage Occupation List

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song : The Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is one of the criteria in the COMPASS framework. MOM has said that the first SOL will be announced this month. It is expected to identify occupations requiring skills that are currently in shortage in the local workforce.

Could the Minister share what occupations will be included in the SOL? Will the SOL take into account the pipeline of local ITE, polytechnic and university graduates in both local and foreign institutions? For example, if there are many local graduates in, say, information and communications technology (ICT) next year, the SOL should be revised accordingly.

With the knowledge of skill shortages in the SOL, schools, tertiary institutions and adult education centres can better plan their curriculum and intake size to better prepare local students and workers to fill them. The Government should work closely with ITEs, polytechnics and universities to expand their intake of courses for occupations in the SOL.

How frequently will the SOL be reviewed? I hope it will be reviewed frequently so that it can be responsive to changes in industry requirements and we will not have situations where an occupation remains on the SOL when there is sufficient local talent in that area.

Finally, the SOL should be included as one of the foundational criteria of COMPASS instead of only being a bonus criterion. This could prompt firms to search harder for available local talent before turning to foreigners.

All these can create more opportunities for Singaporeans in the workplace and reduce the heavy reliance on foreigners in our workforce.

Update on Foreign Workforce Policies

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) : Sir, in almost every recent engagement that I have with businesses, the manpower crunch problem would surface.

The problem seems to have worsened as we resumed most of our economic activities post-COVID-19. Many businesses lamented that there may well be more businesses to do or more growth opportunities out there but there are not really enough workers to go around to grab these opportunities. Many ask for a higher foreign worker quota and/or for MOM to loosen the foreign worker criteria.

Sir, the reality for Singapore is that we are already in a near full-employment economy. In fact, we are leveraging and dependent on a large pool of foreign labour to stretch our overall economic capacity and growth potential.

The numbers are large. Our total foreign workforce currently stands at 1.31 million, slightly less than the pre-COVID-19 level of 1.43 million. This represents one-third of our total labour workforce, a very significant share.

There are physical and social limits as to how much more foreign labour we can accommodate on our tiny island. I believe we are already near the limits in terms of numbers.

Being too dependent on foreign manpower also expose us to source country risks as well as concentration risks. We have seen these vulnerabilities played out during the pandemic when borders were closed or restricted.

Sir, the manpower-driven growth strategies of the past are no longer sustainable in our current context.

Can I ask the Minister for an update as to how the businesses have coped with the foreign manpower constraints? Have we seen noticeable shifts in companies tapping on technologies and training to improve productivity and capabilities?

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Sir, last year, the Ministry announced a number changes to the foreign workforce policies. The COMPASS framework was introduced as a transparent system to strengthen the complementarity and diversity of our workforce and prevent sources concentration.

The qualifying salary for Employment Passes and S Passes has been raised in September 2022 and the reduction of the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) for the construction and process sectors will follow suit in January 2024.

The Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass targets the top talents across sectors while the Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities (M-SEP) scheme support growth of businesses that contribute to Singapore's strategic economic priorities. These are targeted schemes that comes with tight conditions to fulfil and also with a specific percentage and number cap to limit the number of foreign workers a firm can hire. In the case of M-SEP, participating companies must also commit to hiring and training local workers. Only about 1,000 firms are eligible for M-SEP or less than 1% of the total number of companies.

Sir, I support the policy approaches to strengthen complementarity and diversity, with specific requirements to ensure a complementary mix of local and foreign workforce, and with the intent and goal to develop a strong Singaporean Core. In this regard, may I ask the Minister if there are any updates to our foreign workforce policies to attain these goals?

Retirement Adequacy

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh) : Rising prices threaten our retired seniors' ability to meet growing expenses, where they do not enjoy the benefit of rising wages now. I have raised a few questions on retirement adequacy in my Budget debate speech.

First, the CPF minimum retirement sum should build in enough buffer for future unexpected events, such as dramatic price increases. Is it time to adjust the allocation ratios such that a greater percentage is allocated into the Special Account instead of the Ordinary and Medisave Accounts?

Second, as market interest rates crossed 4% in 2023, do we intend to revise the interest rates on the respective CPF Accounts? The CPF LIFE Escalating Plan, which increases payouts by 2% annually, may need to be tweaked, given the changed longer-term inflation outlook.

Finally, I am even more concerned for self-employed persons and non-working homemakers who do not have the minimum retirement sum.

Can the Ministry provide an update on Singaporeans' retirement adequacy? How do we assist retiree households that have limited ability to accommodate expenditure shocks, outlived their savings or never accumulated much to begin with? Are such households becoming more prevalent?

Mr Abdul Samad : Chairman, the topic of retirement adequacy has been attracting attention and interest among our fellow workers, from the young to the golden generation.

I appreciate the Government stepping up their efforts to ensure that our workers have enough for their basic retirement sum when they reach 55 years old. At this juncture, I would like to appeal to our Government, Government-linked companies or even Temasek-linked companies, that are doing well to continue with their 17% contribution instead of reducing it when their workers reach the age of 55 years old. This will certainly help our workers CPF savings and make this as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Can the Ministry share as of December 2022, how many Singaporeans have reached the respective Basic, Full and Enhanced Retirement Sums? How many actually take up the Enhanced Retirement Sum when they reach 55? How many Singaporeans have actually put their property as a provision to match the difference between the Basic and Full Enhanced Retirement Sums so that they can cash out at the age of 55?

For every Singaporean, we dream to retire with enough wealth for our retirement years with income and good health as a serious matter. Once again, I strongly believe our fellow Singaporeans look forward to such support of not to reduce CPF contributions at the age of 55 for those that are doing well.

The Chairman : Mr Louis Chua, both cuts, please.

Enhancing CPF Returns

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang) : Chairman, on the topic of enhancing CPF returns, I would like to once again take the chance to raise concerns that I have previously voiced out in Parliament in the past two years.

The CPF scheme plays an important role in securing Singaporeans' retirement needs and it is after all the CPF Board's mission.

An opportunity to enhance these returns is therefore something which many Singaporeans continuously look out for. The long lines at the banks recently due to the promotional fixed deposit rates is evidence enough of this demand. In the past month alone, major banks such as OCBC and DBS have begun offering additional products for investors to allocate their CPF Ordinary Account (OA) monies to. OCBC is now offering eight-month deposits at an interest rate of 3.88%, while DBS now accepts online applications for T-bill investments using CPF OA funds. Again, the long lines forming suggest that Singaporeans' needs for higher quality returns to their OA funds is largely unmet. The excess demand for these additional OA investment products despite their rather modest long-term returns as compared to a globally diversified portfolio of Exchange-traded Funds (ETFs) for example, further shows that there is pent-up demand for more investment options that need to be satiated.

In Budgets 2021 and 2022, I sought clarification on the CPF Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme (LRIS). Last year, I asked if the Expert Investment Council had completed their studies and if the Government was still considering rolling out the LRIS. Minister Tan See Leng assured us that the Government is still evaluating the scheme and I would like to once again check in if there has been any conclusion on their studies since then.

It is, after all, close to seven years since August 2016 when the plans were first announced. Is there a more concrete timetable on which the Ministry can share details of the proposed LRIS? I hope the Ministry is cognisant that the longer the delay, the higher the opportunity cost and real cost to Singaporeans' retirement savings.

Moreover, I would like to reiterate the lack of options currently available to Singaporeans to allow them to take better control of the wealth they have. Since my speech last year, there are still only six ETFs available for Singaporeans to invest in. With increasing financial literacy among our people, they should be empowered to take greater charge of their investment decisions according to their risk appetites and financial goals.

Reform of CPF Ordinary Account Rates

The CPF Board's vision is, among others, to enable Singaporeans to have a secure retirement through lifelong income. It is imperative that we therefore consistently review and revise, where necessary, the mechanisms that underlie its functions to ensure that it serves its purpose as effectively as possible.

One of the key concerns frustrating Singaporeans now is inflation. I understand that the liquidity of Ordinary Accounts (OA) pegs them to shorter-term interest rates. However, for much of our working lives, the bulk of our CPF contributions gets allocated towards the OA. I appreciate the interest rate floor that has been put in place at 2.5%. However, we must balance CPF OA rates against the goal of preserving the purchasing power of our retirement funds and guarding against inflation over time. While our CPF monies are invested in Special Singapore Government Securities (SGS) fully guaranteed by the Government, GIC's portfolio has been able to beat inflation both nominally and in real terms at 7.0% and 4.2% returns respectively over the past 20 years.

Pegging OA interest rates to deposit rates has its issues as it can be quite arbitrary. For example, DBS states that the 12-month fixed deposit rates for deposits up to $19,999 is 3.2%, while an amount of $20,000, which is used for OA calculations, drops to 0.05% instead.

We are beginning to see a stark contrast in rates. Recent news articles show banks competing with one another to get deposits. UOB has even raised its maximum bonus rates from 3.6% to 7.8%, while many now offer fixed deposit rates at 3% to 4%. Despite this, the CPF Board's assessment of major local banks interest rates to be at 0.52% for the period from November 2022 to January 2023 and one cannot help but feel as though these are unrealistically suppressed, given the realities of the deposit environment of the local banks today.

Chairman, the OA formula itself has remained unchanged since 1999. Many of us now have the likes of a DBS Multiplier or UOB ONE account where higher interest rates can be earned easily as compared to historical savings accounts. Even if the Government does not wish to take inflation into account, I urge the Government to reconsider the formula after 24 years, to take into account the current nature of fixed deposits and savings rates from the three local banks so that it better reflects economic realities.

Workplace Health and Safety

Mr Pritam Singh : Sir, in January this year, the eighth Meeting of the International Advisory Panel on Workplace Safety and Health made its recommendations, which the Government accepted.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s press release stated that "2022 saw a spate of workplace fatalities largely due to basic safety lapses, such as inadequate safety planning and control measures, and non-compliance with safety measures."

I also know that the Heightened Safety Period (HSP) which was to have been from September 2022 to February 2023, was extended by three months until 31 May. The fact of the extension itself indicates that the previous HSP did not adequately meet its objectives. While the workplace fatality rate has improved, unfortunately, the annualised rate of major injuries actually increased from 16.8 to 18.7 per 100,000 workers during the first three months of the HSP.

For the built environment sector, in particular, do major safety lapses occur in the context of subcontracting work where margins for profits and time to complete work may be narrower and are safety lapses more prevalent here?

I understand that effort is being put into this issue of workplace fatalities and major injuries, but may I ask what the Government is going to do differently when implementing these new 2023 recommendations? Does the Ministry foresee a deeper cultural shake-up required in the attitudes towards workplace safety? How are fatalities and major injuries going to be arrested in a more significant way?

The Chairman : Miss Cheng Li Hui. Not here. Mr Melvin Yong.

Ensuring Safer Workplaces

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas) : Mr Chairman, in my Budget debate speech, I expressed my dismay at the current poor workplace safety outcomes, which resulted in the tragic loss of lives, many of which were due to basic errors that could have and should have been avoided.

The spike in workplace fatalities in the past few months might have been a sign that companies are relaxing their stringent Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) practices as the Heightened Safety Period (HSP) draws nearer to its end.

How many of the workplace accidents reported in the past 18 months were due to a lack of or grossly inadequate safety measures by the companies' management?

The recent extension of the HSP notwithstanding, is MOM prepared to make HSP a permanent fixture or at least make permanent some of the HSP requirements, such as the enhanced penalties for systemic WSH lapses?

Sir, we need to establish better whistle-blowing channels. We must build a culture where workers feel safe to report unsafe work practices that they see at their worksites. We must entrench a culture where employers must realise that unsafe practices cannot go unreported and cannot be swept under the carpet.

Can MOM provide an update on the WSH feedback rate, across its various channels, over the past five years? Can MOM review and enhance its feedback structures, and where needed, to create new reporting channels that make it easier for anyone, including a member of public, to report unsafe work practices?

Sir, I know that resources are finite. As such, I urge MOM to focus efforts on the high-risk sectors which account disproportionately for the number of workplace injuries. MOM's data also shows that SMEs have the greatest risk of poor WSH outcomes. I urge the Ministry to enhance outreach and funding support for SMEs to adopt and deploy WSH technologies. I have previously highlighted how such technologies have improved safety standards at the workplace, especially in high-risk environments.

Sir, every worker deserves a safe workplace. The Labour Movement stands ready to work closely with our tripartite partners to do all we can to help every worker return home safely at the end of every workday.

The Right to Sit

Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied) : Mr Chairman, there has been recent debate over the provision of chairs at retail outlets and the right of retail workers to sit.

Multiple studies report there are significant health risks associated with prolonged standing, including chronic venous insufficiency, musculoskeletal disorders as well as spontaneous abortion for pregnant women in some rare cases. This is a health hazard caused by an inability to alternate muscle usage.

Countries like Malaysia and South Africa have enacted laws on the right to sit. The UK requires retail outlets to provide seats and to allow staff to sit occasionally.

Sir, I call on the Government to explore similar laws, perhaps by amending the WSH Handbook.

Sir, the time has come to go beyond industry self-regulation on this issue. Our laws and regulations should promote our retail workers' health, well-being and longevity.

Need for Greater Recognition of Skills

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui (Holland-Bukit Timah) : Mr Chairman, Sir, we need to better recognise and value skill sets in the job market. While there are continuing efforts to address starting salaries and career progression for different job roles and sectors, more can be done to address the growing wage disparity between graduates and non-graduates. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shared in his recent speech at the IPS Singapore Perspectives that today, the median starting pay for a university graduate is double that of an ITE graduate, and 1.5 times that of a polytechnic graduate.

As our workforce becomes increasingly competitive, a widening gap can lead to negative outcomes. We do not wish for a situation where many young and promising Singaporeans would eventually feel undervalued despite having the relevant skill sets simply because of a lack of necessary qualifications.

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Mitigating such outcomes does not mean to devalue paper qualifications but it is about having an equal recognition for skills and competencies. In the US, companies like Google and IBM have reportedly reduced the need for paper qualifications in some tech roles. IBM has shifted away from degree requirements with less than one-third of its IT jobs requiring one. We do not see Google and IBM being less competitive in the tech world when changing its focus on one’s level of competency.

There is a greater need to recognise skills especially craftmanship. The Career Progression Model proposed by NTUC is a good example of uplifting the work prospects and salaries of skilled essential tradesmen. I am supportive of this model which has a clear framework and structured skills training so that quality standards can be assured. Such national-level efforts can ensure that essential skills are continuously and increasingly recognised. I would also propose for MOM to have regular surveying of salaries of specific skills level published, much like how universities publish graduate employment survey and the average salary level for specific graduate course degrees. This can provide a further guide to fairly align salary range with levels of skills.

While we push for nationwide efforts to recognise and value skills the same way as one’s qualifications, such a change will require human resource (HR) managers and employers to take the first step. HR managers are key to making structural changes and fine-tuning workplace policies. Since COVID-19, the role of a HR manager has significantly evolved which includes the need for more nuanced recruitment as an increasingly complex economy requires more differentiated skills. With constant changes to our economy, HR managers also have to be involved in redesigning jobs for the employees. Likewise, with MOM’s more targeted foreign worker policies, this creates additional complexities to the role of a HR manager.

Therefore, I propose for MOM to introduce an Industry Transformation Map (ITM) for the HR industry and support our HR professionals’ expanded roles which can make a significant improvement in recruitment and valuing skills. While HR managers obtain the relevant expertise in their expanded role, they would also need to refresh their knowledge on job roles and the necessary skill sets.

Hence, I would like to ask how MOM would assist employers and HR managers to better understand the granularity of each profession and skills requirement which dovetails with SSG’s skills framework so that recruitment is not merely based on paper qualifications but also on skills certifications.

Overall, we must also not neglect our SMEs, especially micro ones which do not have the necessary resources to expand HR roles. To help our SMEs cope with the evolving needs of aHR manager, I would re-emphasise on the need for a chief human resources officer (CHRO) as a similar service to the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA)’s Chief Technology Officer-as-a-service. Such a service can support SMEs in access to gain access to HR resources and expertise.

Furthering Strengthening HR in Singapore

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan : Good human resource (HR) practices and processes are an essential ingredient if we wish to foster a fair and inclusive workplace. One way this can be achieved is by having certified HR professionals in our organisations. I have three suggestions to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

First, it would be to mandate companies to have at least one Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP)-certified HR professional before they can be allowed to hire any foreign manpower.

Second, is for the IHRP certification course and examinations to include the knowledge of the concept of tripartism including all the requisite tripartite standards, guidelines and advisories as well as working with unions and the industrial relations system.

Third, HR cannot be the sole custodians of progressive practices. People Managers also play a critical role in supporting and cascading good human capital practices in the organisation. I believe more can be done in this respect and professional bodies like the IHRP can work with partners like Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and NTUC Learning Hub, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and HR associations to equip People Managers with the requisite skills and knowledge to better engage and nurture their workforce.

Update on Implementation of Progressive Wage Model (PWM)

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman (Marine Parade) : Sir, the employers who violate the PWM requirements can face fines, penalties and other consequences such as the suspension or revocation of their Work Pass privileges. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) together with tripartite partners also conduct regular public education and outreach efforts to raise awareness of the PWM and its requirements among employers and workers. However, as with any policy or regulation, there may be instances where employers are not fully compliant with the PWM requirements, be it in the terms of technical requirements or in spirit. These leaves low-wage workers susceptible to exploitation.

In this regard, I would like to ask MOM to give an update on this implementation and what measures are in place or explore enforcement strategies or mechanisms to ensure that companies comply to PWM wages and other requirements.

Uplifting Lower-wage Workers

Ms Yeo Wan Ling : The Labour Movement's Progressive Wage Model (PWM) is key to protecting our vulnerable as it uplifts our lower-wage workers' livelihoods while equipping our workers the requisite training to upscale and improve. The PWM now covers 174,000 lower-wage workers in seven sectors including cleaning, security, retail and, starting today, the food services industries.

The PWM was also introduced into occupations – administration and driving – recently. As the chairperson for the tripartite clusters for retail and food services, I note the significance of these clusters to be included in the PWM framework. These are very relatable industries for many Singaporeans. The workers in these industries touch the hearts and lives of Singaporeans daily and the businesses' innovations and achievements put Singapore in the world map as a true global city. Given that we hope to attract more talented young Singaporeans into these industries, can the Ministry provide an update on how it will support and encourage companies to embrace attractive career ladders and drum up productivity?

I note too that these industries were the first predominantly business-to-consumer (B2C) industries to introduce the PWM framework. As such, supporting our lower-wage workers would include consumers as a stakeholder. We call on the Ministry to work with the Labour Movement to bring home the message that uplifting the lives of our lower-wage Singaporeans is a whole of community effort.

Migrant Worker Welfare

Mr Leon Perera : Mr Chairman, last year saw 46 workplace deaths, the highest since 2016. We need to reflect on that.

Migrant workers are more vulnerable to unsafe workplace practices because of their limited bargaining power. They need employers’ consent to transfer to a new job, save exceptions. This can be held against them and they might not dare to speak up for fear of repatriation.

