See Jinli Jean
Singapore
“Chairman, I have two clarifications for the Minister of State and one clarification for the Senior Minister of State. To Minister of State, I would like to ask: how does MCCY plan to encourage more companies to come on board the company of Good Recognition System, and also whether MCCY has plans to actually work with the MyCareersFuture S…”
“The enhanced company of good recognition system recognises organisations for demonstrating commitment to corporate purpose and making impact in the areas of people, society, governance, environment and economy.”
“Madam, freelancers are often stressed by financial precarity due to fluctuating demand, client cancellation and payment delay. Some shared that freelance work could increase feelings of isolation and loneliness. Could MCCY provide an update on its efforts under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy in respect of freelancers?”
“To reinforce workforce transformation alongside business transformation, would MOM work with economic agencies to guide companies seeking Government grants to also commit to workforce outcomes such as job redesign to raise job worth, training for lower-skilled workforce and programmes to develop Singaporean talent?”
“Freelancers lack access to training and development opportunities that are typically provided for traditional employees by employers. Given that freelancer-dominated sectors, such as arts and culture, media and design, rank among the world's fastest growing and rapidly transforming sectors, it is pressing and critical for the Government t…”
“The Minister had mentioned that the Government is closely monitoring the trend in use of AI to ensure that guidelines and regulations are adequate to protect the workforce. Could MOM provide an update?”
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“Chairman, I have two clarifications for the Minister of State and one clarification for the Senior Minister of State. To Minister of State, I would like to ask: how does MCCY plan to encourage more companies to come on board the company of Good Recognition System, and also whether MCCY has plans to actually work with the MyCareersFuture Singapore, and also other jobseeker portals, such that these companies that are recognised as company of good are actually elevated as choice employers? To the Senior Minister of State, I would like to ask because many of our freelance coaches and instructors are actually directly engaged by Government procuring entities, such as schools, and we know that there is actually a Tripartite Advisory on Mental Health and Well-being. So, my question is whether there can be more efforts taken such that these Government procuring entities, such as schools, can work very closely with our freelancers by taking reference to this Tripartite Advisory?”
“The enhanced company of good recognition system recognises organisations for demonstrating commitment to corporate purpose and making impact in the areas of people, society, governance, environment and economy. Could MCCY share whether the recognition system has encouraged more companies to engage in corporate philanthropy and social responsibility? How does MCCY plan to encourage more companies to apply to be recognised? Driving Community Giving Making monetary giving more convenient and accessible for Singaporeans will help to strengthen financial resilience of charities over the long term. Can the Ministry share how it plans to make giving monetary donations more convenient and accessible? How does the Ministry plan to encourage more residents to make monetary donations? SG60 and Ground-up Ideas for Common Good”
“Madam, freelancers are often stressed by financial precarity due to fluctuating demand, client cancellation and payment delay. Some shared that freelance work could increase feelings of isolation and loneliness. Could MCCY provide an update on its efforts under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy in respect of freelancers? Could MCCY share how it is working with Government procuring agencies and stakeholders to improve the mental health and well-being of freelance coaches, instructors and creators? Support for Artists”
“Thank you, Chairman. I thank Minister Tan, Senior Minister of State Koh and Senior Minister of State Zaqy for their replies to my cuts. I have four questions. I note that for specific occupations such as cooks, companies can hire Work Permit holders from Laos, Cambodia and Bhutan, in addition to another seven odd countries. I have three questions for the Minister. First, how will MOM step up efforts to foster inclusiveness and fair practices like reasonable work hours in the food sectors? Second, how will MOM help workers from these new Non-Traditional Source countries to acclimatise to the work intensity in Singapore? The third is to protect these new groups from being exploited by recruiters in their home countries. Is MOM planning to facilitate direct outreach and referral programmes to bridge them to jobs in Singapore? To Senior Minister of State Koh, I would like to ask about the JS scheme. Could the scheme consider on a case-by-case basis self-employed persons such as creative freelancers who can prove income loss over a continual period because their jobs were cancelled or contracts were ceased when their work was offshored or due to AI substitution?”
“Freelancers are part of the value chain to create and deliver a finished product. Oftentimes, the imbalance of bargaining power between freelancers and service buyers means that freelancers are held in check by market reality when pricing their fees. Thus, freelancers would tend to price their fees based on what the market is prepared to pay, without factoring in the cost of safeguarding their health and safety at work. In the context of the creative industry, service buyers such as creative production houses are vendors and contractors that are held in check by the market reality of tight timelines and tighter budgets imposed by commissioning firms and Government agencies. Because of budget limitations, creative production houses could be apathetic towards putting in measures that safeguard the health and safety of freelancers, including guidance on a cap on the total hours of work on set and ensuring risk mitigation for higher-risk activities such as specialised rigging, smoke effects, stunts and the use of weapons. Could the Minister share if the Tripartite Standard on Procurement of Services from Media Freelancers has promoted a culture of shared responsibility for workplace safety in the creative industry? What are the Ministry's plans to ensure that freelancers and service buyers in the creative industry are familiar with the health and safety requirements that are relevant to the work that they do, control, contract or commission? Would the Ministry consider outlining safe work safeguards, such as reasonable hours of work for the creative and media industry? Mental Health Resources for SMEs”
“The Minister had mentioned that the Government is closely monitoring the trend in use of AI to ensure that guidelines and regulations are adequate to protect the workforce. Could MOM provide an update? Could MOM share if it would set up an inter-governmental workgroup to guide fair use of AI in the context of workforce rights and responsibilities? Review of Employment Act”
“Budget 2025 will boost support for companies going through mergers and acquisitions. Nonetheless, there must safeguards for affected workforce with acquiring and target companies. Given today's diversified workforce, does MOM plan to update the Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment so that businesses planning for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) can apply differentiated yet fair approaches to manage lay-offs or contract cessations that affect emerging workforce, such as persons with disabilities, agency workers, freelancers and migrant workers? Could the Ministry share its plans to guide companies on good practices in workforce engagement during M&As? How does MOM plan to develop the community of support for employers as well as those affected groups of workers? Protecting the Workforce in the AI Age As the Government supports more companies to adopt AI, protection for workers, be they employees or platform workers, must be updated alongside adoption. On employees, Member Patrick Tay raised at last November's Sitting that AI tools that substantially assist or replace discretionary decision-making could lead to biases in hiring or promotion. He asked for companies to be transparent when they use such tools. On platform workers, I had shared with this House that platform workers are stressed by financial precarity because platform algorithms determine trip allocation, fares and incentives in ways opaque to platform workers. For instance, two platform workers who provide rides for the same route at the same timing could receive different fare amounts. Thus, platform workers try to reduce precarity by working as many hours as needed to meet their daily earnings' threshold. This is unhealthy and unsafe.”
