by Nicholas Lee
The National Environment Agency (NEA), NTUC and other government agencies have been working closely to get cleaning companies to adopt the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), said Minister of State (MOS) for the Ministry of Finance Ms Josephine Teo at the Finance Committee of Supply Debate on 11 March 2013.
She noted the Ministry of Education, the largest buyer of cleaning services within the Government, has all its contractors on board the PWM.
About half of all cleaners employed under Government contracts, or over 3,500 cleaners, currently earn basic wages of at least $1,000 per month.
With training, improved skills and bigger job scopes, these cleaners will be able to earn more.
MOS Teo shared the Government plans to engage only cleaning companies accredited under the NEA’s Enhanced Clean Mark Accreditation Scheme for all contracts called from 1 April 2013.
Local cleaners on Government contracts will be paid according to the PWM subsequently.
Similarly, the security sector will also see the Government procuring only from security agencies that are well graded by the police.
“An important pillar of assessment is their grading of HR practices, including their wage practices,” said MOS Teo.
“The Government, working closely with tripartite partners, will be further enhancing the security grading scheme as part of our efforts to uplift the wages and working conditions of security officers,” shared MOS Teo.