We need to make the playing field less uneven perhaps by allowing workers to transfer jobs without their employers’ consent in two scenarios. If they provide evidence of unsafe work, they should be allowed to resign without notice and stay here for two months to find another employer if that evidence is borne out. Second, they should be allowed to transfer if they have been working for at least one year with their current employer with a one-month notice period without their current employer being allowed to cancel their Work Permit during that period. This will incentivise employers to create safer, decent work environments.

Also, can MOM empower workers to call out unsafe work practices? When settling in, MOM can assure them that whistle-blowers’ identities are kept confidential and they will be protected from dismissal. MOM can reward whistle-blowers if complaints are found to be valid.

Next, under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), designated insurers process all WICA claims. An issue is that the WICA insurers become “gatekeepers” who determine which claims are valid before compensation is assessed. This creates a conflict of interest since insurers might be incentivised to deny validity.

In 2019, the then-Minister of State said MOM was rolling out a system of checks and balances. Has MOM reviewed the performance of WICA insurers to see if this system is adequate? Does MOM proactively monitor each insurer’s performance or does it only investigate complaints? How does MOM ensure that designated insurers comply with stipulated timelines for processing claims? Are insurers penalised for failing to comply?

The WICA insurers’ manual should be published so the public can hold insurers accountable and report potential non-compliance.

Can MOM also review the use of an independent assessor such as the Commissioner of Labour previously? This is done in New Zealand and Ireland.

Lastly, on the subject of good quality food for migrant workers, there have been issues in the past and I have spoken on this topic in the House before. I suggest that: one, every new dormitory should be equipped with cooking facilities for workers. Many migrant workers prefer to cook their own food; secondly, can the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) consider mandating that catered food is delivered in safe eating conditions as per the National Environment Agency (NEA) regulations applicable for cooked food supplied by caterers for events? If this means food storage or a shift towards freezers and microwaves, so be it.

CPF Contributions

Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member) : I have several questions pertaining to CPF contributions for platform workers.

It has been announced that transitional assistance will be provided to platform workers who earn below $2,500 to help them cope with the new requirement to contribute CPF. However, those earning above $2,500 will also have difficulties adjusting to a lower take-home pay. Will MOM be implementing the employee contribution in phases to give them more time to adjust?

Secondly, those aged above 30 can opt out of making CPF contributions. If a platform worker opts out, does this mean the platform owner will not need to contribute CPF as well? If this is the case, then those who opt in will cost the platform owners more than those who opt out. It is desirable for more platform workers to opt in so that they have more retirement savings. However, my concern is whether those who opt in would be discriminated against because they are more costly. Will there be measures put in place to prevent discrimination against those who opt in?

Lastly, is the decision to either opt in or out of CPF a one-off decision? Can platform workers change their minds subsequently?

Freelance Coaches and/or Instructors

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar) : Chairman, the freelancer community of coaches and instructors in the fields of sports, fitness, learning, and visual and performing arts are an important part of Singapore’s economy. As an adviser to the NTUC affiliate, the National Instructors and Coaches Association, I seek MOM’s attention to uplift this group of freelancers for their better job and income security and well-being.

One, fair compensation. Much has been done for platform workers and lower-wage workers. The freelancer community too should be paid fairly, based on their skills, contributions and track records. Today, many of them are often the price takers. They are hesitant in adjusting their contract rates even when there are valid reasons to do so such as rising business costs. When contracts are up, there is often the fear of losing contracts to the lowest bidder should they charge higher. They face constraints even with clients such as those in public agencies like the Ministry of Education (MOE), People’s Association (PA) or Health Promotion Board (HPB) as the client staff may find it hard to seek approvals for rate hikes mid-contract because of already approved fixed budgets and the need for additional paperwork to get approvals for adjustments. I urge MOM to facilitate the development of a procurement guide to ensure a sustainable win-win arrangement and fair compensation for the freelancer community starting with their public sector clients.

Two, access to resources. Many freelance instructors and coaches face limited access to resources such as class facilities, equipment or training materials. Uplifting them can include providing them with greater access to sports or school facilities or through Government grants.

Lastly, recognition and professional development. Freelancers too need lifelong learning and support to ensure they remain relevant and competitive. So, curate and provide local and overseas professional development opportunities to help them stay updated with the latest developments in their industries.

Strengthen Support for Vulnerable Workers

Ms Yeo Wan Ling : The influence of platform workers is clear for us to see. They have become an integral part of our daily urban lives having transformed the way we eat, shop and move. While we celebrate the benefits and rewards such work brings, we cannot overlook the potential risks that an increasing number of platform workers face, be it the rising concerns over adequate retirement savings, health safety nets and housing.

To this end, the Labour Movement is encouraged that the Government recognised these concerns. We thank the Government for accepting the 12 recommendations provided by the advisory committee on platform workers that will strengthen our social and livelihood safety nets for our platform workers. While the advisory committee looks towards the working group to deliberate on the details of the operationalisation of these recommendations, our platform workers have voiced their concerns on how the introduction of CPF may affect their take-home earnings and subsequently their livelihoods.

We hence welcomed the move to introduce a CPF transition support which will help alleviate these concerns. Can the Ministry provide an update on the transitional support? Further, we call on the Ministry to work closely with the Labour Movement and our platform associations to ensure that there is fair apportionment of CPF contributions between the platform worker and the platform company.

For many platform workers, a day of work is also a day of painful loss revenues. In addition to the insurance benefits for work injuries as put forth in the recommendations, we call for the Ministry to consider further safety nets for platform workers who are injured in the course of their work, through added healthcare subsidies and enhanced injuries and loss of income plans.

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As we look to strengthen our social compact, we must not forget to turn our attention to our vulnerable Singaporeans who are on the fringes and support them in their desire to earn decent livelihoods and the opportunity to contribute back to Singapore.

Enhancing Retirement Adequacy

Mr Yip Hon Weng : Chairman, we need to push for improvement in senior employability and encourage those who wish to work to continue. I have queries in these three areas.

First, it is worrying to learn that certain segments of the population such as senior workers in low-wage and casual jobs do not have sufficient CPF to address their retirement adequacy. How will the Ministry help this group of people separately?

Separately, notwithstanding the CPF Transition Offset which is for one year, how do we ensure that companies continue to retain their senior workers, given the increase in the senior worker CPF contribution rates?

Second, to truly understand whether Singaporeans have sufficient retirement adequacy, we need to move beyond subsistence level retirement and develop a formal definition of what defines a decent quality of life in old age.

In 2019, a team of local researchers derived the amount of money needed for seniors to achieve a basic standard of living in Singapore. This study has been constantly quoted since. Does the Ministry stand by its results or does MOM plan to do its own in-depth study? Moreover, with high inflation in the past two years, is it time to review this amount?

Third, we can do more on the labour front by having more flexible work options. Many older workers would like to work part-time and even go back and forth between periods of work and leisure. Some want to spend more time with their families. Others wish to travel and take care of their grandchildren and return to work after.

There are a few ways companies can implement this and older workers can be allowed to take a few months' leave and then return to the job. Coverage of duties would have to be arranged with flexibility and creativity exercise. We also should push on with job sharing and micro jobs which have been raised several times before. We should also consider the concept of phased retirement. This allows seniors to gradually decrease the number of workdays a week until retirement. How can the Ministry encourage these initiatives?

We must continue to make progress towards improving retirement adequacy and senior employability. For the seniors who derive employment from their work, we can help maintain their physical and mental well-being whilst also providing financial security.

Seniors' Employment and Retirement Adequacy

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman : Chairman, retirement adequacy remains an important concern for many senior citizens in Singapore, especially in an inflationary environment because it can erode purchasing power of retirement savings over time.

As the costs of living increases, the value of retirement savings may decrease, making it more difficult for seniors to meet their basic needs and maintain the standard of living in retirement. Additionally, healthcare cost tends to increase with age which can put further pressure on retirement savings.

These factors can create financial insecurity and make it difficult for seniors to meet their retirement goals. As a result, it is important for the Government and individuals to take steps to address retirement adequacy in an inflationary environment.

Given the importance of retirement adequacy, especially in inflationary environment, can MOM provide an update on measures that will be put in place to protect the vulnerability of the seniors and strengthen their retirement adequacy?

SG Made for Families – Parent Care Leave

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon) : Deputy Prime Minister highlighted how we want to help our seniors age with grace, dignity and security. Having good healthcare and retirement funds are important. But none of these are a substitute for time with their children.

Just last Saturday, a resident shared during my home visit at Block 205 that he needed leave from work to bring his mother for her repeated medical appointments.

Legislating parent care leave will let Singaporeans be there to care for their parents. I am sure the Government feels the same way. All public servants have had parent care leave for over 10 years. It is time to expand this to all workers.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis : When DORSCON Green was announced, many Singaporeans shared their fears of having to go back to the pre-COVID-19 way of work – and this has for the most part been quite true.

In fact, many bosses are asking their staff to work from the office, with a preference to "see" their staff working, for fear of them not producing work. As I shared in my Budget debate speech, one friend quipped that his boss said, and I paraphrase, "if you are not in the office, how do I know that you are working?"

This old myth needs debunking. One of many studies has shown that a Chinese company saw a 13% increase in productivity for employees allowed to work remotely in a work-from-home (WFH) experiment. Last year, I called for the public service to take a leadership role and undertake a four-day work week pilot, similar to the one which companies in the UK embarked on. I am pleased to update this House that more than nine out of 10 companies that adopted a four-day working week in the UK trial will continue to use the more flexible way of operating, according to findings.

The White Paper on Women’s Development has also proposed Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) to be a "pervasive and sustainable workplace norm", to foster a more inclusive work environment especially for married women who may otherwise leave the workforce significantly earlier than men. A normalised FWA will enable employees’ FWA requests to be considered fairly, instead of not giving them the real option to begin with.

We understand that there is the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements that will be ready by 2024. And leading up to this, I find it pertinent to maintain that these guidelines should be legislated and enforced, and not be seen as mere guidelines that leaves companies the option of not even extending this option to their employees.

I have mentioned in my previous speeches how other governments have legislated and are looking at ways to strengthen worker’s rights to FWAs, with the key intent on creating a more inclusive work environment for all.

Given the numerous benefits FWA has on women, young parents and the overall well-being of an individual, this should not be seen as a “good to have” or “extra”, but as part and parcel of what companies should offer to their employees.

We had an opportunity to experience what it could look like to have FWAs. I hope that my worst fears of a return to pre-COVID-19 workplace norms in Singapore will not come true.

Creating Inclusive Workplaces

Ms Yeo Wan Ling : Even as many of us at work transit to the new normal, one thing we hope remains the same, Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs). In creating safe and inclusive workplaces, one must not only eliminate discrimination regarding the "who" at work, but also the "how" we choose to engage in our work.

FWAs have proven to be key to allowing employees achieve better work-life harmony and it can promote a more engaged and productive workforce, allowing our workers to accomplish their tasks at work while meeting their personal responsibilities at home.

The recommendations of the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness go hand-in-hand with FWAs, providing the flexibility to accommodate back-to-work women who have to take care of young children or elderly loved ones is a function of ensuring that women who hold multiple roles both at work and at home are not discriminated against for the outsized role we women play in society.

FWAs also not limited merely to that of location but can also be extended to work hours, the work week and even work tasks.

Given the difficulties many industries face regarding manpower, employers need to be ingenious and creative in its adoption of FWAs to ensure that we can maximise our workforce and this can start with our back-to-work women who possess both the skills and desire to return to work.

Recognising the importance of FWAs, I seek the Ministry's clarifications on how it attempts to encourage more companies to continue to embrace FWAs and, in particular, performance appraisals, job and culture redesign, to support women with caregiving responsibilities to say in their jobs or to return to the workplace seamlessly after a hiatus in their careers?

The Chairman : Mr Sharael Taha, both cuts please.

Employment Opportunities – Seniors, PwDs and Part-time Workers

Mr Sharael Taha : Thank you, Chairman. Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) can take the form of flexi-time, flexi-place and flexi-load.

FWAs, together with job redesign, can unlock employment opportunities for seniors, persons with disabilities (PwDs), part-time workers and caregivers. For example, call centre operators or help desk providers can be done remotely via FWAs and this can create opportunities for seniors, PwDs and part-time workers.

Another possibility is to fund training for seniors to be trained as trainers to impart their knowledge to the industry. Given our ageing population and more of our seniors wanting to find employment although at a slower pace, how do we create structural employment opportunities for seniors through job redesign?

Similarly, how can we create structural employment opportunities for PwDs?

In Pasir Ris, we have a few families with adult children with either mild autism or low IQ. One such family in my constituency has three children with disabilities in their 20s and 30s. The parents are in the 60s. The father is the sole breadwinner and the parents are worried for the future of the children. The children have not been able to find employment and are stuck at home all day.

Is there an opportunity for us to encourage businesses to also employ PwDs?

With the extension of the Senior Employment Credit, Part-time Employment Grant and introducing Uplifting Employment Credit for ex-offenders, what is the measure of success for these schemes? How do we ensure that these fundings translate to actual improvements in employment opportunities for seniors, PwDs and part-time workers?

Update on Flexible Work Arrangements

I am heartened to see that while we work towards growing our economy and equipping our workers with the right skill sets, we are also focusing on strengthening our social compact by ensuring growth is inclusive and we have work-life balance for workers in mind.

Anecdotally, through interactions with residents in Pasir Ris, it seems that post-pandemic, a small percentage of workers are either working entirely from home or are going back to work every weekday and the larger proportion of our PMET workforce are on a three plus two or two plus three arrangements of working remotely and working from office.

Does the Ministry have any indicators of the percentage of businesses practising remote working, especially for SMEs as there are many friction points in FWAs between employer and employee, such as working hours, hours of working week and performance assessment, just to name.

Has the number of complaints of perceived unfairness brought about by FWAs increase? What is the progress of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangements and other elements that can be implemented earlier?

The Chairman : Miss Rachel Ong, five cuts.

Raising Workforce Participation of PwDs

Miss Rachel Ong (West Coast) : Data from the Comprehensive Labour Force Survey (CLFS) released earlier this month on 10 February, showed that among resident Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the working ages of 15 to 65 in 2021 and 2022, a majority of 65.7% are outside of the labour force.

Given the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) 2020 estimate of 32,000 PwDs who are of working age, this means about 21,000 working-age PwDs are still outside of the labour force.

Of those outside of the labour force, a majority of 77% or 16,000 PwDs indicate that they are in poor health, too old or disabled to work. However, not much information was provided on what the respondents meant by their being “too disabled” to work.

It would be important for us to find out whether there is a group of PwDs from within the 77% who are actually work-capable but have stayed out of the workforce because they are not aware of what to do or do not believe that there are jobs or workplaces that can accommodate their disability. In better understanding their job search experiences, we can then identify their barriers to participating in the workforce and thus work towards reducing these barriers.

In conjunction with the vision for Singapore as an inclusive society in 2030, I would like to ask the Minister for Manpower if they have further insights gathered from the survey on work-capable PwDs outside the workforce, and how Singapore can raise the workforce participation rate of working-age PwDs?

Workplace Support for PwD Caregivers

As mentioned in my Budget speech, caregivers of people with severe disabilities find great challenges in the work options that allow them to fulfil their ongoing caregiving responsibilities while financially supporting the high medical expenses and future retirement needs for themselves and their wards.

Flexibility regarding work hours and work spaces as well as the ability to take leave when required, are essential for these caregivers. This is because their wards are not work-capable and require consistent care, and caregivers need to be responsive to sudden or emergency needs.

Those who are offered jobs tend to be for roles that underemployed them with significantly lower pay, a trade off that caregivers accept for the flexibility accorded.

Yet, even with these lowered job expectations, such Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) are not easily accessible, as caregivers often are confronted with interviewers and work cultures that have biases against working caregivers of FWAs.

One country that has explored support initiatives for working caregivers is the UK. In the recent years, the UK has seen an uptrend in the number of working caregivers, whether supporting seniors or children. In 2022, this number was one in five residents.

To support them, the UK Civil Service launched an initiative called the Carer's Passport. This Passport provides caregivers and their employers with information about how employees' caring responsibilities impact their work and provides a guided conversation on the flexibility needed to combine work and care.

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It aims to balance the needs of the employee with the needs of the business. Since its launch in 2010, the Carer's Passport has rolled out to hospitals, employers, communities, schools and universities across the UK. I am hopeful that Singapore will one day see value in moving towards such an initiative, given our aging population and also push for larger families and hence, an increasing need for caregivers. After all, close to three-quarter of our caregivers in Singapore are employed.

May I ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Government could consider how a similar arrangement can be made for caregivers of people with severe disabilities, who need to take on flexible work arrangements (FWAs) out of necessity? How may we continue to encourage companies to make FWAs available for a larger range of job competencies, so that our caregivers can support themselves more sustainably?

Caregivers of PwDs Returning to Work

After many years of caregiving, caregivers of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) who have found alternative caregiving options, find it hard to re-enter the workplace due to concerns over age and experience. In their job search, they struggle with the lack of recognition of caregiving skills on the job market, despite their transferability.

These skills can range from project and time management, expanded skills in empathy and stress tolerance, as well as communication skills as they navigate conflict situations in caregiving. Support to identify and recognise these skills in the workplace would be of great value to caregivers.

In interviews, they are uncertain whether how much to share about their caregiving responsibilities for fear of discrimination or negative repercussions on their career due to possible biases by employers. I would like to ask the Minister for Manpower how the Government can support these caregivers in the areas of job search, coaching and preparing them to re-enter the workforce, and perhaps also to reduce biases employers may have against caregivers?

Retirement Adequacy of PwDs

Studies have shown that people with disabilities (PwDs) are poorer and more financially insecure than non-disabled people. Just 31.4% of working aged PwDs in Singapore are employed as of published statistics earlier this month. Granted that some may have the benefit of parents who are able to set up a trust for them via the Special Needs Trust company, not all PwDs have similar access.

I would like to ask the Minister for Manpower what is the assessed retirement adequacy of PwDs as compared to the non-disabled in our workforce and what is being done to raise their retirement adequacy, factoring the medical expenses they need to incur?

Retirement Adequacy for PwD Caregivers

For non-work-capable PwDs, their caregivers become the main source of financial security. In my Budget speech, I had expounded on the high expenses this group of caregivers of people with severe disabilities or rare disorders face, due to the extremely high cost of treatment for their wards, which can amount up to $200,000 a year.

These caregivers spend a large portion of their finances for the treatment of their severely disabled child and ward. With that, we may see that those who spend most of their lives caring for their loved ones will see too little savings for their own retirement.

In Budget 2023, we see that the Government has moved to strengthen retirement adequacy for our seniors. I would like to ask the Minister for Manpower, how might something similar be done for the caregivers of severely disabled persons who often require one parent to stop work, while also managing ongoing high medical expenses?

Support for Hiring Ex-offenders

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (Pioneer): As part of our #EveryWorkerMatters conversation last month, together with my National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) colleagues and volunteers, I had the great opportunity to host a dialogue session at our NTUC premises for more than 100 employers, ex-offenders, Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG), Singapore Prison Service (SPS) and New Charis Mission Friends. This is the first time that NTUC and the Labour Movement has engaged this community for a dialogue.