“To reinforce workforce transformation alongside business transformation, would MOM work with economic agencies to guide companies seeking Government grants to also commit to workforce outcomes such as job redesign to raise job worth, training for lower-skilled workforce and programmes to develop Singaporean talent? For sectors with high churn such as food and beverages (F&B), how is MOM working with economic agencies to ensure that new and incumbent F&B operators are able and motivated to comply with the PWM and to adopt fair practices such as the tripartite guidelines on managing excess manpower and responsible retrenchment and other relevant tripartite guidelines and standards? I observe that the experience is uneven on ground. As workforce demographics and needs evolve, would the MOM consider stepping up to lead a whole-of-Government integrated approach to business and workforce transformation? Doing so would optimise business outcomes while maximising workers' potential.”
“Freelancers lack access to training and development opportunities that are typically provided for traditional employees by employers. Given that freelancer-dominated sectors, such as arts and culture, media and design, rank among the world's fastest growing and rapidly transforming sectors, it is pressing and critical for the Government to boost training support for affected freelancers, such as arts educators, creative practitioners and media workers. Could the Ministry share how freelancers can be supported by the new schemes, such as the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme and the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, for workers studying part-time? Would the Ministry consider a top-up of SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) for freelancers who had utilised 50% or more of their existing SFC? Freelancers would welcome such boosts in keeping skills relevant and livelihoods viable. SkillsFuture Training Providers”
“Speaker, I just wanted to point out that my question relating to safety of occupational drivers was not responded to. So, could I perhaps ask the Minister of State what are actually the Ministry's plans in working with stakeholders to reinforce the shared responsibility for safety of occupational drivers, who could be PHV drivers as well as heavy vehicle drivers?”
“Taxi drivers and private hire vehicle drivers face higher operating costs arising from payments for vehicle leasing, insurances and more. Because the trip earnings of these point-to-point drivers fluctuate depending on the platforms' algorithms, drivers are stressed by financial precarity. Platform drivers have asked that platforms disclose what is the average fare per hour or per kilometre. Such information helps them to determine if they can sustain a viable livelihood as a platform driver. This in turn ensures that the Government's moves to uplift platform workers does translate to sustainable point-to-point transport services. Drivers have also asked that platforms provide clear and timely communication to drivers if changes to platform policies are likely to impact on drivers' earnings and work schedules. Could the Ministry share its plans to address these concerns? P2P Platform Flexibility”
“Occupational drivers, such as those driving heavy vehicles, taxis, private-hire and delivery vehicles, could be motivated by incentives or penalties to drive for long hours without breaks. Thus, employers or platform operators must ensure that such incentive and penalty systems do not increase driver fatigue and compromise vehicular safety. Could the Ministry share how it is working with stakeholders to reinforce shared responsibility for the safety of occupational drivers? Safer Worker Transport”
“At the COS debate last year, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary mentioned that the Government had accepted the Active Mobility Advisory Panel’s recommendations on the use of personal mobility aids. Could the Ministry provide an update? Implementation of Regulations on PMAs”
“At its COS debate last year, the Minister spoke about the setting up of a tripartite workgroup for last-mile deliveries. The workgroup had showcased developments at the URA Urban Lab Exhibition last November. Could the Ministry provide an update on the workgroup's progress and upcoming plans?”
“It was reported that NEA was considering broader forms of packaging waste under the extended producer responsibility scheme. This is a step in the right direction to achieve Singapore's climate goals. Could the Ministry share the insights gleaned from the Mandatory Packaging Reporting scheme and how they would impact the extended producer responsibility scheme? Could the Ministry provide an update on measures to manage the key waste streams, including packaging waste? Sustainable Waste Management”
“IPOS and the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore) is partnering to raise IP awareness and proficiency among creators. Likewise, for companies that adopt AI, how will MinLaw guide them to adhere to ethical and respectful use of IP? For instance, copyrighted works should not be used to train Gen AI applications without permission or compensation. How will MinLaw balance between fostering innovation and protecting creators' IP?”
“Last October, I asked if MinLaw would consider simplifying enforcement of small claims and employment claims tribunals' awards. I noted the Minister's reply that MinLaw was working on reforms, "To make the enforcement of civil judgments more effective, efficient and simpler." The challenge of enforcing awards was also recently raised in the Straits Times forum. Could the Minister provide an update on reforms to address challenges of non-compliance with Court orders? 1.15 pm Access to Justice”
“Yellow Ribbon Singapore has made good strides in supporting ex-offenders to upskill and develop careers through initiatives, such as giving ex-offenders who secured jobs through YRSG up to 12 months of career coaching and support. Nonetheless, some ex-offenders could find it challenging to cope and thus leave these jobs. What more can MHA do to prepare and support inmates in their desistance journey? Uplifting Ex-offenders and Yellow Ribbon Project”
“At its COS last year, MINDEF shared that a one-stop Central Manpower Base (CMPB) would be developed at Bukit Gombak to serve the needs of servicemen and their families, as well as the public living in the area. Apart from the one-stop service centre, all-weather fitness conditioning centre, and the lifestyle mart, the new CMPB would also house a regional health hub that would centralise the various SAF healthcare facilities that are spread across multiple locations, including the Medical Classification Centre, Specialist Medical and Dental Centre, Health Screening Programme Centre and MINDEF Medical Centre. I understand that servicemen can tap on the regional health hub for comprehensive primary and specialist healthcare as well as health screening services. I have two questions for the Minister. First, could MINDEF provide an update on the consolidation of medical services at this regional health hub within the new CMPB? Second, apart from services for servicemen, could MINDEF provide details on the amenities which would be open to the public? Recognising Contributions of NSmen”
“Mr Chairman, this is just a comment. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for his response. I appreciate that the Government provides a lot of support for training. Nonetheless, Government is actually a very big buyer of creator services. My point is that without local opportunities for our freelancers to go through upgrading to apply this new knowledge and skills, they will actually be disadvantaged. So, my request to the Government is to consider whether we could look at the sandbox arrangement where government-commissioned creative projects can provide a platform for our local creative freelancers who have gone through the upskilling, to be hired and to build their portfolios. This is very much like career trials, where we give people opportunities to practise and then, of course, to build their portfolios so that they can move on to bigger opportunities. In fact, our NTUC's Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association, we actually stand ready to support the Government if there is interest to do something like that.”
“They need a supportive environment to acquire and sharpen their edge to compete in a fast-changing landscape. Thus, would the Minister consider strengthening the Government's positive impact by embedding social value objectives, such as supporting hiring of locals, upscaling and training into the Government procurement framework?”
“This matters because many Singaporean creative freelancers are battling unprecedented levels of offshoring and substitution of creative labour with generative AI. In response to fellow Member Usha Chandradas' Parliamentary Question (PQ) on the growth prospects of the creative economy, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth replied, "There are many opportunities for creative practitioners, especially if they are able to capitalise on growing demands and trends, such as leveraging technology and working with regional and international partners to reach audiences beyond Singapore. Thus, the social value outcomes for the public sector agencies could be supporting Singaporean creative freelancers to build expertise and track record to pitch for higher value creative work in and outside of Singapore." Likewise, Government schools could uplift the prospects and capabilities of Singaporean freelance coaches and instructors delivering co-curricular activities (CCA) to students, if schools, too, embedded similar social value objective of hiring, upscaling and training local workforce in the procurement of CCA instruction. To ensure that enhancement of social values balanced against other priorities, such as achieving value for money and delivering the core contract deliverables, MOF could guide public sector agencies to engage with potential suppliers on how best to embed social value objectives into the contract delivery, including the tangible and measurable conditions of the contract to be monitored throughout contract delivery. Embedding social value in Government procurement can be a game changer to strengthen the employability of Singaporean freelancers who are less resource endowed.”
“Embedding social value into Government procurement. One positive outcome from the Government Procurement framework, Whole-of-Government Period Contract and Framework Agreement (WOG PCFA) for creative services and for video and animation services, is that public sector agencies are more aware of SME creative agencies and their services. In the same vein, I would like to urge MOF to consider formalising the embedding of social value into Government procurement framework. The UK's Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public authorities and their supply chains to go beyond cost consideration to also consider how the public authority can make a positive economic, social and/or environmental impact through the procurement process. 6.00 pm At the debate on the Motion on supporting families this February, I had suggested for the Government to consider embedding social value into Government procurement framework. Under such an arrangement, public sector agencies would have the discretion to determine their social value commitments alongside the core contract deliverables. For instance, under the WOG PCFAs and standard procurement for creative services as well as video and animation services, public sector agencies that procure creative services or video and animation services could specify hiring, upscaling and training of the local workforce as a social value objective in the contract delivery. This would give impetus to creative agencies working on Government projects to engage Singaporean creative freelancers, rather than to prioritise cost and thus outsource to overseas market. Embedding local workforce upscaling as a social value objective ensures that Singaporean creative freelancers have a safe space to unlearn and relearn new skills and technology.”
“"One ship drives east and another drives west With the self-same winds that blow. ‘Tis the set of the sails And not the gales Which tells us the way to go. Like the winds of the sea are the winds of fate, As we voyage along through life, ‘Tis the set of a soul That decides its goal And not the calm or the strife." We are at the turning of a chapter in Singapore’s journey. If we unite as a people, SG60 can be one defined by resilience that is empathetic as well as a shared accountability and responsibility for the growth and well-being of fellow Singaporeans, particularly those who are more vulnerable. Whether we are the Government, business owners, employers, unions or workers, the choice is upon us to be the heroes of our own story.”
“A similar approach could apply for areas that impact broad swathes of workers across sectors including PwDs, agency workers and freelancers. As the economy evolves, these groups might become even more vulnerable if they lack updated work protection and training. Thus, lead Ministries and agencies could initiate multi-stakeholder workgroups to discuss protection and provisions for emerging vulnerable groups. We could take a leaf from the Government’s approach to platform workers. Then, the whole-of-Government leaned forward for platform workers and rolled out the new Platform Workers Act this year with strong support from platform operators and NTUC’s platform work associations. Platform workers can now be represented, protected and supported. Thus, would the Government consider strengthening legal protection of freelancers and agency workers? Creative freelancers look to the Government to instil in service buyers, respect for creatives’ intellectual property rights and rights to timely payment and fair terms, and to uphold justice if buyers wilfully violate such rights. Agency workers too count on the Government to look out for them, particularly those engaged by user firms that fall under the Progressive Wage Model. Strengthening legal protection for these emerging vulnerable workers would provide them with a peace of mind. To further uplift persons with disabilities, would the Government consider increasing the range of accessible SkillsFuture training courses, including guiding training providers to provide reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities to attend the training? To conclude, allow me to share a verse by 19th century American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox titled “The Winds of Fate”.”