On another occasion earlier this month, my team and I had an opportunity to engage a group of inmates at Changi Prison, as part of our #EveryWorkerMatters conversation, to share as well as hear their thoughts on jobs, skills, training, and employment and employability in general. I applaud the work of YRSG and SPS, and for making our engagement possible, so that we can hear first-hand from this community as we forge a new workers' compact.

As much as it was happy to hear some employers leaning forward to help and hire ex-offenders, we hear the fears and anxieties from the inmates who are soon to be released and want to re-integrate back into society and the workforce.

I have three suggestions for MOM to consider to help this group of workers: first, MOM should support and better incentivise and encourage employers, businesses and trade associations to hire ex-offenders as well as offer internship opportunities for them, to assist them to assimilate into these jobs.

Second, MOM and our career placement agencies, including the private ones, can provide career coaching, advisory and mentoring services for this group of jobseekers, so that we can minimise the expectation mismatch.

Third, MOM working closely with YRSG and SPS can support employability skills training, including job readiness programmes, such as resume and cover letter writing, navigating the job search and job application process before their eventual release.

After-hours Work Communication

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye : Sir, I first spoke about the need to give employees a right to disconnect from work in July 2020. The Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at the Workplace was subsequently promulgated in November 2020, which included recommendations on after-hours work communication. In September 2021, the Alliance for Action on Work-life Harmony issued a policy template to help companies set clearer boundaries for after-hours work communication. Can MOM provide an update on the adoption of such after-hours work communication policy by companies based in Singapore? What is MOM doing to encourage greater adoption?

According to a 2023 report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), several countries – France, Belgium and Portugal – have legislated laws to allow employees to disconnect. Portugal, for example, labels its work-life balance legislation the "right to rest", with companies of 10 or more staff facing penalties for contacting staff outside of set working hours. The same report also states that multinational corporations (MNCs), including a Belgian chemical company and an Italian bank, have signed multinational agreements with their European Work Councils to support workers' right to disconnect. Can MOM study some of these trends and how we could potentially localise some of these legislative and non-legislative ideas for Singapore?

Mr Chairman : We will have our right to a break after Minister Tan See Leng's speech.

The Minister for Manpower (Dr Tan See Leng) : Unless the Members of the House want to exercise their right to disconnect.

The Chairman : Oh no, no, please proceed. [ Laughter. ]

Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Chairman, I thank our Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) Members of Parliament and the others, who have taken an active interest in MOM's work and spoken in support of our workers and our businesses. Our labour market posted strong growth last year. Total employment grew by more than 200,000 in 2022, surpassing its pre-pandemic level by 3%. Resident employment is already 4.4% above 2019 levels. Resident unemployment rates have recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels. Resident wages also increased at a faster rate. The nominal median income of full-time employed residents grew by 8.3% in 2021. [ Please refer to the clarification further in the debate. ]

It is more than double that of the previous year of 3.2% and even after adjusting for inflation, the real median income growth in 2022 was more than double that of 2021. However, we are at multiple crossroads, the uncertain global economic environment, global inflation and geopolitical challenges in the medium term, will weigh on the labour market going forward.

I hear your concerns about what this means for you and how it will impact your jobs, especially for older workers. But rest assured, we will journey with you every step of the way. Whether you are in your early 20s or 30s, or whether you are in your mid-40s or your late-50s, we will empower you to find and work towards new opportunities. But we need your help, your support to take the first step, to move forward, to improve your career prospects.

If you want a career change, you can be assured of the support we will provide you to upskill and to reskill. If you fall out of employment, you can be assured that we will step in, to help you in your job search. If your interest is in hands-on work, you can be assured of more opportunities to achieve and to be rewarded for the mastery of those skills. And as you approach retirement, you can be assured that if you have worked and contributed consistently to your CPF, you will be able to meet your basic retirement needs in your golden years.

We will leverage our continued economic growth to provide good jobs for you. We will improve and continue to improve, your employment outcomes. And even in the midst of this uncertainty, there are significant opportunities that we can continue to capitalise on. I shared in my speech with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) yesterday, on how we have a suite of programmes to promote talent development in our enterprises.

For those starting out in their careers, there is the Singapore Global Executive Programme (SGEP) to support fresh and recent graduates to pursue structured career progression pathways in high-growth companies. The Global Ready Talent (GRT) programme also helps to build a talent pipeline by co-funding local young talent, to take on both local and overseas internships. The Tech@SG pilot has also created more than 1,500 local jobs in tech startups in the past three years since launch.

And for senior leaders of our promising SMEs, the Enterprise Leadership for Transformation (ELT) programme also helps them to develop their business strategies and leadership capabilities. With the ever-changing economy, we need to continue to press on with economic transformation, to allow us to emerge stronger and to seize new opportunities for Singaporeans. We want you and we invite you to join us on this journey of transformation, and this is why we have been engaging Singaporeans to understand their aspirations, their angst about the economy, their anxieties about the economy and jobs under the Forward Singapore exercise.

It is against this backdrop that MOM's priorities for this Committee of Supply (COS) will centre on three main themes. First, seizing opportunities with you. Number two, strengthening support for you. And last but not least, securing better workplaces with you.

First, we will seize opportunities with Singaporeans by supporting them to improve their career prospects and their resilience, so that they will be empowered to take on good jobs. At the same time, we will continue to be open to workers of the right calibre and in areas where we need them, so that our businesses can build the best team of local and foreign talents to grow. Our growth should also be inclusive and enable all segments of our workers to reap the economic benefits.

Hence, our second focus is to strengthen support for Singaporeans' retirement adequacy by enhancing the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system, so that they can have peace of mind in their golden years. We will also press on with our whole-of-society effort to provide greater support for platform workers, lower-wage workers and senior workers, by protecting their interests at work. Senior Ministers of State Koh Poh Koon and Zaqy Mohamad will elaborate more on our efforts on this front in their respective speeches.

And finally, every one of us desires and deserves a fair opportunity to contribute and thrive at work, which brings me to our third focus, and that is to act collectively as one united society. We must work in solidarity to secure safer, fairer and more progressive workplaces. We will continue to improve employment opportunities for women, for persons with disabilities and ex-offenders. Minister of State Gan Siow Huang will elaborate on these in her speech. We will also continue with the efforts to improve safety in the work place and this will be covered by Senior Minister of State Zaqy in his speech as well.

Let me start by sharing how we are empowering Singaporeans to take on good jobs. We have a strong and vibrant economy that has shown its resilience through COVID-19. We have an exciting vision to continue transforming our economy. To seize these opportunities, Singaporeans will need to stay open to new challenges and careers, and continuously upskill and equip themselves with future skills.

MOM and the Government will be there with you every step of the way in this journey to improve your career prospects.

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During COVID-19, the Government stood up the National Jobs Council (NJC) to provide jobs and skill opportunities amidst a deep recession and a weak labour market.

From April 2020 to April 2022, the combined efforts of the Government, the unions and the employers supported the placement of around 200,000 locals under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, out of which around 150,000 were placed into permanent jobs, with the rest placed into traineeships and attachment opportunities.

WSG and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute's 24 SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres across the country were also able to assist and place 3,400 jobseekers in 2022.

To complement the NJC's work, I set up the Jobs Taskforce in September 2021 with the specific goal of helping more locals enter new jobs in 10 key sectors such as information and communications, manufacturing and financial services.

Mr Abdul Samad would be happy to know that through customised efforts targeted at key sectors, we helped place more than 11,000 locals into new jobs in these sectors.

The NJC and the Jobs Taskforce's achievements are a testament to the calibre and the agility of our local workers. MOM and WSG will continue to help Singaporeans pivot to new jobs and new careers.

For example, WSG offers many Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs). CCPs provide salary and training support to employers to reskill new hires and workers for new or redesigned jobs. In 2022, WSG launched several new CCPs for emerging jobs such as sustainability specialist, carbon project developer and customer intelligence analyst.

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked how we are helping SMEs with hiring. SMEs can tap on the full suite of programmes offered by WSG. In particular, WSG has designed the CCP for SME executives to meet the specific needs of SME hires. This programme helps new employees acclimatise to an SME working environment.

Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Patrick Tay would like to know how we can better support mature workers, including PMEs, in their employment and employability. I appreciate that mature workers may find it slightly more challenging to switch careers. Hence, the CCPs provide an even higher level of support – 90% of salary and training costs – for mature workers aged 40 and above. To provide more options for mature workers, WSG also offers SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways (SGUP), which provides full-time attachments with an allowance for those aged 40 and over.

In 2022, WSG supported about 1,900 workers through CCPs and another 1,100 through SGUP.

One such individual is Mr Noor Hashim, a 50-year-old who was previously an independent systems security auditor with a local security auditor company. He wanted to explore career options in the IT industry and he signed up for a six-month course under the SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme.

Equipped with his new tech skills, Mr Hashim applied for the SGUP Programme on the MyCareersFuture website in September 2022. He landed an attachment role as an IT cloud and infrastructure specialist with the host organisation, Swiz Technologies.

During this six-month attachment, Swiz Technologies provided on-the-job training, including step-by-step demonstrations, to help him understand how to perform the job tasks of an IT cloud and infrastructure specialist.

I am glad to hear that based on his strong performance in the attachment programme, Mr Hashim will be converted to a full-time staff with Swiz Technologies this month.

Ultimately, MOM is here to support Singaporeans' career aspirations. That is why we have been engaging and speaking to Singaporeans from all walks of life to understand their aspirations and their anxieties about the economy and jobs.

These conversations under Forward Singapore have allowed us to come together to forge a new social compact. A social compact has to be mutually reinforcing, mutually consolidating. It is a two-way dialogue so that we can take in your responses and forge a new compact together.

We have worked with the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) to convene a Citizens' Panel on employment resilience and convene a group of citizens to discuss, to propose ideas to increase career mobility and to help workers to bounce back from setbacks such as unemployment. The Citizens' Panel will conclude its work by the end of March and I look forward to hearing their recommendations.

Having heard from many fellow Singaporeans so far, I hear a common theme. Whether you are starting out in your career, whether you are in your mid-career or in a later stage of your career, you aspire to improve your career prospects.

Better career health is key to helping our workers move up the career ladder, stay current and stay employable, or it facilitates them to be able to switch to a new job that can better match their skills and their interests.

I spoke about career health when I launched the Citizens' Panel last month. Just like physical health, career health has three aspects.

One, having better insights and awareness. We need to be more sensitised and to be more aware of our career prospects, relative to how the industry and the economy is growing or transforming.

Two, taking deliberate and purposeful actions to keep up our career health. Information is only meaningful if we process it and we act on it. This means taking pre-emptive and proactive steps to stay ahead of the competition and being ready to seize new opportunities when they come.

Three, how do we bounce back from setbacks? Sometimes, in spite of whatever we do, curve balls will still come our way, out of the blue. We are thinking about how to give a stronger helping hand to help workers to bounce back stronger and better from setbacks. But for this to work, workers need to keep up with their career health so that they are better prepared for setbacks and they are more ready to pick themselves up.

One way MOM is helping to improve awareness on career health is through the Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs). These JTMs provide detailed insights on the impact of technology and automation on jobs in each sector.

Prof Hoon Hian Teck and Mr Sharael Taha asked about how we ensure our workforce is globally competitive, including how to cope with threats arising from artificial intelligence (AI).

These JTMs provide detailed insights on the impact of technology and automation on jobs in each sector. The JTMs will empower you to take control of your career development and progression by giving you information on the critical skill sets you will need to stay relevant and competitive.

Mr Cheng Hsing Yao, Ms Janet Ang and Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked how MOM can support our businesses to grow and cope with manpower shortages.

Fundamentally, to cope with the manpower crunch, businesses must continue to transform, to increase their productivity and to improve manpower efficiency. The Government remains committed to supporting businesses and workers to achieve this.

The JTMs will guide businesses on how they can transform their businesses and their jobs to remain competitive and resilient. To find out more, you can access the JTMs on WSG's website. For individuals, you can also find resources there to reskill, upskill or embark on career transitions.

To date, 10 JTMs have been completed, with eight additional JTMs in progress. One example is the Food Manufacturing JTM launched by Enterprise Singapore in December 2022, which identified emerging job roles such as novel foods technical manager, and set out pathways to redesign jobs. Workers can reskill themselves via programmes such as the CCP for Food Manufacturing Professionals and Associates and SkillsFuture Work-Study Programmes to move into emerging or redesigned roles. There will be more JTMs launched this year.

There is tremendous potential to harness data and AI to provide you more personalised jobs and skill insights. This can help to improve job matching and allow you to better plan what next steps you can take – either to take a course to upskill, to make a career switch or to progress in your career.

I am happy to announce we will launch a new CareersFinder feature on the MyCareersFuture portal in the third quarter of 2023. CareersFinder is a job and skills recommender.

We have heard feedback that some of our workers prefer to explore job opportunities and skills upgrading at the same time as they are inter-related. CareersFinder is the first step to try and integrate job and training recommenders. It uses data on skill adjacencies and job transitions in the labour market to help jobseekers to identify potential career opportunities, personalised based on their individual profiles and recommend suitable training programmes to help them achieve their career goals.

CareersFinder is a new feature, which will be launched in a beta version, but it will become more powerful as the data grows. We will continue to enhance it over time to make it even more responsive to jobseekers' needs. Individuals who wish to find out more about CareersFinder can also register their interest via WSG's website.

Besides supporting workers to reskill and upskill, we need to build a more inclusive labour market that rewards mastery of skills in different areas. Our labour market must also provide multiple pathways to success to cater to different interests and inclinations.

Our society has traditionally valued "head" work much more than "hands-on" work and "heart" work, contributing to occupational wage disparity. But "hands-on" work – the craft required to make something well, to fix a complex machine – is just as important for our society to function, as Mr Edward Chia and Mr Pritam Singh have also highlighted

Many of these "hands-on" jobs require deep skills too. We are partnering NTUC to look into how we can redesign skilled trades, particularly those that remain indispensable in our future economy, to offer better salaries, clearer career and skill progression ladders and other ways to attract, retain and reward workers in these jobs.

Over time, if we are able to shift the prospects and perceptions of such jobs and offer attractive career pathways for skilled trades, we will be able to increase the number of locals in these roles in a sustainable way.

More details on this initiative will be shared at a later date when the Forward Singapore exercise concludes.

A crucial aspect of how we create good opportunities for local workers is by having a vibrant, growing economy that is open to international investments, companies and talent.

Working alongside global talent and in top companies means locals have access to more opportunities to take on challenging assignments and to move up in their careers. This also creates more opportunities for other companies in the ecosystem and in turn creates more good jobs for Singaporeans at every level of the workforce, creating a virtuous cycle.

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas asked about how we will continue to attract top talent to Singapore.

Last year, I announced the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) for talent earning at least $30,000 in fixed monthly salary, which comparable to the top 5% of EP holders, or those with outstanding achievements in arts and culture, sports, research and academia. This was a highly targeted enhancement to attract top talent in diverse fields so that we can keep ahead of the competition. I am happy to say that we have received many promising applications so far from a diverse group of accomplished individuals across sectors.

I would like to share two examples of ONE Pass holders who are making or who have the potential to make positive contributions to Singapore.

Ms Yuki Yasui is the managing director of the Asia Pacific network at the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, a global coalition of leading financial institutions committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of the economy. Ms Yasui plays a key role in driving decarbonisation in Singapore, including helping financial institutions draw up their net-zero transition plans and mobilising finance to support decarbonisation efforts in key industry sectors such as energy, cement and steel.

We also have Prof Rachel Watson, who joined A*STAR this month as the Executive Director of the A*STAR Skin Research Labs and the Skin Research Institute of Singapore. Prof Watson is internationally renowned in dermatology.

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Through her leadership, she will catalyse our local community of research scientists, academics and industry professionals to tackle complex challenges in skin disease and skin health for the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans.

These are just a few examples. We look forward to the valuable contributions that our ONE Pass holders will bring and the opportunities that they will create for Singaporeans.

As Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Yip Hon Weng highlighted, it is key for our foreign workforce to complement our local workforce to drive our local economy. We would also like to assure Mr Yip that MOM collaborates closely with agencies such as MTI and MND to ensure that our economic growth is sustainable, as we maintain a balance between our various objectives. At the last Committee of Supply (COS) debate, I announced significant changes to our foreign workforce policies to strengthen the complementarity of our foreign workforce. Our focus has been on implementing these changes well. Allow me to give you a quick update.

To ensure that foreigners coming in on these passes are of the right calibre, we have benchmarked the cost of hiring an Employment Pass and S Pass holder to the wages of the top one-third of local Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) and the local Associate Professionals and Technicians (APTs) respectively. With these clear benchmarks, employers can expect regular and predictable adjustments to the EP and S Pass qualifying salaries and levies.

This year, there will be no change to the EP qualifying salary. We will, however, proceed with the second step of the increase to the S Pass qualifying salary and Tier 1 levy in September 2023, as I had announced last year. The S Pass minimum qualifying salary will be raised from $3,000 to $3,150. The qualifying salary for older S Pass holders will be higher, given that local APT wages rise with age. The S Pass Tier 1 levy will also increase from the current $450 to $550 in September 2023. Employers will be able to find these details on the MOM website.

COMPASS – a new, transparent and holistic assessment framework for EP applicants – will be applied to new EP applications from September this year. COMPASS incentivises firms to strengthen their local workforce, complemented by a high quality and diverse foreign workforce. We have released details on the four foundational criteria progressively over the past one year. Firms now have access to a Workforce Insights Tool on MyMOMPortal, where they can see how they fare on the firm-level criteria of COMPASS and benchmark their performance to industry peers.

Members may recall that under the COMPASS framework, applicants can score points under Criterion 2 on "Qualifications". Today, employers are already responsible for ensuring the authenticity of their candidate's qualifications before hiring. To safeguard against gaming by submitting fraudulent educational qualifications, employers who wish to score points under Criterion 2 on qualifications, will be required to submit verification proof for qualifications declared on the EP application. We have consulted tripartite partners as well as industry associations and we will implement this new process in September 2023 together with COMPASS. We will share more details in due course. Rest assured we will ensure smooth implementation and we will minimise disruptions to employers' hiring process.

We will be releasing further details on the two bonus criteria, the Skills Bonus (Criterion 5) and the Strategic Economic Priorities Bonus (Criterion 6) later this month. Applicants meeting the respective criteria will earn bonus points towards their total COMPASS score. The Skills Bonus is accorded to EP applicants in occupations on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). The SOL identifies occupations requiring niche and highly specialised skills in short supply within our workforce and which are critical to sustaining investments in both key growth or strategic priority areas.

Mr Gerald Giam asked for an update on the occupations expected to be included in the SOL. MOM, in consultation with sector agencies, is finalising the inaugural SOL. I would like to assure Mr Giam that the evaluation process is a rigorous one, taking into account quantitative metrics of shortage alongside various qualitative factors. One key consideration is ensuring that sector agencies have worked with industry to put in place plans to develop the local pipeline for these good jobs, including working with our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to equip graduates with the necessary skills, as well as developing and upskilling those already in the sector or adjacent roles. Where relevant, the sector agencies also obtained input from industry partners and unions.