“Grants can help firms to bring in the right technology to jumpstart productivity. To scale and sustain, businesses must "have the right people on the bus". My pitch to bosses: tap on the CTC grant. Work with unions to power a flywheel of momentum that strengthens the people who will build your business with you. Thus, would the Government consider adopting the CTC approach for grant programmes managed by sector agencies? Through this approach, we can encourage more firms to practise fair and reasonable employment and hiring, redesign jobs to raise job worth, train lower-skilled workers, including agency workers in the firm as well as start programmes to attract and develop Singaporean talent. Doing so would reinforce shared accountability to develop and value Singapore workers and uplift the workforce across the board. Third, reframe shared responsibility so that the lead Government agencies are motivated to co-shape development roadmaps with unions, employers and relevant fellow agencies as core stakeholders. For instance, as a unionist representing workers in the food sectors, I note that stakeholders in the food sectors must contend with concurrent developments in the food space, such as the new Food Safety and Security Act and developments in the manpower space, such as the Progressive Wage Model for the food services sector, foreign manpower regulations, Workplace Fairness Act and flexible work arrangements. As agencies' priorities do overlap, it would be helpful for lead agencies to engage the core unions and employer groups from the outset when the agencies set goals and design regulatory implementation. Doing so would ensure that workers' interests are equally valued.”
“Would the Government consider applying flexibility to the income criteria of the basket of support for families schemes? This would allow a worker who is involuntarily unemployed or a freelancer who can prove significant loss in average monthly net trade income compared to the past two years to still qualify for the schemes if they fulfil all other criteria sans the income criteria. Doing so could further encourage retrenched workers to apply for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, particularly professionals, managers and executives. It would be helpful if scheme applicants could be concurrently linked with other assistance, such as subsidised counselling support as well as workplace advisory for those who exited on unfair terms. Second, reframe shared accountability so that enterprises and workers are committed to upholding the social compact. For instance, agency workers often slip beneath the radar when it comes to upskilling. Because agency workers are hired by staffing agencies but report for work at user firms, agency workers' training needs are often overlooked. Without support and paid time-off to attend training, agency workers could suffer from skills decay and these workers could become less and less valued by the market. I appreciate the Government's allocation of the additional $200 million to NTUC's Company Training Committee Grant (CTC Grant) to help more companies transform and upskill their workers. Nonetheless, as a unionist interacting with firms, I observed that firms expressed enthusiasm when discussing the use of the CTC Grant for new systems or technology but needed more persuasion when the union broached job redesign or training. In response, I share my takeaway from the book "Good to Great" by business researcher Jim Collins.”
“Together with the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme that was announced in 2024, Budget 2025 will improve employment and employability outcomes for these groups. Nonetheless, the paradigm of job security is changing. Many of us, including the lady I met at the food shop, are still struggling to make sense of it. We struggle because being uncertain about our job security makes us feel helpless. Feeling helpless goes against the ethos of self-resilience ingrained in Singaporeans from young. Our ethos compels us to show that we can deal with all curveballs, to the extent that we might hold ourselves accountable if our jobs are made redundant. Herein lies the paradox of self-resilience. We pride ourselves in taking tough times in stride, but this ease is built up when we endure hardship. It is not easy holding ourselves up when life deals us a low blow that knocks the wind right out of us. Thus, it does not matter whether we lose our jobs because of a layoff or, in the case of freelancers and agency workers, cancellation of assignments. Job loss is a blow that inflicts extended psychological, emotional and financial pain. Because we extol self-reliance, even in such situations, we hesitate to seek help. We can do more to lean forward to protect and uplift Singaporeans who are emerging vulnerable workers. Alongside clarifications, I would like to offer three suggestions of how we could lean forward as a country. First, reframe self-resilience so that seeking help is not a sign of weakness but an affirmation of courage and determination. The experience of losing a job is distressing, especially when dependents look to us for finances, care and support. Some who lost their jobs have to care for aged parents. Some are parents of young children.”
“Together, these trends will disrupt how work is done and valued. Nonetheless, Singapore must press on with innovation and growth to counteract the demographically-driven reduction in innovation. Allow me to explain. In 2010, Japanese inventors were the biggest producers of patents in 35 global industries. By 2021, they only led in three global industries. The Economist linked Japan's decline in disruptive innovation to its demographic decline, which, in turn, was an outcome of falling total fertility rate and limited immigration. Turning to Singapore, Singapore's TFR has been falling, from 1.12 in 2021 to 0.97 in 2023. Singapore must press on with innovation efforts to counteract demographically-driven reduction in innovation. Innovation raises productivity and, ultimately, standards of living. Budget 2025 is thus progressive yet protective. Progressive, because the Budget allocates significant funds to reinforce innovation and technology as engines of growth for the economy and enterprises. The Budget also offers financial incentives and tax perks that encourage businesses to grow strategically through M&A and significant grants to transform jobs and upgrade workforce capabilities. Together with the $5 billion programme to strengthen the Singapore stock market, Budget 2025 will fuel a dynamic and evolving Singapore economy. Protective, because the Budget also allocates significant funds for various employment credit schemes and the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme that reinforce employment of vulnerable segments, including lower-wage workers, senior workers, persons with disabilities and ex-offenders. The Budget also defrays cost of part-time long-form training programmes for Singaporeans aged 40 and above and enhances the training allowance for lower-wage workers.”
“Apart from creative freelancers, agency workers could be hard-hit when user firms respond to market shifts. User firms hire agency workers on temporary basis for projects and specific roles where these workers' skills are needed. Many agency workers service hotels, F&B, supermarkets, e-commerce logistics and banks. Unlike in the past, when companies turned to staffing agencies as stop gaps, companies are increasingly hiring agency workers as a shortcut to organisational flexibility and fluidity. In a 2021 article by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Matt Creagh, a UK Trades Union Congress employment rights policy officer said, "It's easy for employers to hire agency workers because you don't have the fixed costs of a directly employed workforce and it's much easier to fire an agency worker. You just ring up the agency and say, 'We don't want them coming back in.' If you have an agency workforce, they're more likely to be on the statutory basic terms and conditions – minimum holiday, minimum wage, minimum rest breaks." If user firms and staffing agencies fail to respect and uphold employment regulations and fair employment practices, agency workers will become increasingly vulnerable to decaying skills and being shortchanged in compensation, particularly those who are lower-wage and lower-skilled. The pace of change is accelerating and will hit home for workers. How might we lean forward to protect and uplift this emerging vulnerable workforce? Separate reports from the World Employment Confederation and the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs point to two trends taking root this year: one more companies will strive to build flexibility into the workforce; and two, more companies will seek to exploit AI at functional levels.”
“"我最怕的就是裁员", which translates to "I am most fearful of being retrenched." Retrenchment is a heavy topic for mealtime conversations. However, it is a topic that is increasingly par for the course as firms push ahead with merger and acquisition (M&A) and business reorganisation and restructuring. No age group of workers is immune to retrenchment. Quarterly labour market reports for the first to third quarters of 2024 showed that while retrenchment incidence remained the highest for resident workers aged between 50 and 59, retrenchment incidence had risen for those aged between 30 and 39. Many of us strive for immunity by working harder, often at the expense of our health. A 2024 survey by health technology provider Telus Health revealed that two-thirds of Singaporean workers showed signs of burnout, particularly those under the age of 40. If the Government, employers and unions fail to recognise and respond to the prevalent perception of job insecurity, workers can become increasingly stressed and disillusioned. Second, those who would be hard-hit by market shifts. They include freelancers and agency workers. In July 2024, Hollywood video game performers went on strike to seek fair artificial intelligence regulations for the gaming industry because performers asserted that gaming companies had condoned replicating of performers' likeness and voices without informed consent and fair compensation. Because performers were largely freelancers and paid by the hour, their incomes took a hit when companies reduced contracted hours in favour of exploiting AI as a substitute. If service buyers fail to respect and uphold fair use of AI, creative freelancers will become increasingly vulnerable to diminishing earnings and prospects.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank the Prime Minister for the comprehensive Budget Statement. I appreciate that Budget 2025 would enhance existing programmes and introduce new initiatives, such as the Large Families Scheme, that respond to Singaporeans' changing aspirations and needs as well as the SG Culture Pass, an ActiveSG credit top-up that will boost interest and careers in arts, heritage and sports. Mr Speaker, I support the Budget. It will set our sails to catch favouring winds as we forge ahead in an uncertain economic climate. Even then, social and economic changes are uneven and unsettling, for vulnerable Singaporeans more so than others. A 2022 Harvard Business Review article on perceived job insecurity among American workers sets the impact in context, "Whether you've been laid off, downsized, forced to take early retirement, or seen contract work dry up, losing your employment is one of life's most stressful experience. Aside from the obvious financial anguish it can cause, the stress of losing a job can also take a heavy toll on your mood, relationships and overall mental and emotional health." In Singapore's context, who are the emerging groups of vulnerable workers where we must lean forward? Two groups come to mind: those who could be hit hard by layoffs when their employers re-organise or restructure and those would be hard-hit by market shifts, such as freelancers and agency workers. Both groups see the same overcast on the horizon – that of possible job loss. Allow me to elaborate. First, those who could be hit hard if companies re-organise or restructure and take the decision to lay off staff. A mother and daughter sat close to me at a crowded food shop. I caught this remark by the daughter, a lady in her thirties.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her answer. Just wanted to ask: what are the roadblocks that the Ministry envisages in pushing forward skills-first hiring? And which sectors would the Ministry consider making greater traction and also leading the effort in redefining and reframing the way that we look at employment?”
“Such moves would give cause for optimism than worry of job displacement; it would also boost the confidence of these vulnerable breadwinners in facing the challenge of technology advancement and stressful life situations head-on. To conclude: for many of us, around one-third of our lives would be spent working. Work gives us dignity, income security and boosts our feelings of self-worth. A "Singapore Made for Families" must therefore be anchored by a refreshed and renewed social compact that would give a boost to the livelihood skills and opportunities of our over-500,000 Singaporean platform workers, creative freelancers and low-wage workers facing the advancement of emerging technologies and economic renewal. As a whole-of-society, we must step up to the plate in our roles as Government, employers, unions and more, to give these groups of fellow Singaporeans a leg-up to start and raise their families well, and to imbue confidence in these families that they, too, can access support to thrive and find joy in their journey through life.”