The SOL will include specialised roles spanning areas such as tech, healthcare and sustainability, where there are global shortages of skilled professionals. The SOL will be reviewed regularly, with a major refresh every three years. This ensures that the SOL is responsive to industry developments while preserving enough certainty and runway for businesses.

The Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) Bonus was designed together with MTI and participating economic agencies as well as the Labour Movement, NTUC. This is a highly selective bonus which supports firms that are contributing to Singapore's strategic economic priorities through ambitious investment, innovation, internationalisation, or company and workforce transformation activities.

Economic agencies will work with firms receiving the SEP Bonus to pursue these needle-moving economic priorities and who are able to demonstrate their commitment to developing our local workforce. NTUC will work with firms on company and workforce transformation efforts, for example, by establishing Company Training Committees (CTCs) to chart out worker upskilling plans. Firms receiving the SEP bonus would be expected to maintain healthy workforce profiles on nationality diversity and local PMET employment, as a condition for renewal. Full details on the bonus criteria will be released on MOM’s website by the end of March.

Mr Patrick Tay asked for an update on the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF). Since 2016, MOM has engaged a total of more than 1,800 employers under the FCF.

As I announced during last year's COS debate, COMPASS builds on our current efforts under the FCF, by applying firm-related attributes at the point of application. Once COMPASS is rolled out, the FCF Watchlist will be re-purposed to focus on firms scoring poorly on the firm-related attributes. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) will conduct workshops for these firms to highlight measures that firms can take to improve their hiring practices.

Mr Tay also asked to publish the list of companies with weak workforce profiles. I have explained before that doing so will affect the business of these firms and potentially hinder their effort to improve their practices. So, instead, our approach is to have TAFEP work with them to improve their practices. Rest assured that MOM will continue to take fair consideration seriously and I will elaborate on our efforts under the Workplace Fairness Legislation in the second part of my speech.

Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Cheng Hsing Yao have also suggested calibrating our foreign workforce policies further to address issues such as insufficient locals in certain sectors, or in anticipation of our ageing population.

We already do so today. Sectors such as construction and process have higher foreign worker quotas, as we recognise that fewer locals join these sectors and we exercise flexibilities to better support essential services like healthcare and the cleaning of public housing. Our moves announced last year also took on a more nuanced and targeted approach. For instance, businesses that contribute to our strategic economic priorities can tap on the Manpower for Strategic Economic Priorities (M-SEP) scheme to access additional quotas.

Another example is the Non-Traditional Source (NTS) Occupation List. Members would recall that I announced this last year to allow employers in the Services and Manufacturing sectors to hire Work Permit Holders from NTS countries for seven occupational types. This NTS Occupation List is intended to help firms adjust to the S Pass qualifying salary and levy increases. We will hence implement the NTS Occupation List on 1 September this year.

Employers who wish to hire NTS Work Permit Holders will be subject to a sub-quota of 8% and a fixed monthly salary criterion of at least $2,000. The sub-quota guards against over-reliance on NTS workers and ensures that employers diversify their workforce. The salary criterion safeguards against cheap-sourcing and incentivises employers to hire higher-skilled or more experienced workers from these source countries. Employers who are putting their existing NTS S Pass holders on Work Permits will have no trouble meeting the salary criterion. MOM will continue to work closely with the agencies and industries to review the NTS Occupation List from time to time.

Members of the House, our growth must also be inclusive so as to enable all segments of our workers to reap the benefits. We will therefore also further strengthen our support for you. Let me share how we are doing so, especially in the area of retirement adequacy. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon and Senior Minister of State Zaqy will elaborate further on how we intend to strengthen protection and support for Platform Workers, lower-wage workers, senior workers and migrant workers in their speeches.

Even as we were tackling the immediate challenges of the pandemic, we maintained a steady focus on our longer-term objective of enhancing our workers' retirement adequacy.

Mr Abdul Samad and Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked for an update on the retirement adequacy of Singaporeans. We recognise that the number of retiree households has been increasing and thus have been enhancing the CPF system, especially for the vulnerable segments who may require further support, including our senior workers and lower-wage workers.

Over the last decade, the proportion of active CPF members attaining their cohort Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) at age 55 has improved from about five in 10 to almost seven in 10 today. We expect this number to increase to about eight in 10 in 2027.

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman and Mr Yip Hon Weng spoke in favour of enhancing the employability of seniors. That is an important strategy to help CPF members continue to build up their retirement nest egg through employment even after age 55. Senior Minister of State Koh will be elaborating more on our efforts in supporting the retirement adequacy for senior workers.

We also provide additional support for our lower-wage workers. We have implemented enhancements to the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme (WIS) this year to increase the maximum annual payments, up from $4,000 to $4,200 and expanded the coverage so that over half a million lower-wage workers can benefit. Together with the enhanced WIS, our efforts in uplifting the wages of lower-wage workers will help them save more for their retirement. Senior Minister of State Zaqy will share more details later.

For seniors who require further support for their retirement, CPF payouts are one of many sources of retirement income. Seniors may also receive targeted support from the Government through schemes such as ComCare and the Silver Support Scheme, which we enhanced in 2011. [ Please refer to the clarification further in the debate. ]

Further, at Budget 2023, the Government announced enhancements to the Assurance Package and permanent GST Voucher scheme, to help Singaporeans tide through this period of higher inflation and to cushion the impact of the GST rate increase. In addition, seniors may also tap on their accumulated private savings, if available. If not, they may receive additional support from the community such as through charities.

As you can tell, we are building from a position of strength. We are doing more to enhance the CPF system.

Mr Louis Chua asked for a review of the interest rates of the CPF Ordinary Account (OA). We are aware that the OA pegged rate has remained relatively stable amidst the current elevated interest rate environment while the yields of other market instruments of comparable risk and duration have increased.

Let me reassure the Member that we are watching this interest rate environment very closely to ensure that the CPF interest rate pegs remain relevant in the prevailing operating environment, while taking into consideration the longer-term outlook.

3.30 pm

Even as we study this, I should point out that during the low interest-rate environment of the last decade, we have paid a fair interest rate. The 2.5% floor for the OA has exceeded the pegged rate for over 20 years, even when market interest rates were low, such as during the Global Financial Crisis.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked if we intend to revise the interest rates as market interest rates crossed 4% in 2023. The Special Account (SA) interest rate is pegged to the 12-month average yield of 10-year Singapore Government Securities (SGS) plus 1% and is reviewed quarterly. This helps to smoothen the short-term market fluctuations on the interest rates. If the pegged rate exceeds the floor rate of 4%, members will correspondingly earn the higher interest rate on their CPF savings.

On top of this, the Government has and will continue to pay 1% of extra interest on the first $60,000 of members' combined CPF balances, including the first $20,000 in members' OA. Members aged 55 and above receive 2% extra interest on the first $30,000 of combined CPF balances and 1% on the next $30,000.

Mr Louis Chua also asked if the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) could be made more comprehensive and if there could be more direct means by which members can earn higher investment returns other than via CPFIS.

Mr Chua had raised similar points last year. With the benefit of hindsight, it will always appear easy to achieve a higher rate of returns. But we have said before, that higher returns also come with higher risk and a greater potential for losses.

Today, CPF members can invest in a diverse range of products, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), shares and gold products. Members who prefer not to take any risks with their retirement savings already enjoy risk-free interest rates of up to 6% per annum on their CPF savings, where investment risk is entirely borne by the Government.

I would like to reassure Mr Louis Chua that in addition to our recent enhancements to the CPF system, we review CPF interest rates and the range of investment products under the CPFIS regularly to ensure that they remain relevant to members' needs as well as the changes in the operating environment.

I would also like to thank Mr Pritam Singh for his suggestion during the recent Budget debate to reallocate a greater proportion of CPF contributions for younger members to their SA. This was raised by Miss Cheryl Chan during the CPF (Amendment) Bill in 2021 and by Mr Saktiandi Supaat during his cut.

We are considering this idea and are very glad that Members have come out to support it. I sincerely hope that if and when we do eventually put up this proposal, the Workers' Party (WP) would be in full support of it.

To help middle-income Singaporeans save more for retirement, we will also be raising the CPF monthly salary ceiling from $6,000 to $8,000 in 2026 to keep pace with rising salaries. This will be done in phases, starting with $300 this year, to allow employers and employees to adjust to the changes. There will be no change to the annual salary ceiling at $102,000.

An example of a worker who is supportive of the higher salary ceiling is Mr Fadzli Jamil. He is 38 years old and is the associate dean in the School of 3D Design at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). As a result of just raising the monthly salary ceiling for his CPF contributions, he can expect around an additional $100,000 in his combined CPF balances or a $500 increase in his monthly CPF LIFE payouts if he works until age 65 and starts his payouts then. Of course, for each year, should he choose to defer the start of his payouts, his monthly payouts will increase further by up to 7%.

Employers' business costs are also likely to remain manageable as the increases are spread out over four years. The additional business cost impact is around half a billion per annum because not all workers are affected by the maximum increase of $2,000. The annual salary ceiling, which remains unchanged at this juncture, will also limit the impact on business costs.

As part of the Forward Singapore exercise, we are taking a deeper look at what should be done to improve the retirement adequacy of Singaporeans. This is especially relevant with the greater economic uncertainties amidst global challenges, at least in the medium term.

For the group that are in their 50s and early-60s today, they have a limited runway to work and save. With this in mind, we will review our range of solutions both from within and outside the CPF system, such as work-based incentives and the Silver Support scheme, to give them greater assurance that they can meet their basic retirement needs.

We will also do more for our younger and middle-aged workers and the Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors, many of whom are retirees.

Ultimately, we want to strengthen our support such that as long as you work, as long as you contribute consistently to your CPF, you will be able to meet your basic retirement needs. We will provide further updates on our efforts to strengthen the CPF system in due course.

Let me now conclude the first part of my speech and speed up the tea break.

I believe that if we journey through the crossroads together, we will be able to align the crossroads and forge a new social compact, one where the Government, employers and our fellow Singaporeans can work together to improve career prospects, strengthen retirement adequacy and bring fair levels of reward and respect for all forms of work. It is one where no worker is left behind as Singapore progresses.

In your working years, we will empower you to find and work towards new opportunities if you take the first step. We will also help you to upskill, to reskill and to facilitate your job search based on your skills and interests. With improved career health, you will be able to stay ahead of technological trends and seize many new job opportunities within and beyond your sector.

In your golden years, we will support you such that you will be able to have a peace of mind if you have worked and you have contributed consistently to your CPF.

I look forward to having more conversations with you and working together to create an inclusive society abundant and brimming with opportunities. I will share more about securing better workplaces with you in the next segment of my speech. [ Applause. ]

The Chairman : Order. I propose to take a break now.

[(proc text) Thereupon Mr Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House. (proc text)]

Mr Speaker : I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.00 pm. Order. Order.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 3.38 pm until 4.00 pm.

Sitting resumed at 4.00 pm.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Debate in the Committee of Supply resumed. (proc text)]

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

[(proc text) Head S (cont) – (proc text)]

4.00 pm

The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad) : Mr Chairman, earlier, the Minister for Manpower outlined how the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will strengthen our efforts to uplift lower-wage workers and improve workplace safety.

In my speech, I will elaborate on: (a) tripartite progress in implementing Progressive Wage measures; (b) measures to further support and uplift lower-wage workers; and (c) Heightened Safety Period (HSP) measures to strengthen workplace safety and health.

I will also elaborate on our efforts in strengthening human resources (HR) capabilities to support businesses, workforce and workplace transformation.

Chairman, our tripartite journey to uplift lower-wage workers through Progressive Wages started more than 10 years ago with the first Progressive Wage Model (PWM) in the cleaning sector in 2012. PWMs and other tripartite efforts have borne fruit.

Last year, real incomes of lower-wage workers grew by 4.7%, faster than the median worker at 2.0%. This means that as costs of living rose, the incomes of lower-wage workers rose even more. More importantly, we are narrowing the income gap between lower-wage workers and the median worker. We will continue our efforts to support lower-wage workers so that they achieve stronger wage outcomes.

The year 2023 is a milestone year in our journey of uplifting lower-wage workers. We will see all recommendations of the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower-Wage Workers fully implemented by July. This follows the implementation of various PWMs, the Local Qualifying Salary requirement and Progressive Wage Mark – last September, and in March this year.

Allow me to update on the progress that tripartite partners have made. With your permission, Mr Chairman, may I ask the Clerks to distribute a handout detailing our efforts to support our lower-wage workers.

The Chairman : Please proceed. [ A handout was distributed to hon Members. ]

Mr Zaqy Mohamad : Thank you, Chairman. Members may also access the handout through the SG Parl MP mobile app.

Last September, we implemented the new Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) requirement for all firms that employ foreign workers to pay their local workers at least the LQS.

At the same time, we also introduced the retail PWM, and extended existing cleaning, security and landscape PWMs to in-house workers.

In January, we launched the Progressive Wage Mark accreditation scheme.

Starting from today, we embark on another milestone. The Food Services PWM and Occupational Progressive Wages for Administrators and Drivers will come into effect.

With the implementation of the Waste Management PWM this July, the suite of Progressive Wage moves will benefit up to nine in 10 of our full-time lower-wage workers.

Workers covered by Sectoral Progressive Wages will see cumulative wage increases of up to 80% or more, by 2028.

PWMs will continue to set the pace for wage increases for lower-wage workers. Amidst a tight labour market, lower-wage workers who are not directly covered by Progressive Wages should still see meaningful wage increases, as employers will have to adjust according to market forces to attract and retain workers.

Chairman, with almost all PWMs implemented, our attention is now focused on ensuring that employers understand the requirements and comply with them.

Employers must pay workers the right PWM wage based on the PWM job role. We recognise that the PWM requirements are new for many employers and employers need time to understand them and make necessary HR or operational changes to comply.

Hence, for new PWMs implemented since last September, MOM allowed a run-in period of six months, where we invested time to educate employers and workers on the requirements. After the run-in period, employers who are found to be non-compliant may face suspension of their Work Pass privileges.

Some Members such as Mr Raj Joshua Thomas and Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman asked how PWM might affect employers' manpower deployment or workforce restructuring plans.

Tripartite partners recognise that employers may need to adjust manpower deployment plans or their workforce structure, based on their operating environment. However, when there is a need to make adjustments, employers should act in accordance with well-established tripartite advisories, such as the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower (TAMEM).

Employers should engage and discuss with unions and employees and reach an agreement before implementing any measures. Most importantly, employers should also pay special attention to minimise the impact of any measure on our lower-wage workers. These principles should be adhered to, with or without PWM. That is the basic fundamental.

I thank employers for working closely with the Government and the Labour Movement thus far on this important endeavour of uplifting our lower-wage workers. I also agree with Ms Yeo Wan Ling and Mr Xie Yao Quan that consumers and service buyers also play an important role in our whole-of-society effort to support and uplift lower-wage workers.

In January, the Government launched the Progressive Wage Mark, or PW Mark, to help consumers and service buyers more easily identify firms that are paying Progressive Wages and support them.

Employers who also adopt the Tripartite Standard on Advancing Well-Being of Lower-Wage Workers will be accredited with the Progressive Wage Mark Plus. These are employers who not only pay progressive wages, but also implement other measures that support lower-wage workers, such as providing for rest areas.

Since applications opened last December, about 2,000 companies have received the Progressive Wage Mark.

The Government will take the lead in this effort and help further the adoption of the Progressive Wage Mark. For new tenders called from today onwards, the Government will require eligible suppliers and subcontractors to be accredited with the Progressive Wage Mark for the duration of the contract period. From 1 March next year, we will extend this requirement to quotations as well. This will cover the slew of tenders and quotations for procurement by the Government.

Uplifting lower-wage workers is our collective responsibility as a society. I strongly encourage employers to do their part by paying progressive wages and apply for the Progressive Wage Mark or Progressive Wage Mark Plus.

Consumers and service buyers can show their support and solidarity with our lower-wage workers by purchasing from Progressive Wage Mark-accredited companies.

Chairman, the PWMs have set strong wage growth targets, on average of about 8% year-on-year. To support wage growth of our lower-wage workers, while balancing the uncertain economic conditions facing employers, we will continue to provide strong support to employers in adjusting to Progressive Wage measures.

Last year, the Government introduced the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS) to help employers adjust to the new Progressive Wage and LQS requirements, and other voluntary wage increases for lower-wage workers.

The Deputy Prime Minister announced in his Budget Statement for FY2023 that the Government will increase our PWCS co-funding share for wage increases given this year, in 2023. Similar to the enhancement made last year, the Government will co-fund up to 75% of wage increases for eligible lower-wage workers, including those not covered by our Progressive Wage moves.

All in all, these PWCS enhancements will offset a significant proportion of immediate cost pressures on employers arising from our efforts to uplift lower-wage workers and mitigate cost transfer to consumers.

I urge employers to take the opportunity to accelerate their business transformation plans so that we can improve productivity, upskill our workers, and ensure that we can continue to close the income gap sustainably over the long term.

Workfare is one of the key pillars of Government's support for our lower-wage workers. The Workfare Skills Support Scheme (WSS) is an important scheme that supports the upskilling of lower-wage workers, to improve their employability and earnings.

Under WSS, employers who send lower-wage workers for training receive an Absentee Payroll subsidy of 95% of their workers' basic hourly wage.

Employees who self-sponsor their training will receive a training allowance, which offsets their opportunity costs of training.

WSS has been successful in supporting lower-wage workers in achieving more impactful employment outcomes. This is why we will be enhancing WSS from July this year.

To allow more lower-wage workers to benefit from WSS and upskill earlier in their careers, we will first lower the eligibility age for WSS from 35 to 30 years old. Additionally, workers earning up to $2,500 a month will now be able to qualify for WSS, up from the current qualifying income cap of $2,300. With these enhancements, 70,000 more lower-wage workers will be eligible for WSS.

In addition, as lower-wage workers who achieve Full Qualifications through WSS are more likely to earn higher wages, we will raise the Training Commitment Award for Full Qualifications from $500 to $800, to encourage more lower-wage workers to undertake deeper and more sustained training.

Last year, the Government announced significant enhancements to the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme (WIS) which have taken effect from January 2023.

The enhancements increased coverage by extending Workfare to those aged 30 to 34 years, from 35 years and older previously, as well as raising the qualifying monthly income cap to $2,500 from $2,300 previously.

In addition, Workfare payments have been increased to up to $4,200 per year, from up to $4,000 previously – that is about $350 a month. All persons with disabilities (PwDs) will also qualify for the highest Workfare payment tier of up to $4,200, regardless of age.

With these enhancements, over half a million lower-wage workers will benefit from payments amounting to $1.1 billion, up from $850 million previously.

Collectively, the Progressive Wage moves, WSS and WIS strengthen our support for our lower-wage workers.

Chairman, moving on to workplace safety and health (WSH). Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Melvin Yong have asked about the Government's efforts to reduce workplace fatalities and injuries and instilling a stronger safe operations culture.