“In response to lean staffing and technology advancements, redesigned food services jobs – whether service crew, kitchen assistant or outlet manager – would likely see a shift towards an increase in the scope and responsibilities of roles. Given the faster pace of change and wider scale of technology adoption, a refreshed social compact must include measures to help low-wage Singaporean workers, who may be less literate in English language and digital skills, deal with the stresses and expectations arising from the increased scope and responsibilities of their job roles. I would thus like to urge the Government and industry stakeholders to prioritise connecting low-wage workers with training that can help these vulnerable workers to pivot to the refreshed job scopes or to new career paths if their jobs will likely be replaced by automation. I would also like to urge employers to take a broader and longer-term view when making business plans; planning for the future must go beyond investing in automation and ought to extend into capability building and increasing accessibility to work to help these workers to balance work/life needs. For instance, low-wage workers could be more willing to pivot if their employer had catered adequate training and the time to build these workers' competence in interacting with emerging technologies and changing customer demands. These workers could also be more prepared to stay on in the job if their employers offered flexi-work arrangements that could allow these workers to manage work around their needs at different life situations.”
“Likewise, having the Government take the lead in contracting and subcontracting Singaporean creatives for Government-commissioned projects would provide the safe space for these creative freelancers to apply new knowledge and technology that expand creative frontiers, capture new value and elevate the standing of Singaporean creatives. Such move would pave the way for local creative freelancers to translate upskilling efforts into a differentiated creative portfolio. A differentiated creative portfolio matters because it can be a springboard for local freelance creatives to pitch beyond Singapore for higher value creative work and to command a premium for their expertise – both aspects critical to supporting Singaporean creative freelancers as breadwinners and pillars for their families. Last, low-wage workers that technology could substitute. In July 2023, the McKinsey Global Institute published a report which found that many low-wage jobs in the food industry and in customer service in the US could be eliminated by GenAI by 2030. For instance, devices like smart kiosks have allowed eateries to operate a single site with fewer employees. The same study suggests that workers in lower-wage jobs are up to 14 times more likely to need to change occupations than those in highest-wage positions and most will need additional skills to do so successfully. In Singapore, the 2023 edition of the Government's Jobs Transformation Map for food services sector highlighted the urgency to redesign food services jobs to make the sector attractive to Singaporeans.”
“To further save costs, these companies are also offshoring entry-level creative work activities to lower-cost countries. These forces have brought upheaval to the creative work value chain in Singapore and has affected a big swathe of local creative freelancers, some of whom had experienced up to a 30% drop in their income from creative work. Given the increase in such external pressures on Singaporean freelance creative professionals, it is timely for a refreshed social compact to provide safe spaces for Singaporean creative professionals to unlearn and re-learn, so as level up their thinking and technology-adoption in tandem with the opening of new avenues to monetise creative talent. I would thus like to urge the Government to take the lead in supporting the capability development of our local freelance creative professionals and the development of Singapore's creative industry, by requiring principal creative agencies engaged by Government Ministries or agencies for creative projects to prioritise engaging Singaporean creative freelancers or enterprises for specialised expertise needed. This is similar in concept to how the UK's government procurement framework requires government departments to consider social value in awarding contracts. For instance, departments are guided to consider social value outcomes that have lasting impact to individuals, communities and the environment, such as "tackling economic inequality, including creating new businesses, jobs and skills" as well as "driving equal opportunity".”
“Given the rise in algorithmic management of workers, it is timely for a refreshed social compact to include safeguards that protect workers against exploitative algorithmic management practices that could arise when the business environment becomes complex and uncertain. I would thus like to urge the Government to consider requiring companies that apply artificial intelligence (AI) to decisions affecting workers, such as ride hailing and delivery platform operators, to provide transparent disclosure of the safeguards, whistle-blowing avenues and recourse in place to uphold non-discriminatory and responsible use of AI for decision-making that impacts workers. I would also like to continue urging the Government to consider requiring these AI-centric companies to adopt the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA's) AI Verify governance framework that would guide companies to be transparent about their AI and build trust. Such moves would give greater assurance to breadwinners with precarious work, such as platform workers. Second, creative freelancers. Nearly 70% of 4,000 global marketing and creative leaders, surveyed by Canva, a multinational graphic design platform, expressed concern over potential job loss across industries due to Generative AI (GenAI). GenAI and globalisation are reshaping the nature of creative work in Singapore. NTUC's Visual, Audio and Creative Content Professionals Association that represents freelance creative professionals, observed that companies are becoming more cost-conscious and have increasingly delegated tedious time-consuming tasks, such as localising and personalising creative concepts for marketing campaigns to AI.”
“Then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also gave similar assurances when he said at the launch of the Forward Singapore exercise in June 2022, that "Singaporeans and Singaporean workers will always be at the centre of everything we do." Such assurance matters because year 2025 is unfolding in a world that is increasingly driven by technology and often times delicate, uncontrollable, unpredictable and impossible to comprehend. Allow me to share about three groups of Singaporean breadwinners who must show courage as they brave a new wave of technological disruption that could upend livelihoods and intensify the challenge in raising their families. What could be strengthened in our social compact so that these Singaporean workers can rise above new areas of adversity, challenge and uncertainty and be a pillar of strength and support for their families? First, platform workers. During the debate on the Workplace Fairness Bill, I pointed out that some became platform workers because platform work allowed them to earn a living despite their limitations. For instance, some platform delivery members from the National Trade Unions Congress' (NTUC's) National Delivery Champions Association are single parents and the main caregivers to their young school-going children. Because these platform delivery workers are careful to only accept platform jobs that they can fulfil when their children are at school, they worry that they could be deprioritised in job allocation and/or fares by biases learnt or internalised by platform algorithms. Such action by the platform algorithms would hurt such platform workers' livelihoods and compel these workers to unfairly choose between work and caregiving.”
“"Four seasons fill the measure of the year; there are four seasons in the mind of man." This excerpt from the poem "Sonnet. The Human Seasons" by 19th century English poet John Keats, likens human life to the passage of the four seasons. As we transition from the spring of childhood into the summer of youth and graduate into the autumn of middle age and the winter of old age, many of us count on our families to be there for us. Indeed, over 90% of Singaporeans polled by the IPS for its global World Values Survey 2020, valued family as "very important", compared to less than 40% for other facets of life such as work, friends and leisure time. While family mattered most to Singaporeans, the same IPS study shared that work was a higher priority for Singaporeans aged between 36 and 50 than other age groups, likely because this group of Singaporeans tend to be breadwinners who feel responsible for their family’s finances, care and well-being. Mr Speaker, I rise in support of the Motion put forth by Members Hany Soh and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim because the Motion urges a rational yet intuitive approach to refreshing and renewing Singapore's social compact, so that Singaporeans can be supported and strengthened to cherish and value their families, whether they be families with young children or three-generation households or singles living with ageing parents, through the uncertainty, adversity and challenge of the different phases we pass through in a lifetime. The Motion calls for a Singapore social compact that can help these Singaporean breadwinners to balance the economics and emotions of working and caregiving, because doing so is integral to a "Singapore Made for Families".”
“Especially if the applicant is intending to enter the food services sector, a sector under the progressive wage model, where practices must be strengthened if the sector is to be able to uplift Singaporean workers' skills and wages and enhance worker's safety and health. To conclude, the Bill is timely and commendable. It charts the way forward for Singapore and its agri-food supply chain stakeholders and consumers to embrace a food safety culture and be assured of food security and resilience for the long-term. Mr Speaker, I support the Bill.”
“" Under this shift, some food businesses could be required to implement a food control plan of preventative measures, such as tailored safety and hygiene conditions and specific training plans for staff, to ensure the safety and suitability of the food in a food business' production process. Food businesses must also be able to trace food one step backwards and one step forwards. Implementing these requirements is a noble endeavour. Yet, implementing these requirements could also be a tall order given the state of churn of food businesses in Singapore. The Business Times reported that close to 2,500 F&B businesses ceased operations in the first nine months of 2024, representing an increase of 19.7% over the whole of 2023. Thus, could the Minister share SFA's plans to ensure that persons setting up food businesses are made aware of the new requirements and geared up to implement the requirements, such as putting in place the training and processes to ensure that their workforce can implement and upkeep the requirements? Last, in respect of section 92 that outlines the criteria for grant of food business license. Sub-section 4b states that a license applicant must have, “relevant knowledge, competency and experience in identifying, controlling, managing and eliminating or minimising hazards for the purpose of achieving safe and suitable food in carrying on that licensable food business.” To this end, could the Minister share if SFA takes into consideration past employment contraventions of license applicants when assessing these applicants' suitability to operate food businesses?”
“Mr Speaker, I commend the Ministry for introducing this comprehensive yet streamlined Bill. The Bill establishes food-related businesses' core obligations and responsibilities to workers, consumers, and other businesses in the agri-food supply chain. As important, the Bill reconciles new needs that emerge because of dynamic travel and trade landscapes and the evergreen priorities of food safety and food resilience. Nonetheless, I seek clarity on three areas of impact to consumers and workers. Before I proceed, I would like to declare that I am also the Executive Secretary of the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union, the union for persons working in accommodation and food sectors. First, section 124 outlines the direction for food vending machines and other equipment in respect of food safety. Could the Minister elaborate on the type of checks that the authorised officer or food inspector might undertake to determine if a food vending machine is in unclean or unsanitary condition as to make any food obtained from the machine unsafe or unsuitable, or likely to be unsafe or unsuitable? To help consumers to exercise safe consumption, SFA might wish to consider requiring vending machine operators to display on a conspicuous part of the machine, the most recent date the machine was cleaned; and for highly perishable foods, such as cut-fruit, the "sell-by" date. Second, the explanatory notes on Part 4 of the Bill had stated, "Part 4 moves more towards emphasising preventative measures devised by the food business licensees themselves for ensuring food safety and hygiene along the licensee's entire food handling process.”
“Some of us might have caught Wicked, a recent movie release and the highest-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical. Wicked featured a wheelchair-bound actress, Marissa Bode. Allow me to share a quote from Jon M Chu, Wicked's director. He said, "Creating the set was one of the most enlightening and beautiful processes I have ever gone through" adding, "You need accessibility, not just when we are on set behind the scenes, but you need to present accessibility in Oz itself." I commend Mr Chu. His mindset and approach must be the desired states which the Workplace Fairness Bill is seeking to steer employers, colleagues and employees to embrace and aspire towards. The Bill is a milestone for Singapore. As important, it is a beacon of hope and resilience for less-advantaged communities. NTUC and our unions have been championing fair and inclusive workplaces. This Bill gives us firmer ground to work closely with employers and tripartite stakeholders to pave the way for more workplaces to be fair and inclusive. The Bill also gives individuals the courage to surface discriminatory practices that they might experience or come across. NTUC and the unions stand ready to support members in these situations. In closing, I call upon this House and fellow Singaporeans to unite in purpose and action so that all working people, regardless of their background, can be empowered to uphold that dignity to their right of work.”
“These employers might have missed or deliberately ignored TAFEP's messages and thus would not have impressed upon their managers and HR team the importance of fair workplace practices. These employers could also continue to hold on to stereotypes that perpetuate biases and unfair workplace practices. To give a sense of the potential size of challenge of dismantling such stereotypes and biases, allow me to share a personal example from my capacity as a unionist. To this day, I have union members who were told to terminate their union membership if they accepted a promotion to executive roles. This was told to them by their manager or HR. These management and HR had also communicated to staff members that executives cannot join the union. Such myths have been widely propagated in the hospitality sectors where I am now serving in a unionist capacity. Despite such myths being baseless and in fact, unlawful given that it is an offence under the Industrial Relations Act to induce persons not to join trade unions or platform work associations, it remains an uphill task for the union leaders and I to debunk these myths. Therefore, I cannot overstate the need for the Government to be relentless in its efforts to level the awareness and implementation capabilities of managers and HR practitioners. In this regard, could the Minister share the Ministry's assessment of the level of readiness of companies to implement the Bill in 2026 and if the Bill is passed? Given the scale of implementation of the Bill, how does the Government plan to work with stakeholders to level up managers and human resource practitioners by 2026? I would like to conclude this speech on an encouraging note.”