In 2022, MOM introduced various measures to address the spate of workplace fatalities. We ended 2022 with a total of 46 workplace fatalities and a fatality rate of 1.3 per 100,000 workers, which was higher than the pre-COVID-19-pandemic rates of 1.1 in 2019 and 1.2 in 2018.

The number of workplace fatalities would have been higher without the implementation of the Heightened Safety Period (HSP) measures last September.

The average number of fatalities per month reduced from 4.5 in January to August 2022, before HSP, to 2.5 in September to December 2022 during HSP. The average of 2.5 fatalities per month brings the annualised fatality rate to 0.8 per 100,000, which is below our WSH2028 target of 1.0 and much lower compared to 1.5 before HSP. What this suggests is that the industry can keep the fatality numbers low if we put our hearts and minds to it.

We also monitor major injuries closely as these reflect persistent safety lapses and have debilitating effects. The average monthly major injuries worsened from 49.1 before HSP to 55.3 during HSP.

But it is not all doom and gloom because we found that the impact of HSP was uneven across sectors. There are major injuries that have high probability of fatalities and there are also major injuries like slips, trips and falls which have low probability of fatality.

Although the monthly average fatal and major injuries in the construction sector showed the most improvement, the monthly average fatal and major injuries worsened for the manufacturing sector. So, when the rate for the construction sector came down, that also resulted in fewer fatalities because major injuries there tend to be more fatal. We also monitored and saw that for transportation and storage, the monthly average fatal injuries remained the same, while major injuries worsened. Nonetheless, this suggested that more targeted sectoral measures were needed.

So, to Members' questions as to what we are doing differently? As part of our HSP measures, we stood up the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce, which comprises lead agencies of the sectors that contributed most of the fatal and major injuries. This aims to study additional broad-based, and at the same time, sectoral measures that should be implemented, by looking into the different risk profile and impact of HSP in each sector.

4.15 pm

We also convened the International Advisory Panel on Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) in January 2023. MOM and our sector agency partners will also take into account their recommendations. So, it is both MOM at the broad-based level and we also have agencies involved at the sectoral level.

With effect from today, MOM has extended the HSP by three months till 31 May 2023 to drive further WSH improvement and maintain vigilance.

It is important for corporate senior leadership to take charge and be accountable for workplace safety and health. Their influence and control over workplace resources and priorities drive the safety culture in their organisations. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, they are liable for ensuring their workers' safety and health.

The approved Code of Practice for Company Directors' WSH Duties gazetted last October provides practical guidance on how they may fulfil their legal WSH obligations.

As part of the HSP extension, MOM introduced additional measures to strengthen WSH ownership among company leaders. CEOs or board of directors of companies found to have serious WSH lapses following serious workplace incidents have to attend a mandatory half-day in-person WSH training course. So, it is always continuous learning for them too.

MOM will also increase the maximum fines to deter errant workplace safety and health behaviour.

To strengthen the workplace safety and health ecosystem, we will also launch a campaign to encourage and empower workers to speak up on workplace safety and health concerns and raise awareness on the protections for workers who whistle-blow.

To Mr Leon Perera's question earlier about whistle-blowing, under the WSH Act today, there are already existing protections for whistle-blowers. Employers cannot dismiss or threaten them. To dismiss them will be a WSH contravention and we will take action.

I can assure the Member that MOM will facilitate the change of employers if there is a reason to and we will do so if you have any specific cases you want to raise to us.

To Mr Melvin Yong's query, HSP was a useful wake up call to all employers and workers to be extra vigilant. But it cannot continue indefinitely. What we do need to do is to strengthen workplace safety and health standards and practices in a sustainable manner for the long term.

This is why we are considering deeper reforms, both broad-based and sectoral measures, as part of the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce. We will announce these measures when ready.

The improvements seen during HSP demonstrate that safer workplaces are possible.

As Mr Christopher de Souza and Dr Wan Rizal said, everyone must play our part to uplift workplace safety and health so that our workers can have a peace of mind when they return home safely to their loved ones.

Starting with the top management, company directors and CEOs must set the culture of their organisations where safety consciousness is integrated in all of its operations and provide a safe work environment with appropriate and adequate training for their workers, supported by supervisors and safety professionals.

Workers themselves are responsible for following safe work procedures to ensure their own safety and that of others in the workplace. They should report all unsafe practices to their supervisors and if their concerns are not addressed, they should alert MOM or their union representatives. We will take action.

Union leaders should join company management for walkabouts to strengthen top management's commitment to their workers.

Members of the public can also be our "eyes on the ground" by reporting unsafe practices to MOM. For example, you may report workers who are working at height without safety harnesses. You can do so via MOM's website or hotline or the QR code found on project signboards. MOM will follow up on these reports. We will take errant employers to task.

MOM will continue to work with companies, industry associations and workers to build a stronger workplace safety and health culture. Together, we can get back on track with our Workplace Safety and Health 2028 mission to reduce the fatal injury rate to below one per 100,000 workers and join just four countries in the OECD that have achieved this fatality rate. The reason why I say that this is a target is because there are very few countries that can achieve this and we are setting very high standards for ourselves.

Beyond workplace safety, promoting physical health at workplaces is also important.

Mr Leon Perera asked about service staff having the right to sit. The Employment Act establishes some rules on working hours to protect employees' well-being. For example, employees covered under Part 4 of the Act should have at least one rest break for every six consecutive hours of work.

Besides legislation, the Government also promotes the provision of proper rest areas for employees. We are mindful of the wide range of work settings for which it will not be appropriate to impose excessive or overly prescriptive regulations. Nonetheless, we are open to discussing with tripartite partners and industry associations on possible tripartite guidance on best practices for employers.

We encourage all employers to provide adequate rest and welfare for all staff, including service staff, and tap on the Workcare Grant should they require support to do so. It is only right for employers to provide their staff with a conducive work environment. Staff will also be motivated and engaged as a result.

Moving on to HR capabilities. Chairman, let me also share our efforts to strengthen HR capabilities.

Post-pandemic, a strong HR is a critical enabler of business and workforce transformation. From helping businesses attract the right talent to implementing fair and inclusive employment practices, HR will play an integral role. We will do more to support and build up the capabilities of our HR workforce.

IHRP is a tripartite organisation that supports the professional development of aspiring and existing HR professionals. I would like to assure Mr Patrick Tay that the IHRP certification framework is robust as it ensures that HR professionals have the right mindset and knowledge on manpower regulations, including fair employment practices, labour management system and existing Tripartite Guidelines.

All certified HR professionals join a vibrant community which provides access to an extensive professional network and resources. One example is the IHRP playbooks. These playbooks are developed with master or senior HR professionals to provide the community with curated best practices and tools that they can adopt in their organisations to respond to workforce challenges.

To date, IHRP has produced seven such books, covering important issues such as the emergence of hybrid workplaces, digital transformation and the promotion of mental well-being. We encourage firms and company HR leaders to adopt them.

The community of IHRP-certified professionals has tripled since 2020 and is now over 6,500 strong. This suggests that businesses and HR professionals see value in certification.

While we echo Mr Patrick Tay's call to have more HR professionals certified, we have no plans to make it mandatory at this point. We are mindful of imposing regulatory costs on businesses. Besides, good HR practices apply to all companies, whether or not they hire foreign manpower.

Nevertheless, I agree with the Member that besides HR, People Managers also play a critical role in supporting good human capital practices. To this end, MOM will work with IHRP and its partners on the suggestion to better equip People Managers with requisite HR knowledge and progressive practices.

Besides IHRP certification, we agree with Mr Edward Chia that HR professionals also need to continually update their skills and hone their expertise. Continuous professional development is a key part of being a certified HR professional. HR professionals can take up IHRP skills badges in emerging areas such as strategic workforce planning and talent management.

IHRP has been appointed by SkillsFuture Singapore as a Skills Development Partner (SDP). MOM is working with IHRP to more responsively identify skills gaps and develop skills-based credentialling pathways for HR professionals.

Professionalising our HR workforce and equipping them with relevant skills and mindsets is necessary but insufficient in itself. Enterprises must make use of these highly skilled HR professionals to transform their HR capabilities.

To this end, Mr Edward Chia will be pleased to know that MOM will be launching a five-year HR Industry Transformation Plan. This will set out a roadmap for MOM to work together with sector agencies, the industry and the unions to spur HR transformation and build a future-ready HR workforce. More details will be released later. Watch out for it. Mr Chairman, may I just cover the last bit in Malay, please?

( In Malay ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mr Chairman, as stated by the Minister for Manpower, the Government is committed to ensuring that our workforce policies provide more opportunities for all.

Helping lower-wage workers has always been one of MOM's priorities. Since the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) was introduced more than 10 years ago, it has contributed significantly to raising wages and supporting the lives of our lower-wage workers.

By July this year, we will expand the Progressive Wage measures to cover up to nine in 10 lower-wage workers. This not only covers workers in the cleaning, security, landscape as well as lift and escalator maintenance, but also new sectors such as food services, retail, waste management and occupations such as administrators and drivers.

Workers in these sectors will enjoy significant wage increases and be given training opportunities as well as career progression.

With this, workers covered by the Sectoral Progressive Wages will see cumulative wage increases of up to 80% or more by 2028. For example, we can expect cleaners to get at least $2,420 by 2028, while security officers will get $3,530 by 2028.

All other local workers working with companies employing foreign workers will also be paid at least the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) amount of $1,400 monthly.

On the whole, these measures will support our goal of bridging the wage gap further between lower- and middle-income workers. At the same time, workers must play their part in training and skills upgrading.

( In English ): Chairman, the Government is committed to strengthening the support of our lower-wage workers and partnering employers to improve workplace safety.

We must all do our part for a more inclusive and cohesive society, where everyone enjoys the fruits of growth and no worker is left behind as Singapore progresses. Society must also continue to appreciate and respect workers in all trades.

The Chairman : Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon.

The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) : Mr Chairman, in today's challenging economic climate, senior workers and platform workers require stronger safety nets for their housing and retirement needs and better protections for their livelihoods.

The proportion of Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) has remained steady at about 8% to 10% of the resident workforce. However, with the rise of platform-enabled work, platform workers have become a fast-growing group of SEPs.

Several Members, including Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Ms Yeo Wan Ling, highlighted the need to reduce the risks that platform workers face during the course of their work and made suggestions on how to better support them.

Indeed, the Government recognises the precarious nature of platform work. Unlike typical SEPs, platform workers are subject to management control by platform companies and tend to have modest incomes.

This is why in November last year, the Government accepted the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers in full. CPF contributions to Special and Ordinary Accounts, enhanced representation and also work injury compensation for platform workers will commence from the second half of 2024.

Other countries are also looking at ways to protect their Platform Workers. In Spain, the Government passed the Riders’ Law in 2022 that recognises food delivery riders working for digital platforms as employees. The US Labour Department proposed a rule that would make it easier for platform workers to be considered as employees, with the same access to benefits and federal labour protections. While the UK has no Platform Worker-specific legislation, their courts have ruled on the status of Platform Workers’ status using the case law approach.

4.30 pm

Here in Singapore, instead of simply designating Platform Workers as employees or leaving it to the Courts to decide on a matter of policy, we have taken a carefully considered Tripartite approach to provide three specific areas of legislated protections for our Platform Workers.

Over the course of a wide-ranging segment of engagements by the Advisory Committee that lasted for over a year, Platform Workers and Platform Companies emphasised that the flexible nature of platform work was a key feature of the ecosystem that should be preserved.

Platform Workers desire the flexibility to choose when and how much they want to work. Platform Companies need the flexibility to efficiently match the supply and demand of labour to meet consumer needs. Simply designating Platform Workers as employees would constrain this flexibility and autonomy that both the company and the workers desire.

Our approach strengthens the protections for Platform Workers while retaining the advantages of platform work, so that the platform system can remain sustainable in the longer term.

This is our unique tripartite approach. Since the Government’s acceptance of the recommendations, we have made good progress working through complex issues with our key stakeholders, including tripartite partners, Platform Workers and Platform Companies. Let me share some updates.

We started a new Platform Workers Work Injury Compensation Implementation Network (PWIN) to look into how the existing Work Injury Compensation system for employees can be adapted to reap its benefits, such as adequate coverage and expeditious claims, while taking into consideration the unique nature of the platform work.

Ms Hazel Poa and Ms Yeo Wan Ling spoke about the need to address concerns on the housing and retirement needs of Platform Workers.

In principle, Platform Workers of the same age and income level as employees should be able to achieve a similar level of retirement adequacy through their CPF savings, if they have worked for the same number of years. However, unlike employees, Platform Workers only make MediSave contributions on their own and do not receive CPF contributions from the Platform Companies today.

Hence, the Committee recommended aligning CPF contribution rates by Platform Companies and Platform Workers with that of employers and employees respectively. This will help Platform Workers build up their savings in their CPF Ordinary and Special Accounts, on top of their MediSave Accounts. It also ensures a level playing field for all companies operating in the same field in Singapore and allows Platform Workers to receive similar basic protections as employees.

This alignment will be gradually phased in, starting from the second half of 2024. It will be mandatory for the cohort of Platform Workers below 30 years old in the year of implementation, meaning those born in or after 1995.

In fact, a study by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) found that younger Platform Workers expressed stronger preference for additional CPF contributions to help meet their housing needs, as they were more likely to have housing obligations, or have plans to buy a house.

One of the Platform Workers IPS spoke to as part of their studies last year was Hamza. He had to fork out a large amount of cash for his new house just when he first switched to private hire driving. This caught him off guard and he felt it would have been less of a concern for him if he had a job that provided CPF contributions.

Once the Committee’s recommendations on CPF have been implemented, Platform Workers like Hamza will be able to tap on the additional CPF contributions to the Ordinary Account to pay for their housing loans instead of using cash. We hope that this will help to relieve the stress felt by many younger Platform Workers on servicing their housing loans.

Older Platform Workers born before 1995 can opt in for CPF contributions. To Ms Hazel Poa’s question, the decision to opt in would not be reversible. Platform Workers today have a concession to opt in for CPF, which is a choice that employees do not have. Staying committed to these CPF contributions and allowing the earnings to accumulate interest over time is what will help these workers develop housing and retirement adequacy.

Furthermore, in discussions with Platform Companies, it would be complex and add to compliance cost if Platform Workers are allowed to opt out after opting in. This is the feedback we get from the implementation discussions we have with these companies.

We strongly recommend that older cohorts of Platform Workers opt in, as they can similarly benefit from having additional contributions by the Platform Companies to build up their retirement nest egg.

In fact, with the additional CPF contributions from Platform Companies, Platform Workers aged above 65 will be able to receive the same level of CPF contributions as employees of the same age, without having to make additional CPF contributions themselves. Like employees, Platform Workers who earn between $50 and $500 a month will also be able to receive CPF contributions from the Platform Companies without having to make CPF contributions on their own.

Companies, workers and consumers all recognised the need for more protections for Platform Workers during our engagements with them. But there were concerns about the cost impact of these recommendations. Ms Hazel Poa will be happy to note that the Government intends to phase in the additional CPF contributions evenly across five years, at around 2.5 percentage points per year for the Platform Workers and about 3.5 percentage points per year for Platform Companies.

This will help to address their concerns and smoothen the transition. We will calibrate this further if necessary.

Platform Workers are likely to see an increase in their total earnings after factoring in additional CPF contributions from Platform Companies. But at the same time, I know that some Platform Workers are concerned about the impact of the CPF changes on their take-home pay. This is why we will provide transitional support targeted at the lower-income Platform Workers earning up to $2,500 a month who see an increase in their CPF contribution rates, as Deputy Prime Minister announced during the Budget.

I hope this addresses the concerns from Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Saktiandi Supaat and Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

In addition, Platform Workers who align their CPF contributions to employees earlier will receive stronger support. In the first year, we will offset 75% of the additional contribution the Platform Worker makes to the Ordinary and Special Accounts. The offset will taper down gradually over the next three years of the phase-in period for CPF contribution.

And to Mr Liang Eng Hwa’s appeal for the Government to support Platform Workers with reemployment and reskilling, I want to assure him that regardless of how long Platform Workers decide to stay in platform work, we will support those who wish to transit to other sectors, through the Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs) which provide salary and training support to employers to reskill new workers, and the Jobs and Skills Centres, which provide career coaching and advice, both of which Minister had mentioned earlier on in his speech.

Once the CPF contribution rates of Platform Workers have been fully aligned with that of employees, we will also permanently increase Workfare payments for these Platform Workers to match those of employees. This means that eligible Platform Workers could receive up to $4,200 per year, an increase from $2,800 per year today, with 40% of these given in cash compared to the 10% today.

Their increase in Workfare payments will be fully in cash.

From the second half of 2024, all Platform Workers eligible for WIS will also start to receive monthly instead of yearly WIS payments. We will be able to do so by then, as Platform Workers’ CPF contributions will be made more regularly, instead of the current arrangements in which they receive WIS only on a yearly basis after they declare their Net Trade Income at the end of each year and made the required MediSave contributions.

So, as a result of a more regular contribution, we will be able to have a mechanism to give WIS more regularly as well.

The above measures will mitigate the concerns in take-home pay while ensuring Platform Workers receive a significant boost to their retirement savings. Take for example a median income Platform Worker who turns 30 in 2024 and opts in from the start for the CPF contributions. Based on our estimates, he can use about $450,000 in CPF savings by age 65 for his housing and retirement needs.

In my engagements with Platform Workers, they also raised concerns about Platform Companies discriminating against those who opted for CPF, by assigning less jobs to them, a point that some Members raised as well.

The Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness has, in its recently released interim report, recommended that the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) be enhanced to provide clarity that intermediaries, including Platform Companies, should treat workers fairly, including contracted workers, like Platform Workers.

What this means is that Platform Companies must not discriminate when assigning work and MOM will investigate any unfair practices. So, this is the assurance we want to give to all the workers out there if you have this concern.

While the impact of discrimination on earnings has been top of mind for many Platform Workers, in my engagements with them, many also raised concerns about issues such as working conditions, earnings, safety at work and timely dispute resolution with customers.

A prevalent sentiment amongst many of them, is that they are often not accorded due recognition on their feedback and concerns.

Addressing these issues requires a balanced relationship between the Platform Workers and the Platform Companies. Platform Workers should be provided a clear representative voice to surface their concerns to maintain industrial peace and harmony within the platform ecosystem.

This relationship must be premised on Singapore’s unique approach of tripartism that encourages consultation, open communication and conciliation. The ability for Platform Workers to represent themselves and negotiate for their interests is critical as the industry continues to evolve and business models continue to change.

In other countries like the UK and Spain for instance, unions have entered into collective agreements with platform companies to negotiate better working conditions, in areas such as earnings, grievance handling and safety. In Singapore, currently, there are associations that represent these Platform Workers, but they are not formally recognised within our industrial relations framework and therefore they lack the mandate to negotiate on their behalf.

While other jurisdictions have taken the approach of allowing platform workers to unionise in the same way that employees do, we recognise that the platform sector is distinct from traditional employment sectors. For instance, unlike employees, Platform Workers multi-home on different App platforms and are more geographically dispersed and transient in the time that they use to work or receive work. This has implications on how they can organise themselves and how their representatives are chosen.

The platform economy is also dynamic. Business models can evolve very rapidly and this has implications on what both parties can negotiate on.

Therefore, the representation framework has to be suited to the needs and characteristics of the platform sector. A Tripartite Workgroup (TWG), comprising our tripartite partners, representatives from the Platform Companies and also existing Platform Worker associations, is currently in discussions to determine how a representative body can formally seek mandate to represent Platform Workers collectively, through a framework that is backed by law.

This tripartite set-up was a deliberate move. The TWG was designed as an avenue for tripartite partners to co-create this framework. Through this process, they develop shared ownership of the eventual framework but more importantly, they build mutual trust. This is fundamental to fostering harmonious industrial relations in the platform space, which has been a core strength in our Singapore’s labour landscape. And we need to cultivate this same spirit of tripartism in the platform ecosystem.

The discussions are making good progress and the tripartite partners have been guided by three key principles.

First, stakeholders agree to uphold the spirit of tripartism, which has achieved good outcomes for businesses and workers, and can also help the platform sector evolve sustainably, to benefit both Platform Companies and Platform Workers.

Second, stakeholders recognise that while the current representation framework in the employment space works well and is a useful reference, the platform space is different from regular employment and the representation model will need to be adapted accordingly.

Third, stakeholders agree that the representation framework should be flexible enough such that individual representatives of Platform Workers and Platform Companies have the maximum space to negotiate and find win-win outcomes that are fair to all parties. Exercising good sense and goodwill is key to this endeavour. We will provide further updates once the TWG has completed its work in a few months.

Mr Chairman, strengthening protections for platform workers will require a whole-of-community effort. These decisive moves are necessary for a more inclusive society. Everyone has a part to play to safeguard the interests of platform workers today so that they can be better prepared in the face of future economic uncertainties.

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Platform workers themselves will need to set aside savings for their component of CPF contributions. They will in turn receive contributions from platform companies who tap on them for labour. Singaporeans, as consumers, are willing to bear some increases in costs to platform services, knowing that their contributions will make a difference to enhance protections for platform workers.

The Government will implement the recommendations in stages over the next few years and provide transitional support to allay the impact to the platform ecosystem and to consumers. This is how we build a social compact and engender a more inclusive society.

As Ms Denise Phua and Mr Saktiandi Supaat pointed out, there are other groups of SEPs who have greater control over their own business models and are not subject to similar levels of management control as platform workers, but who also face unique challenges over the course of their work.

We will continue to review if there is a need to go beyond encouraging SEPs to make voluntary contributions to their CPF accounts, taking into account the needs and challenges of SEPs as well as the nature and context of their work arrangements.

As a diverse group with different needs, support to SEPs is usually tailored to the needs of the sectors they function in.

Specific to Ms Denise Phua's question on the support for arts and sports SEPs, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) will share more about their initiatives to better support their professional needs in their Committee of Supply (COS) debates.

Next, I would like to focus on our efforts to support our mature workers. With better health and life expectancy, more seniors are capable of remaining in productive employment and supporting their own retirement.

Hence, over the last few years, we have put in place structures and policies to support senior workers who wish to work longer to do so and to achieve stronger retirement adequacy as they do so.

Through these efforts, our senior resident employment rate has remained healthy and even increased despite the economic turbulence in the past few years of the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2022, the employment rate rose from 67.6% to 70.6% for seniors aged 55 to 64 and from 44.6% to 47.5% for seniors aged 65 to 69. This places our employment rate at 11th and fourth respectively when compared with the OECD countries. This is comparable to other Asian countries such as South Korea.

We will seize this momentum and continue to strengthen support for our senior workers who wish to continue working.

Sir, allow me to continue the rest of my speech in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] Mr Yip Hon Weng has asked about how the Government can ensure that our senior workers can continue to contribute to the economy.

Over many years, we have put in place policies to support senior workers to continue to work for longer if they wish to do so, and build towards stronger retirement adequacy.

As a result, our senior resident employment rate has remained healthy and even increased despite the recent economic turbulence.

We will continue to strengthen support for our senior workers.

We have raised the statutory retirement and re-employment ages to 63 and 68 respectively this year. This supports senior workers to continue working longer, if they wish to.

We will also extend the Senior Employment Credit (SEC) until 2025 to support employers who hire senior workers. Under the SEC, employers that hire Singaporean workers aged 60 and above and earning up to $4,000 per month can expect up to 8% of wage offsets. These wage offsets will be automatically disbursed to employers who qualify.

In response to Mr Desmond Choo's question, I am happy to announce that the Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) will be extended to 2025. This grant will increase the availability of part-time re-employment to senior workers in participating companies.

To receive up to $125,000 in grant support, employers have to offer part-time re-employment, implement flexible work arrangements (FWAs) at the workplace and adopt structured career planning for their mature and senior employees aged 45 and above.

This will help more senior workers to stay in employment, develop the skills needed to grow with the company, and extend their career longevity.

Senior workers themselves, too, play a key role to make this process a success. I encourage them to be open and proactive in embracing new opportunities, and ready to upskill and pivot to new job roles as they emerge.

( In English ): I want to thank Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Heng Chee How, Mr Liang Eng Hwa and Mr Sharael Taha for their support for these efforts that will benefit senior workers.

Ms Jessica Tan also asked how many enterprises have taken up both schemes and the roles those senior workers took on.

The Senior Employment Credit (SEC) has in fact benefited almost 100,000 employers that hired over 461,000 senior workers since it was introduced. At the same time, more than 5,700 employers successfully applied for the Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) and committed to implementing progressive senior employment policies, which we expect to benefit over 45,000 senior workers.

Employers from a wide variety of sectors have benefited from both schemes, such as wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food service activities, and manufacturing. These employers offer a range of job roles.

Mr Leslie Basil Danker is one of our senior workers who has been with the renowned Raffles Hotel Singapore for 51 years. He has been a beneficiary of the Part-time Re-employment Grant. Since starting out with the maintenance department in 1972, Mr Danker has taken on various event management roles and supervisory responsibilities. Today, he is the mentor resident historian of Raffles Hotel, working on a part-time basis. This arrangement allowed him to wind down and spend more time with his family while continuing to share the hotel's rich history with guests through guided tours. Perhaps some of you might be on his guided tour one of these days.

His detailed knowledge of the hotel's roots came to the fore during the hotel's landmark restoration process from 2017 to 2019, where he worked closely with engineers, architects and interior designers for the undertaking of the renovation.

This is an excellent example of how the Part-time Re-employment Grant has benefited both the senior worker and the employer.

Applications for the Part-time Re-employment Grant will reopen in April, which is next month. I hope that employers will leverage the resources provided through these schemes to put in place progressive practices.

Our tripartite partners have also been working with companies to improve senior workers' employability. SNEF introduced a guidebook to help employers conduct structured career planning and NTUC is working with employers to adopt structured career planning through their Company Training Committees (CTCs).

Structured career planning provides employers with a process to proactively map out future business needs, identify skills that senior workers need to develop to grow with the company and support them in acquiring those skills. This not only protects our senior workers' employability and extends their career longevity but also helps employers retain an experienced pool of workers amidst a tight labour market.

As Mr Abdul Samad, Mr Heng Chee How and Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman pointed out, retirement adequacy is another key area that we support senior workers on.

As Deputy Prime Minister Wong has announced at the Budget, we are committed to raising the CPF contribution rates for senior workers.

We have implemented the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers' (TWG-OW) recommendation to increase senior workers' CPF contribution rates in 2022 and 2023 and will continue to do so in 2024 to strengthen their retirement adequacy. With this, we will have completed the scheduled increase in CPF contribution rates for workers aged 65 to 70. For those between 55 and 65, we will press on ahead.

Mr Abdul Samad would be glad to hear that by the time we complete the full increase around 2030, those aged 55 to 60 will have their CPF contribution rates equalised to that of younger workers. A 55-year-old member today can expect monthly retirement payouts to be boosted by about 10%.

We will also continue to support employers with the CPF Transition Offset.

I want to thank our tripartite partners for their support and consensus for this very important move. These recommendations are necessary for senior workers who continue working to enter their retirement with more confidence.

Mr Chairman, we have put in place measures to uplift our platform workers and senior workers. We will need to work closely with stakeholders to implement the initiatives I have shared about and will count on support from fellow Singaporeans to mutually reinforce an inclusive and strengthened workforce where no one is left behind. Because as my sisters and brothers from the unions would say – every worker matters.

The Chairman : Minister of State Gan Siow Huang.

The Minister of State for Manpower (Ms Gan Siow Huang) : Mr Chairman, I thank Members who have contributed ideas on securing fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

Minister Tan See Leng spoke about journeying with you every step of the way. A fairer and more progressive workplace enables everyone, regardless of background, to contribute according to your strengths and interests and achieve your fullest potential.

[Deputy Speaker (Mr Christopher de Souza) in the Chair]

I will share more on how we plan to continue journeying with you.

The pandemic has changed the way we work. Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) have become more prevalent and important. Employers increasingly see the value of FWAs to attract and retain talent and to tap on a wider pool of manpower.

While the focus during the pandemic was on telecommuting, FWAs go beyond telecommuting and include other work arrangements such as part-time work, staggered work hours, job sharing, flexible shift scheduling and so on.

In 2021, over nine in 10 employees worked in firms that provided at least one form of FWA on a sustained basis. This is up from over seven in 10 employees in 2019. This is encouraging.

As several Members such as Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Louis Ng, Miss Rachel Ong, Mr Sharael Taha and Ms Yeo Wan Ling highlighted, we can do more to support caregivers, seniors and persons with disabilities (PwDs) to continue working or to re-enter the workforce. FWAs are a key strategy to do so.

We have made good progress and we will press on with tripartite partners to encourage more FWAs in a win-win manner.

Businesses have different operating contexts and employees also have varied needs. The key is for management and staff to have regular dialogue with each other to better understand each other's needs and build mutual trust. Implementing FWAs in a rigid manner before employers are ready risks creating a more acrimonious workplace culture and affecting workplace productivity, which ultimately hurts employers and employees.

While we can understand Mr Louis Chua's and Mr Louis Ng's good intentions, legislation is not a panacea.

In jurisdictions with FWA legislation, employers can still reject requests that are not practicable for the business. The UK, one of the first few countries that implemented a right to request FWAs legislation, only saw the proportion of UK workers using FWAs increasing very marginally from 26% in 2013 to 30% in 2020.

We need to first focus on shaping the right norms at work and building mutual understanding between employers and employees on FWAs.

As announced previously, the tripartite partners are working closely to formulate and introduce Tripartite Guidelines on FWAs by 2024. The guidelines will require employers to consider requests for flexible work arrangements fairly and properly.

To Mr Gerald Giam's question, while employers have the prerogative to accept or reject an FWA request, they must have valid reasons for their decision. At the same time, employees should be reasonable in their requests and use FWAs responsibly.

For example, certain forms of FWAs are simply not practical for some jobs, such as expecting full telecommuting for a job role in machine maintenance. Some FWAs may also have significant resource implications, which employers understandably need to take into consideration when assessing the request.

We must also differentiate the impact of FWAs on individual and team productivity.

For instance, while some employees may feel more productive telecommuting and want to work from home more frequently, team productivity could fall due to reduced in-person interaction and collaboration. As such, we need to allow employers and employees time to adjust and find the optimal balance at the individual employee and business levels when implementing FWAs.

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What we want to see is a workplace norm where employees feel comfortable requesting for FWAs and understanding that while not all requests can be acceded to due to business needs, the requests will be assessed properly and fairly. The tripartite partners will deliberate on these issues when crafting the Tripartite Guidelines, and we will consult widely, to ensure that the guidelines are practical and well-balanced in supporting the needs of both businesses as well as employees.

Besides shaping norms, we have been working with the Tripartite Partners to strengthen support for employers in implementing FWAs. Many Members of Parliament have called for this over the years, including Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Louis Chua, Mr Louis Ng, Miss Rachel Ong, Mr Sharael Taha and Dr Wan Rizal, and many others. It is in employers' interest to make FWAs more available, as our surveys have found that FWAs had the greatest impact on staff retention amongst other progressive workplace policies.

I encourage employers who offer FWAs to adopt the voluntary Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements and be recognised as progressive employers on Workforce Singapore's MyCareersFuture Portal (MCF) and job fairs, so as to better attract jobseekers.

Last year, the number of employees who worked in companies that adopted the Tripartite Standard increased by 18%. In total, more than 29% of all employees now work in companies that have adopted the Tripartite Standard.

One example of a progressive employer is Starbucks, which many of us are familiar with. Starbucks Singapore offers a diverse range of FWAs, including part-time, flexi-shifts and shift swapping for their frontline employees. They provide additional support to employees with needs, such as by allowing parents to switch to part-time work to spend more time with their children or new-born, or to care for their dependents or family members with special needs. Employees doing office-based tasks are allowed to telecommute where possible. The flexibility and support accorded to employees, across different roles, has contributed to Starbucks' low attrition rate for their employees, as well as four out of five managerial posts being filled by their own in-house talent.

I want to thank our tripartite partners – SNEF and NTUC – for their strong commitment in promoting FWAs at the workplace.

Just last year alone, the tripartite partners engaged around 2,000 employers, HR practitioners and employees to encourage the adoption of the Tripartite Standard on FWAs and implementation of flexible work. These are done through SNEF's training engagements and NTUC's Better Workplace Campaign. We also continue to see more employers tap on various resources such as IHRP's Playbook on Hybrid Workplaces and free clinics, and sector-specific guides offered by TAFEP. We will continue to develop more resources to guide employers on how to comply with the upcoming Guidelines.

Mr Sharael Taha would be happy to know that in 2022, over three in 10 of employed residents had telecommuted at some point in the month they were surveyed. TAFEP has so far not received any complaints of unfair treatment relating to telecommuting over the past two years.

Nevertheless, as we expect more people to take up FWAs, it will be increasingly important to ensure that HR practitioners are equipped to implement it in a fair manner. We will continue to enhance these efforts to enable FWAs at the workplace. If done well, we can create family-friendly work environments for our caregivers, which many think will be more sustainable than legislating parent-care leave, as Mr Louis Ng suggested.

After-hours communication, which Mr Melvin Yong raised, is another example of the importance of HR capabilities in the implementation of policies to ensure work flexibility is adopted appropriately.

To date, more than 500 company representatives have attended SNEF's workshops and briefings that help HR to implement this policy, which was actually derived from a template developed by the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony.

Since the launch of the Tripartite Advisory on Mental Well-being at Workplaces in 2020, MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health Council have been encouraging companies to adopt the recommendations within the Tripartite Advisory that best suit their own company's needs. And as shared earlier, legislation such as the right-to-rest and the right-to-disconnect can create a rigid and litigious workplace culture. Instead, we should adopt an enabling approach by encouraging employers to regularly engage employees to implement company policies that best suit both business and personal needs.

We agree with Mr Desmond Choo, Mr Sharael Taha and Ms Yeo Wan Ling that job redesign is important to enable FWAs at workplaces. Companies requiring further support in job redesign to make their jobs more productive and attractive for workers, can tap on Government schemes, such as the Support for Job Redesign under the Productivity Solutions Grant.

Women in particular benefit from FWAs, as they often carry heavier caregiving responsibilities at home. There are also women who may take a break from their careers and need more support to return to work. Therefore, in June last year, Workforce Singapore (WSG) launched an initiative called herCareer. herCareer includes employment facilitation programmes and services that support women jobseekers, including walk-in interviews to meet with hiring employers on the spot. Over the last three years, WSG and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) have placed more than 83,000 women jobseekers across its programmes and services.

Community partners can also play an important part in supporting women at work. For example, the Singapore Business Federation launched the Singapore Women Entrepreneurs Network in 2021, to nurture and support women talent. In the same year, the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO) introduced a mentoring programme for aspiring women directors to help them achieve their professional development goals. NTUC U Women and Family has further expanded its Women Supporting Women Mentorship Programme across the island, where women in the community are mentored by women leaders and union leaders. NTUC U Women and Family, NTUC LearningHub and e2i also started a career returner programme called "Women Returning to Work", which includes training and job-matching opportunities. Concurrently, WSG collaborates with other community partners to support women returning to work. These include Yayasan Mendaki and Daughters of Tomorrow.

These collective efforts have contributed to the growth in employment rate for women aged 25 to 64, from 73% in 2020 to 76% in 2022, despite the pandemic. We will continue to work with partners to provide women with the support they need, and we encourage employers to continue to do their part.

We recognise that some groups may need more support to achieve their full potential in the workforce, such as persons with disabilities (PwDs) and ex-offenders. We are committed to providing them with the support they need, working hand-in-hand with our partners.

We are encouraged that the employment rate of resident PwDs has continued to improve, reaching 31.4% in 2021 to 2022. But we can do better as a society. Miss Rachel Ong asked about raising the workforce participation rate of PwDs, while Mr Sharael Taha asked about creating more employment opportunities for them. In the recently released Enabling Masterplan 2030, MSF and MOM set an employment rate target of 40% by 2030 for PwDs.

Our whole of society needs to come together to achieve this aspirational goal. Under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, a new task force comprising members of the public, people and private sectors has been set up to develop new ways of supporting the employment of PwDs.

MOM will be enhancing the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC). Today, the EEC provides employers of PwDs earning below $4,000 a month with permanent wage offsets of up to 20%. Employers who hire PwDs who have not been employed for at least six months receive an additional time-limited wage offset of up to 10% for six months. In 2022, the EEC benefitted more than 10,000 PwDs, including close to 2,000 who had not been in work for at least six months.

I am pleased to announce that the Government will enhance the additional wage offset by raising the support level from 10% to 20% and increasing the support duration from six to nine months.

Taken together with the permanent wage offset, employers can receive up to 40% wage offsets for the first nine months of employment when hiring a PwD who has not been working for at least six months and 20% wage offsets thereafter. This means up to $8,400 in wage offsets for the first full year of employment.

This enhancement is on top of separate Government grants that provide employers with support to improve the workplace, redesign the job or provide training as needed.

Ms Vivian Ser, a wife and mother, has been working with Novotel as a cook with support from the EEC and SG Enable. Novotel's HR team worked together with Ms Ser's job and mobility coaches during her onboarding process. As Ms Ser is visually impaired, she takes on parts of the kitchen process which do not involve heating, such as vacuum sealing and plating. Novotel also put in place simple workplace accommodations, such as a talking scale and tactile stickers to help her navigate her environment safely.

Family support is also key. Ms Ser's husband and son are her biggest cheerleaders and also provide practical support such as in her transport arrangements. With support from her family, employer, colleagues and coaches, Ms Ser recently reached her one-year anniversary with Novotel.

As seen from Ms Ser's story, holistic support makes a difference to helping persons with disabilities enter and stay in employment. Mr Gerald Giam asked what can be done to address discrimination associated with disabilities.

A first step that we can all take is to avoid stereotyping and to recognise that everyone has skills and experience which they can bring to our teams at work. Looking ahead, the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness has recommended that the proposed Workplace Fairness legislation protect PwDs against workplace discrimination.