“Doing so would motivate platform operators from the get-go to design and build artificial intelligence (AI) systems that are aligned with the 11 AI ethics principles. Given the push for fairer workplaces, would the Ministry consider mandating platform operators to apply AI Verify to their platform algorithms and for operators to address gaps flagged out by AI Verify? Apart from platform work, technology has also evolved recruitment practices. It is now common for companies to advertise their job postings on social media platforms. To maximise advertising spend, recruiters would typically set limitations on the target audience receiving the job post. This inadvertently narrows the audience for the job post to certain segments of the population. In the absence of guardrails, employers could target by options that describe or relate to the protected characteristics. In respect of clause 19 of the Bill on advertising, what are measures that the Ministry plans to undertake with social media platforms to prevent employers from exploiting social media to engage in discriminatory job advertising? Such measures matter to Singapore's push for non-discrimination and fairness in a digital economy. To prepare for this debate, I had spoken with different stakeholders and members. Many had suggested for efforts to be directed to educate and equip managers and human resource practitioners because these individuals would be much involved in implementing the Bill at the workplace. Although TAFEP and tripartite bodies have been active in educating the public on fair employment and hiring practices, there are employers that are less familiar with TAFEP's work and the discussions leading up to the drafting of this Bill.”
“Nonetheless, I note that platform work arrangement is excluded from the Bill. This is despite the efforts to differentiate platform workers from other self-employed workers because of the employee-like characteristics of platform workers. Some platform workers are from less-advantaged communities. They became platform workers because of the limitations that they have. They asked if the Bill could be extended to cover platform workers and protect platform workers against discrimination by platform algorithms. Because the Platform Workers Act imposes financial obligations on platform operators, these platform workers worry that platform operators would favour workers the operators deem as more productive and thus tighten control on who is allowed to onboard the platform and to participate in platform work. Such control is typically executed by platform algorithms that manage platform job allocation, fares and supervision. Thus, biases or preferences introduced deliberately or inadvertently by operators or picked up and internalised by platform algorithms would factor into the platform's algorithmic decision-making that could consistently deprioritise a particular worker in job allocation and/or fares or prioritise some workers over others. Such actions hurt the livelihoods of affected platform workers. Workers ask if this Bill would grant them the right and avenue to seek fairness. Could the Ministry consider expanding the Bill to cover the platform workspace and to provide protection to platform workers impacted by such algorithmic discrimination? In the debate on the Platform Workers Bill, I had recommended for the Government to require platform operators to apply AI Verify to the platform algorithms.”
“Fellow Parliamentarians, such as Mayor Ms Denise Phua, Mr Ong Hua Han and Miss Rachel Ong spoke extensively yesterday about the need for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities and offered sound suggestions to nudge more employers into action. I stand in support. In this regard, could the Minister outline how the Ministry plans to normalise for employers to make reasonable accommodations that cater to the different needs of different demographics in the workforce? Such expansion would be in tandem with Singapore's Enabling Masterplan 2030 that gives a big push for inclusive hiring. Next, advocates for PwDs such as Po Chien who I spoke with had surfaced concern about less-enlightened employers working around the law by asking for a candidate's National Service status or refusing to accept reasonable accommodations. Such concern is shared by those impacted by clause 10 of the Bill on the protected characteristics for sex where characteristics such as sexual orientation and gender identity were excluded. These communities seek assurance that the Ministry would make every effort to guard against indirect methods of discriminating and protect those whose employment opportunities are undermined as a result. Could the Minister share the recourse available to an individual with grounds to suspect that he or she has been discriminated by an employer because of their disability or sexual orientation or gender identity? What measures would the Ministry consider putting in place to deter such forms of discrimination? In the context of new workspaces, over 70,000 individuals are regular platform workers and are now protected under the Platform Workers Act that has taken effect from 1 January 2025.”
“Mr Speaker, through work, many of us reinforce our sense of dignity. Pope Francis said, and I quote, “Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one's family, and to contribute to the growth of one's own nation." The Workplace Fairness Bill matters because it opens doors for more persons to access work opportunities regardless of background and personal characteristics. As important, it upholds every person's right to be treated fairly and with respect because it strengthens protections against discrimination and empowers workers to seek remedial action from their employers directly without fear of retaliation. On these grounds, Mr Speaker, I support the Bill. While I acknowledge the Bill as a sound first step in the right direction, I seek clarity on how the Bill would be implemented to counter facets of discrimination in traditional and new workspaces. I also seek clarity on how the Bill would deliver sustained positive impact for less-advantaged communities that have the odds stacked up against them in the job market and the workplace. First, clause 28 of the Bill outlines the prohibition against retaliation. Could the Minister explain what constitutes, I quote, "subjecting the employee to any other detriment in relation to the employee's employment". Next, the Bill outlines what constitutes direct workplace discrimination in respect of the protected characteristics. However, the Bill leaves out what are reasonable accommodations that must be put in place to facilitate employment outcomes. Clarity on the provision of reasonable accommodations would pave the way for more Singaporeans to be purposefully engaged in work, to develop viable careers and livelihood and to contribute economically to Singapore.”
“Notwithstanding the clarifications sought, I support the Bill and look forward to this decisive step towards a fair and inclusive work environment for freelancers and employees.”