Miss Rachel Ong also asked about retirement adequacy for PwDs and their caregivers. Eligible lower-income workers, including PwDs and their caregivers, receive the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS), which will boost their income and retirement savings through cash payments and CPF contributions. We have further enhanced Workfare from January 2023 to allow all eligible PwDs to qualify for the highest pay-out tier, regardless of age. This will provide up to $4,200 in annual payments.

The Government also provides additional support to boost retirement adequacy, which would support PwDs and their caregivers if they are unable to work and have little retirement savings. This includes the Silver Support scheme, which provides quarterly cash payouts of up to $900 to seniors who had low or no incomes during their working years and have little family support. To encourage top-ups, we also introduced the Matched Retirement Savings Scheme (MRSS) in 2021. Under the MRSS, the Government will match top-ups of up to $600 per year to eligible seniors' CPF accounts. These measures will also help boost the retirement adequacy of homemakers whom Mr Saktiandi spoke about.

Miss Rachel Ong asked about support for caregivers of PwDs who wish to return to the workforce. Caregivers can tap on Workforce Singapore's suite of employment facilitation programmes and services. For example, caregivers who need job search assistance can visit WSG's Careers Connect and NTUC's e2i career centres for career advisory and guidance. Those who need a skills top-up can apply for Career Conversion Programmes (CCPs), which provide training and salary support to employers who hire and reskill mid-career jobseekers for new occupations.

Another group that we pay close attention to is ex-offenders. Employment is critical for their successful reintegration into society.

Ex-offenders sometimes face challenges, such as stigmatisation and limited career opportunities, upon their release. The problems can be compounded by low educational qualifications, lack of industry-relevant skills and recent work experience. The challenges are more acute in the initial years after release, as ex-offenders face problems transiting from prison to the work environment.

A hiring incentive for ex-offenders will help encourage a wider range of employers to provide job opportunities to ex-offenders. We will introduce a new hiring incentive, the Uplifting Employment Credit (UEC) to continue supporting the hiring of ex-offenders. Under the new UEC, employers who hire ex-offenders through Yellow Ribbon Singapore and Singapore Prison Service's employment programmes will automatically qualify for a wage offset of 20% for the first nine months, amounting to up to $5,400 for each ex-offender employee.

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Employers who hire eligible ex-offenders directly can apply through IRAS to receive this credit. Employers will receive the credit for new ex-offenders hired between April 2023 and December 2025.

We will review the scheme, thereafter, to assess its effectiveness in improving ex-offenders' employment outcomes, such as job retention and wages. We hope that this will go some way in supporting the employment of ex-offenders. Mr Chairman, let me say a few words in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] To build an inclusive society, we will help everyone in society to achieve their full potential in the workforce. Some may need more support, such as Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and ex-offenders.

We will enhance the Enabling Employment Credit for PwDs. Employers who hire PwDs who have not worked for at least six months will receive wage offsets of up to 40% for a duration of nine months and wage offsets of up to 20% thereafter, amounting up to $8,400 in the first year of employment.

We will also introduce a new hiring incentive to help ex-offenders where the employers who hire ex-offenders will receive monthly wage offsets of up to 20% for a duration of nine months, amounting up to $5,400 for each newly-hired ex-offender employee.

Together, with the support of employers, community partners and the Government, we can help PwDs with disabilities and ex-offenders contribute to our workforce and society.

(In English) : Mr Chairman, everyone must play their part to secure fairer and more inclusive workplaces for Singapore. The Government will continue to provide the support that you need and journey with you every step of the way. [ Applause. ]

Mr Deputy Chairman : Minister Dr Tan See Leng.

Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Deputy Chairman, I would like to make two clarifications with respect to the first segment of my speech.

First, I had said that the nominal median income of full-time employment residents grew by 8.3% in 2021. I wish to clarify that this was the growth rate in 2022.

Second, I had said that the Silver Support Scheme was enhanced in 2011. I wish to clarify that it was enhanced in 2021.

Senior Minister of State Koh, Senior Minister of State Zaqy, Minister of State Gan and I have shared about the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s three themes for this Committee of Supply (COS): (a) seizing opportunities, (b) strengthening support for you and (c) securing better workplaces with you. I have earlier covered the first two themes and I will now touch on the third – how we stand in solidarity to secure safer, fairer and more progressive workplaces with you. We are doing so in a couple of ways.

Minister of State Gan has shared details on our efforts to support our women at work and help persons with disabilities (PwDs) and ex-offenders find employment. Senior Minister of State Zaqy has also elaborated on our efforts to ensure safety in the workplace. Let me now share about the Workplace Fairness Legislation, which is a significant step towards ensuring a level playing field.

Members will have seen the 20 interim recommendations by the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Fairness, which I co-chair with Brothers Ng Chee Meng and Dr Robert Yap.

Calls for legislation date back to 1998, with various parties, including Labour Members, proposing for legislation to strengthen our efforts in tackling discrimination. Indeed, this significant move is going to strengthen our overall framework to uphold workplace fairness. Mr Gerald Giam asked for comprehensive protection for PwDs, while Mr Leong Mun Wai suggested to cover sexual orientation in the legislation. They both can be assured that all forms of discrimination are not tolerated. This is our national policy and it is reflected in the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) today.

The Tripartite Committee has recommended that the new legislation provide stronger protection against discrimination on the grounds of nationality, age, sex, race, religion, disability and mental health conditions. Stronger protection against discrimination in the proposed areas also supports Singapore's key social and economic objectives.

For instance, protecting against discrimination on the grounds of age helps to support the employment of mature workers, which is critical for our ageing society. These characteristics are the common and familiar forms of workplace discrimination in Singapore. Together they account for more than 95% of discrimination complaints received by Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and MOM in the past five years.

We have experienced dealing with these cases and we are confident to mediate them effectively. Tripartite partners will work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that there is clarity on issues, such as definitions and scope of employers' responsibilities to enable the legislation to achieve its intended effect.

Some Members have raised suggestions on the legislation. Mr Leong asked how the legislation will address job security for Singaporeans. Legislation will benefit Singaporeans by better protecting them against workplace discrimination. There will be a wider range of enforcement levers against errant employers that are more effective as deterrence against workplace discrimination. The Fair Consideration Framework job advertising requirement will also be legislated, which will allow us to take action against employers who breach this requirement, using the new enforcement levers.

The Tripartite Committee has also recommended protection against retaliation for those who report workplace discrimination or harassment, to give assurance to employees to come forward to report it. The majority of complaints on nationality discriminations are by locals indeed. So, they will benefit from the greater protection.

Mr Leong also suggested small firms should not be exempted from the legislation. Small firms may not have the corporate competencies to comprehensively implement the new rules from day one. As the proposed legislation is only the first step, we will exempt small firms with fewer than 25 employees for a start.

Workers in small firms, however, will continue to still be covered by TGFEP. Those who are unfairly dismissed can lodge claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM). For these employers, we will also step up education and enforcement efforts via TGFEP. The Tripartite Committee agrees that we will monitor the ground situation after legislation is introduced and review the exemption with a view to tightening it within five years.

Mr Leong referred to a specific case in a religious organisation in 2013. For that case, based on prevailing guidelines and laws, the church did not have sufficient grounds to dismiss the employee. With the introduction of the Workplace Fairness Legislation, the Tripartite Committee consulted various agencies, religious organisations and advocacy groups on their views. We recognise that maintaining religious harmony is important in our multi-religious society. It is, therefore, important to give religious organisations the space to practise their religion. As such, given the purpose and character of religious organisations, the Tripartite Committee has recommended allowing religious organisations the discretion to make employment decisions, based on religion and their religious requirements.

It must be emphasised that this discretion given to religious organisations is very carefully scoped. It will only apply to places of worship and religious organisations with sole religious purpose and function. It will also not allow them to discriminate based on other protected characteristics, where there is no religious basis to do so.

On the question of vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS), we have reached out to and offered employment assistance to the unvaccinated workers. They can also approach Workforce Singapore (WSG) or Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), if they require further assistance. Workers who feel that their employers are imposing vaccination as a requirement without genuine occupational needs may approach MOM or TAFEP for assistance. Since the release of the updated advisory on COVID-19 vaccination at the workplace in October 2022, there has only been a handful of such complaints.

Ms Janet Ang and Ms Yeo Wan Ling will also be assured to know that we will continue to engage employers, employees, HR partners and other key stakeholders to make clear the intent of the legislation and the whole-of-society effort required to uphold workplace fairness. During the implementation process, we will also work with NTUC to help employees to better navigate the case management process and seek remedies for their grievances.

And we will work with SNEF to guide employers to adopt Fair Employment practices and comply with the legislation. Even as we introduce stronger worker protections in legislation, and let me emphasise this, we want to preserve Singapore's harmonious and non-litigious workplace culture.

To this end, the committee has also made recommendations to encourage disputes to be resolved within the firm in the first instance. And if not, through mediation to repair the employment relationship where possible, with adjudication at the Courts only as a last resort.

We will continue to welcome all feedback, including from Members today. The Tripartite Committee will take the feedback into consideration for its final recommendations. With that, Mr Chairman, let me now conclude in Mandarin.

( In Mandarin ) : [ Please refer to Vernacular Speech .] In the past year, I have been involved in many dialogue sessions. Most Singaporeans understand that we face many challenges on our road to economic recovery. I am glad that Singaporeans are still hopeful about their future and actively sharing their hopes and aspirations with us.

This reminds me of a Xinyao song, "Small Stream that Flows Forever". The lyrics say “who does not dream when they are young”. Back when I first entered the workforce, I was just as ambitious, but I understood that my career path may not be smooth, and I may face various obstacles before arriving at my intended destination.

Whether you are a young person, or like me, a middle-aged person, rest assured that we will journey with you every step of the way, and help you become more resilient and move forward with you. Whether you are in your early-20s, 30s, mid-40s or late-50s, we will empower you to find and work towards new opportunities and seize better job opportunities. If you are looking for a career change, you can be assured of the support we will provide you to upskill and re-skill. If you have just lost your job, you can be assured that we will step in to help you in your job search. If your interest is in hands-on work, you can be assured of more opportunities to learn. We will help you in your career transition.

If you are approaching retirement, we will continue to strengthen the CPF system, help you meet basic retirement needs, so that you can enjoy your golden years.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Whether Singaporeans can continue to seize opportunities depends on their career health. We should be responsible for our own career health, understand the needs of our career, industry trends, our interests and capabilities.

To assist, we will be launching a new CareersFinder feature on the MyCareersFuture portal. The feature will harness data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide you with more personalised jobs and skills insights to improve job matching.

We also need to build a more inclusive labour market. As the saying goes, "Every Trade has its Master". Even though "head" work remains a priority, we should not overlook "hands-on" work. Regardless of the industry, there should be multiple pathways to success.

We are looking into how we can redesign such jobs – with better starting salaries, better upskilling opportunities, and other ways to attract and retain workers in these jobs. Shifting society's perceptions of such jobs takes time and process, so we have to persevere.

We are also strengthening support for Singaporeans' retirement adequacy. The CPF system is a key pillar for Singapore's retirement adequacy, and it meets workers' basic retirement needs. To ensure the CPF system remains relevant, we must study how we can boost the CPF monthly payouts for seniors.

At the end of the song "Small Stream That Flows Forever", the lyrics say, "There are thousands of ups and downs in life, only the best confidantes meet forever, for their friendship is forever, like water flowing from its source". I hope you will see MOM as a close partner in your career path, provide feedback and suggestions and co-create and improve policies together. This is also the objective of the Government's Forward Singapore exercise to renew the social compact.

We will continue to work with you to ride out the storm and move towards a better future!

The Chairman : We have some time for clarifications. Mr Desmond Choo.

Mr Desmond Choo : Thank you, Mr Chairman, I would like to ask Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon a couple of clarifications.

It is very reassuring that our senior workers' employment rate is comparable to the OECD countries. Would it be useful to have a target employment rate for these senior workers? What measures beyond the Senior Employment Credit (SEC) and Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) are needed to have more employers to hire senior workers?

Dr Koh Poh Koon : Mr Chairman, I thank Mr Desmond Choo for the question. As he mentioned and as I shared in my speech earlier, we do have quite a good employment rate for our senior workers compared to OECD countries and other advanced Asian economies.

In looking at whether we should set a target for senior worker employment, it is important to realise that every senior worker, every senior in fact, in Singapore has different aspirations in life. Some prefer to take care of their grandchildren, and some may want to do more of things that they had not been able to do when they were younger.

It is very hard for us to set a hard target and force everyone to continue in employment against their wishes. This is with the background that we are really not doing too badly compared to other advanced economies.

What we are trying to do here then, in response to the Member's second question, which is related, is to create an enabling framework to allow as many senior workers as possible to remain in employment, if that is their aspiration to do so.

So, by progressively raising re-employment ages and retirement ages to give them the legal protection to remain in employment should they choose to do, making sure there are fair employment practices and a legal framework to prevent discrimination against ageism. That again also helps to protect them and allows their aspirations to be realised.

And then some of these other measures, whether it is the Senior Employment Credit (SEC), whether it is the Part-Time Re-employment Grant (PTRG) that helps to reduce friction if employers feel that cost may be a consideration, we want to take away as many of those worries as possible from the employer side, to give them an extra leg-up to be able to get employment opportunities.

But ultimately, what is important is to make sure our senior workers continue to upskill themselves. They must ultimately have the skills that the industry needs in order to be able to access employment opportunities.

So, it is a whole suite of efforts that we do from all angles and some of the things that we are doing with the tripartite partners are also going to be helpful, helping them to do structured career planning, making employers and HR professionals attuned to the need to look at job redesign.

Having a conversation with the workers before they reach retirement age in their 40s and 50s to start planning for the next step of their career so that even as they enter their 50s and 60s, they understand what the company wants and there is a concerted effort from the employer, the HR side as well as the workers to develop skills that are relevant to the company's longer-term objectives.

So, it is a whole suite of efforts and I think at this moment we are all moving in the correct direction. Let us continue to push on with what we are doing now and, hopefully, with the trajectory that we are seeing, the senior employment rate will continue to hit even higher levels in the next few years to come.

And as I said before in my speech, despite the pandemic and economic crisis, our senior employment rate has actually gone up and not declined. So, that is something encouraging that we want to pursue.

The Chairman : Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song : I thank the Minister for replying to my questions on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). Two clarifications on that.

Will the Ministry also publish a SOL for skilled trades, industrial jobs and other essential occupations? For example, the UK's SOL includes welders, care workers for seniors, day care managers and healthcare workers. These are also occupations which are in such short supply in Singapore. So, MOM can then use this to work with the industry and educational institutions to close the skills gaps, in our local workforce.

The second question I have is that I note that Minister said that the SOL will be refreshed every three years. I am not sure if this is sufficient, given the fast-evolving job market. Could MOM update the SOL more frequently to ensure it stays relevant with the constantly evolving job market and circumstances?

Dr Tan See Leng : I thank Mr Giam for his two points. To clarify, given the small size of our market relative to many of the other bigger countries in terms of their workforce, if we were to publish the list and make it so open, in many of these countries where the workers come from, they will then understand what are some of our vulnerabilities.

So, to that extent, I would rather keep the list to a very tight, narrow scope where we work very closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the Ministry of National Development (MND), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the different sectoral agencies to curate it and work through these agencies to address some of these sectors' shortages. So, that is the first point.

To the Member's second point about a three-yearly review, we also want to provide a certain level of certainty and predictability to businesses setting up here or businesses that are already operating here. If we keep moving this list very frequently, businesses will find it very hard to adapt, to respond and to be nimble.

The three years, we feel, is a sufficient runway for us to address some of this in the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). And I have already shared in my earlier speech what are some of the criteria that we will put in place. Just to reassure the Member, that between MTI and ourselves and some of the other sector agencies, we will also conduct yearly reviews. So, we do not have to go through the full three years but within one year, if certain shortages have become even more acute, we will not hesitate to respond. I hope that addresses his points.

The Chairman : Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat : Thank you, Mr Chairman. I would like to thank Minister for his answers to my cuts as well as to some of the suggestions I have raised during my Budget debate speech on retirement adequacy.

I have one clarification for the Minister in regard to the CPF LIFE Escalation Plan. It is a bit specific. It is in regard to my concern that with the rising prices and inflation and, of course, my concern about the longer-term equilibrium inflation outlook that Singapore and countries globally are facing, how will seniors be affected?

As of now, the CPF LIFE Escalating Plan rises by about 2% payouts annually. So, my suggestion in my Budget debate speech was whether it can be increased by another 50 basis points or possibly another 100 basis points, to take into consideration the rising prices for the current cohort and probably future cohorts, as an option beyond the 2% option that we have now; so as an additional option or a revision to the current 2%.

Dr Tan See Leng : I thank the Member for his clarification. The CPF LIFE Escalating Plan has a lower start but over time, it actually exceeds the Standard and the Basic Plan, as we speak today.

Today, we are in an era where inflation is high because of the geopolitical uncertainties. We have also seen the global supply chain disruptions as well as a lot of interest rates tightening.

The broad initiatives, the broad measures that we put up today, will improve retirement adequacy over the medium to long term.

During times of shocks such as what we have gone through the last two years and what we are still going through, the Government has constantly come in and intervened. We have had the Assurance Package; the GST Vouchers have become a permanent GST Voucher scheme. And there was a whole slew of support schemes that has been put up to support all Singaporeans and our CPF members to tide through this particular period.

You can see the MOM schemes in terms of CPF financial retirement adequacy, as a long haul, over a very long period of time, to provide the basic retirement adequacy. And at certain times, if I may borrow a term, it is like an immunisation, you get a booster coming in from the Government to help to uplift the members' retirement lifestyle and smoothen out some of the expenses.

If you look at the measures that we have rolled out over the last 12 months or so, for the low-income, the coverage is very substantial and it covers practically all of the inflationary increases in terms of spending. For the middle-income, it covers it substantially. That has been the construct thus far. I hope that addresses the Member's point.

The Chairman : Ms Hazel Poa

Ms Hazel Poa : I have two clarifications. First is, will the new workplace fairness legislation cover platform workers? And secondly, the Minister gave us the proportion of CPF members who meet the Basic Retirement Sum just now. Can the Minister also tell us the proportion who can meet the Full Retirement Sum?

Dr Tan See Leng : To the first clarification, the answer is yes. For the second clarification, in terms of the Full Retirement Sum, if you can let one or two other clarifications go through, I will come back to you.

The Chairman : Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling : Chairman, I would like to reiterate that there are about 260,000 women of economic age not in the workforce today. They will be a formidable workforce tapped for Singapore should we create the right conditions for our women to return to work. I like to thank Minister of State Gan for acknowledging the work that the Labour Movement and the NTUC Women and Family Unit has done.

I would, in addition, like to ask the Senior Minister of State how can the Government further the partnership with the Labour Movement to support women who are seeking employment?

Also, beyond the Enabling Employment Credit (EEC), what other employment support is there for persons with disabilities (PwDs)?

Ms Gan Siow Huang : The Government has been working in close partnership with NTUC and the unions to support women employment. I have named quite a few.

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Looking forward, we think that there are more opportunities for the Government to work with the unions, especially the women union leaders, to form mentorship circles to expand our partnership with other women's groups and like-minded groups, to cast our net wider to be able to reach out to more women.

As for support for persons with disabilities (PwDs), there is an Enabling Masterplan 2030. I mentioned it earlier on. There is also a separate task force that has been formed. I believe MSF will also be sharing the details when ready.

The Chairman : Mr Leong Mun Wai.

Mr Leong Mun Wai : Thank you, Chairman. I have three questions for the Minister, but before that, I would like to thank the Minister for answering all my questions except one with very direct and succinct answers. I usually do not get that from most of the other Ministers.

However, we have to continue to work on improving the situation for Singaporean workers, because while the job situation has kind of improved because of the reopening, job and wage growth is still very uneven.

For example, even MOM admitted that out of the 47,400 jobs growth in the fourth quarter of 2022, most of those were actually from non-residents and there are some complaints from IT graduates that they are unable to find jobs as soon as they want.

So, I have three questions.

First, the question that the Minister did not answer me. Can I ask the Minister what makes him and the policymakers so certain that the Singaporean PMEs are not disadvantaged although employers do not need to contribute CPF for Employment Pass holders?

Second question, can I ask whether the Minister will consider accelerating the income increase under the PWM so that lower-income workers can get a minimum of $1,800 of monthly take-home pay by 2024?

Looking at the materials that were distributed by the Minister, the lower-income worker will get that by 2028, but that is far too long – five years to wait – bearing in mind that many of these workers also suffered considerably during the pandemic.

The last question, does the Minister expect Singaporeans to occupy a larger share of our IT jobs going forward, especially in higher positions, in the next five years, given that the number of IT graduates – local IT graduates – will be increasing significantly over the next few years?

Dr Tan See Leng : I thank Mr Leong for his three to four clarifications, but can I humbly request for me to address Ms Hazel Poa's point? After all, you are from the same party.

On the second part of her clarification, let me set the entire context by giving the full response. Over the last 10 years, the proportion of active CPF members attaining their cohort's Basic Retirement Sum at age 55 has improved from about five in 10 to almost seven in 10 today. We expect this number to increase to about eight in 10 in 2027.

For members who are able to set aside the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) in 2022, about seven in 10 – about 70% – can choose to set aside the Full Retirement Sum.

To the Member's first point, I wish to make an amendment that was on the Member's part about whether platform workers are covered by the workplace legislation.

The Workplace Fairness Legislation needs to have a formal contract – a formal relationship between the employer and the employee.

I think the nature of platform work is that many of the platform workers have multiple platforms that they work for. You could be on one, you could also be on another. I think some of them have about two or three. Perhaps Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will be better placed to respond to this because of his deeper knowledge.

In that sense, to say that it is a singular relationship between an employer and employee, the nature of it is not a like-for-like comparison. But what we will do is that the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) will be clarified further to include the discrimination of platform workers.

To Mr Leong's four points, thank you for that compliment. It is really the collective work of all of my colleagues in the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). I have also learnt a lot from my learned colleagues here in their responses and replies to your questions as well.

If you look at it, we are at almost full employment. We are at 3% above pre-pandemic level. This is 3% above 2019. At a point in time when our resident employment is at this kind of high level, for companies to want to grow, to fulfil all this and so on, they have to hire. They have to hire workers. Obviously, in the fourth quarter, you see more non-residents finding jobs.

To the Member's point about how certain I am that Singaporean PMEs are not disadvantaged because for the Employment Pass (EP) holders, the employers do not have to contribute to CPF, please refer to my numerous explanations in the past. The way we calculate the Minimum Qualifying Salary is after taking into consideration the gross salary of a local – in a similar cohort – plus the CPF contribution of the employer and we set that as the benchmark.

If you look at it from the perspective of someone who has been here for 10 years, the salary of that EP holder is on a rising scale. It will not be at $5,000. For the EP holder, for him to be able to get the EP, the company will have to set that qualifying salary probably at above $10,000.

With that, we believe that we have adequately addressed any form of income disparity between our locals and foreigners.

On top of that, we do not see a need for us to ensure that foreigners have to contribute to CPF because our CPF provides for retirement adequacy, housing – a roof over the heads of our Singaporeans. We do not see the need to provide the same level of safety net for foreigners. Hence, we do not impose this CPF contribution on them.

To the Member's point about how to accelerate the income under PWM, I will leave it to Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad to answer the question.

The Member's last point was about how I ensure that the larger share of IT jobs in high positions will go to Singaporeans in the next five years. We will continue, through all of the programmes that I have been painstakingly elaborating on over the last two days – whether it is SGEP, Global Ready Talent, Tech@SG – these are all programmes that we set up to train, to invest, to upskill and to reskill our Singaporean Core talent and we will continue to do so.

If Mr Leong has even more constructive programmes that we can do to train and upskill our Singaporean Core, I am happy to also take that into consideration. But as to whether I can provide some form of guarantee over the next five years, whether they will all end up in high positions, I do not think anyone can guarantee that.

We can guarantee a level playing field at the outset at every single level, but I do not think anyone can guarantee a similar high outcome or success for everyone. I hope that answers your question.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad : I just want to bring Members back to this infographic that we shared, which Mr Leong shared, which I thought was really quite clear. Actually, most of your PWMs that Members see here are pretty much above $1,800.

If Members look at the wage growth, for example, security – they are at $2,585 in 2023, today. By the time they hit 2028, it is $3,500. The kind of wage growth is quite significant at 56%.

Landscape workers is $1,700, admittedly below $1,800. Cleaning is $1,570 but by 2028, they will get $2,400. That is an 84% wage increase in five years.

So, there is a scheduled step, but at the same time, it can almost be guaranteed that almost all of them, in fact, all of them will exceed $1,800 at the start.

Let us not forget that the Government's approach goes beyond just wages too, if the Member forgot to include Workfare. If you think about $4,200 a year, that is about $350 per month, in addition, depending on your age and criteria, but generally, you could get as much as that. That covers about 25% of your wage in addition to top-ups by the Government. So, if you look at total income, I think, let us look at the entirety.

But I have to credit the unions as well as the employers for standing with us on this because the last two years have not been easy. We have just come out of the pandemic and yet, to see both the Labour Movement and the employers agree to such aggressive pay increases, I think that speaks volumes of our tripartite movement in terms of supporting our lower-wage workers and standing in solidarity with them. I think it is quite critical for us to remember that we are still coming out of the pandemic and yet now we are agreeing to wage increases of 56% and 84% which are significant numbers.

But we have to also be realistic. To push any further, I do not think the employers can take it. So, we have to keep watch, that is why the Government also supports them through the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS). So, I just thought to set the context. But rest assured, we are all on the same page. We are here to support our lower-wage workers.

Dr Koh Poh Koon : Sir, very quickly on the clarification on platform workers and whether they are covered by the workplace fairness legislation that is being planned.

The answer is no, because workplace fairness legislation only covers employer-employee relationships. I did spend a significant part of my speech earlier to say why we are not classifying platform workers as employees – to maintain the flexibility that both parties desire.

But having said that, as I said in my speech before, the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices will scope in a clearer statement to say that any discrimination, even of contracted workers, will be deemed to be in violation of the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices. MOM can investigate and impose administrative penalties on these platform companies if they do discriminate.

The other thing which I hope perhaps Members will realise is that it is not in the interest of the companies to discriminate against workers who opt in for CPF simply because the scheme we are trying to propose here is that by 2024, those who are below 30 years old will be mandatorily required to contribute to CPF. Which means that henceforth, as a cohort, all younger workers born after 1995, whichever timepoint they choose to enter platform work – by the time, they are 40 years old or 50 years old – so long as they are born after 1995, platform companies will need to contribute CPF for them.

In other words, over time, the bulk of the workers available for platform work will need mandatory CPF. Therefore, it is not in the company's interest to disadvantage those in this larger group of workforce that will then constrain their ability to get labour.

The Chairman : Mr Leong, we will circle back to you. There are three Members that have yet to ask clarifications. Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang : Thank you, Sir. I appreciate the Minister of State shared that we are not ready to legislate parent care leave yet, but can I at least ask that we consider tripartite standards or tripartite guidelines on paid parent care leave?

Second, could I ask what are the reasons as to why the Government provides parent care leave to public servants and how those reasons do not apply to all other workers?

Ms Gan Siow Huang : Well, I would like to reiterate that the Government recognises that caregiving for parents is an important responsibility, especially with Singapore's ageing population. All of us here who have parents will agree too.

We are committed to providing caregivers with the necessary support so that they can fulfil both their work as well as caregiving responsibilities. But beyond legislation, which the hon Member Louis Ng has suggested, it is useful for us to take a step back and ask ourselves, for caregivers, especially of elderly parents, what would be more sustainable support for them. Would just one or two more days of parent care leave make a lot of difference? Or is it something that is more sustainable in the form of family-friendly workplace culture that would be more useful for these caregivers?

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The Government encourages employers to have family-friendly practices and the Public Service leads by example by providing the parent care leave for our own employees. We hope that other employers out there will do likewise: care for their employees, have family-friendly practices and provide the flexibility that the employees need to care for their elderly family members.

The Government also has strengthened other areas of support for caregivers of seniors, including those who have to juggle between work and caregiving. Caregivers can tap on a range of care services, such as home- and day-care to support the day and social needs of their elderly loved ones.

There are also various respite care options in senior care centres and nursing homes to help caregivers to look after their seniors for short periods of time, including over the weekends. So, we do look at a more holistic set of support for caregivers of the elderly, and not just pin on a few more days of parent care leave.

The Chairman : Mr Edward Chia.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui : Thank you, Chairman. I would like to thank Senior Minister of State Zaqy for announcing that MOM will launch an Industry Transformation Map (ITM) for human resource (HR) professionals. I feel that this will really support HR professionals in their expanded role.

I also note that he mentioned the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) has certification and playbooks. I would like to further ask if there is further support for HR professionals in the area of job transformation, change management and redesign, so that they can better support the organisation in the future of work and also execute such transformation.

He also mentioned that IHRP has skills badges for HR professionals. May I ask how many HR professionals have attained these skills badges and what are the plans to expand this initiative?

Mr Zaqy Mohamad : I thank the Member for his question. I think they are very useful, and especially one that, I hope, the HR community appreciates in terms of the development that we have put in.

I will start off with the skills badges. Between 2021 and 2022, Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) awarded over 2,400 skills badges. It could be HR professionals with skills in various competencies such as talent management and strategic workforce planning. As the appointed Skills Development Partner for HR, IHRP will work with the industry to identify new skills gaps and will continue to refresh the skills badges to keep up with the emerging trends.

To the Member's second question in terms of the work that we do with playbooks and HR certifications, the Job Transformation Maps (JTMs) developed together with the industries support employers and HR in their job transformation efforts. And that is something that we think will value-add to our HR community. Each of the JTM provides detailed insights on the impact of technology and automation on the industry and the workforce, as well as lays out pathways for employers to transform jobs and give opportunities to workers to acquire the requisite skills. Today, there are about 10 JTMs which have already been completed, including one for HR, and there are eight more being planned.

In addition, WSG and IHRP are working to set up a Job Redesign Centre of Excellence, which will work with the sector agencies and the trade associations. This is important because you want to help to point out to the companies what the resources are that are relevant to their job design needs.

This, I hope, will help the HR community to work towards the redesigning of jobs, as well as help them through digital transformation. This, I think, remains a key enabler towards sustaining business transformation. I also encourage, especially for digital transformation, the HR community to tap on IMDA's CTO-as-a-Service scheme, the HR Tech Transformation scheme, as well as the Productivity Solutions Grant.

So, there are various Government grants that are available to support our HR community. I hope that they find these useful and work towards career transformation for the businesses.

The Chairman : Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Mr Yip Hon Weng : Thank you, Chairman. Just a short clarification. I wish to ask the Ministry, given the current high inflation environment, whether it is a good time now to increase the CPF contribution rate for senior workers, as this will add to business costs for companies?

Dr Koh Poh Koon : Mr Chairman, we understand the employers may be concerned about the impact of business costs, as the Member has raised. Therefore, the increase in employer's contribution rates is at a gradual pace, not exceeding one percentage point a year. And we are doing this at an early time to give employers ample notice so that they can adjust and manage the impact on business costs.

To mitigate the rise in business costs due to the increase in CPF contribution rates in 2024, we will provide the CPF Transition Offset as we said earlier, so that this will help mitigate some of the cost pressures they face.

We also expect business-cost increase arising from the increase in the CPF contribution rate for senior workers to be modest due to the lower percentage-point increase, compared to the previous increase in 2022 and 2023.

So, the offset will certainly help in this current tranche of increase that we are planning to do.

All these offsets that we give for the increase in CPF contribution rate is on top of all the other schemes that we have been giving to support employment of older workers, like the Senior Employment Credit (SEC) and the Part-time Re-employment Grant (PTRG).

All these will help to ameliorate the cost impact on any older workers that the company employs.

The Chairman : We are approaching guillotine time. So, I will take the last two clarifications. Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

Mr Leong Mun Wai : Thank you, Chairman. Just a further clarification from my question just now. First of all, the PWM. I thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. But I think he has not compared like to like.

What the PSP has recommended in terms of the living wage is $1,800 take-home pay, but the figure shown in the material is actually gross salary. So, I just want to clarify that.

I would also want to ask one more clarification question with the Senior Minister of State. If the Government is already contributing more in terms of Workfare Income Supplement (WIS), why do we not just add the WIS into the salary and then make it a clear one-policy living wage? That is one question.

There is one other question I want to clarify with the Minister. Of course, Minister, I have got that answer from you before. But I think we have not exhausted the discussion, so let me carry on with that. In terms of —

The Chairman : I am afraid, Mr Leong, it is not time for discussion. It is time for clarifications.

Mr Leong Mun Wai : Yes, correct.

The Chairman : And this is your second bite of the cherry. So, I would ask you to keep it concise and short, please.

Mr Leong Mun Wai : Yes, thank you very much, Chairman.

The Chairman : In fairness to the whole House.

Mr Leong Mun Wai : Yes, yes, okay.

So, can I ask about the salary component that you have talked about, that you have adjusted the salary for Employment Passes (EPs) so that it is comparable with Singaporeans having to pay CPF contributions, while the EP holders do not have to pay CPF contributions? Do you think that is a strong enough deterrent, really? Or do you think that the recommendation made by us, that of imposing a levy, would be a better solution?

Mr Zaqy Mohamad : I am not sure how much more I have to go through the sheet. But we already have a schedule and every single one of these items here will be past $1,800 for sure. I do not know how you want to define your living wage, but anyone can put a number. Or like what I have said, what is different between our approach and what you said – anyone can put a number. Be it $1,800, $1,600, or $2,500; just name it.

But the difference is that, in our approach, the employers and the Labour Movement have come to a consensus. Basically, it means that when we put a number down here, it is something that employers say they can bear; the market can absorb. And the wage growths here are already as aggressive as I think anyone can do during the COVID-19 pandemic. You have to be very fair to employers in the market. As I had said, look again at the wage growth: 84% for cleaners and 56% for security officers. It is quite aggressive as it is.

I just want to say this again – bear in mind the market conditions in which we operate. At the same time our approach is one that I think is fair and balanced, one that the market is prepared to pay; the employers have all agreed to this. The schedule is transparent. Therefore, to a large extent, I think it is bearable to the market and supported by the Government.

Whether you put Workfare into this or not, honestly, what really matters to the workers is what they get in their pockets every month. That is where we have to put it in place various measures. This is not the only measure because the Government also provides other schemes, including ComCare, Silver Support and the whole slew of Government grants that go into our workforce to support our lower-wage workers, including healthcare subsidies, housing subsidies and education subsidies.

So, the Government puts a lot of commitment and that is where, I think, we show how we care overall, not just in terms of living wage, but every other support and subsidy you can think of, the Government can provide.

Sir, I just want to say that anyone can put a number. But I think what is key is whether you can deliver and you can execute. That is where our focus will be in the next coming years.

The Chairman : Minister Tan See Leng.

Dr Tan See Leng : Mr Leong, I think in the interest of time, I will try and keep it short. But, actually, all I can do is just refer you back to the Hansard reports for you to read the thing. The position has not changed.

I think it is late. You have asked quite a number of questions. I just want to address some of it.

Your approach that you talked about, in terms of imposing hard caps on the number of foreigners from each nationality that the firm can hire, I think the approach is very, very rigid, and it is overly so.

I have been in the private sector all my life and I have also set up businesses in many countries. I think if you do that, many of my old networks will probably give this place a miss.

The reality is that if you structure an industry, if you want to grow the industry, it is a combination of making sure that we invest in our people and, at the same time, we are also able to imbibe – the word is "imbibe", not "open the doors and let them in freely". To imbibe enough talent so that they can actually complement our local talent and we all then prosper together. I think that is a more nuanced approach.

We have introduced COMPASS which takes a very nuanced position by incentivising firms to strengthen their local core and their workforce diversity. We also still ensure that these companies can get the additional talent they need – which you see is the common and recurring theme around our debates for the last many days. There are many, many Members on both sides of the House who keep telling us and lamenting how tight the talent and the manpower situation is in this country.

So, we want to ensure that these companies still have access to high-quality complementary candidates so that when there are certain niche skills and skills that continue to evolve, we can bring them in and also train our local talent as well to create more good job opportunities for our locals.

You keep harping on this thing about imposing a levy. It is easy enough for the Government to do so because it generates revenue. But at the EP level, Mr Leong, our focus is on making sure that we can differentiate, that we can get the best, the highest quality, the highest qualified talent anywhere in the world, to come here.

If you look at it, employers do not have infinite budgets for manpower. We should think about a win-win partnership where we benefit, we let the employer win, so that Singaporean employees will also have that win. And that has been our intention. That is why in all of our policies, we focus on making sure that our economy is vibrant so that there are enough resources for us to continue to invest back in our people to continue to develop Singapore, progress Singapore to a place that is brimming with opportunities, hope, and always, with optimism.

I hope that you can put that aside and focus on bringing all of us together and building that Singapore for our future. Because I think that is the core of what we do. [ Applause. ]

The Chairman : I am afraid, Ms Yeo, we have hit our 6.15 pm guillotine time, so you cannot ask your second clarification.

Mr Leong Mun Wai : Chairman, I want to make one point.

The Chairman : I am afraid, Mr Leong, we have reached the guillotine time. Thank you. Mr Desmond Choo, would you like to take leave to withdraw your amendment?

6.15 pm

Mr Desmond Choo : Mr Chairman I would like to thank Minister Tan See Leng, Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad, Dr Koh Poh Koon and Minister of State Gan Siow Huang for their indulgence in answering all our cuts to the best of their abilities and time. We know that it is difficult to keep the workforce competitive in the midst of difficult structural problems, like ageing population and geopolitical tensions.

I hope that I have appropriate lyrics to a Chinese song to the thank him, but I do not. I can only offer him our appreciation that it is very reassuring that MOM and himself, will accompany the Singapore population through when they first get the first job to when they retire. With this, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.

[(proc text) Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $3,759,250,200 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. (proc text)]

[(proc text) The sum of $106,763,800 for Head S ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. (proc text)]

Hansard 原始記錄