Entry-level waste collection workers can see salary double to $3,260 by 2028

SINGAPORE — Entry-level waste collection workers can each expect to earn a monthly salary of $3,260 by 2028, about double their current wages.

This and other measures – based on recommendations by the Tripartite Cluster for Waste Management Industry (TCWM) – will be covered under a new Progressive Wage Model (PWM). The recommendations were accepted by the Ministry of Manpower on Monday (24 January).

The wage model is set to start from 1 July next year till 30 June 2029.

It is expected to benefit about 3,000 Singaporean and permanent resident waste management workers in the waste collection and materials recovery sub-sectors.

The multi-year wage schedule comprises fixed annual increments for all job rungs, with faster wage growth for the lower job rungs, said TCWM.

The resident workers will also get a stipulated minimum hourly overtime pay. From January 2024, they will also receive a mandatory annual bonus of no less than one month's pay, if they have worked for a minimum of a year with the same employer. This bonus does not depend on their work performance.

To provide a clear career progression pathway for the existing workforce and attract new entrants, the TCWM has also mapped out the operational and supervisory job roles within the two sub-sectors.

Minimum training requirements have also been set, with entry-level workers requiring to undergo at least two Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) modules.

"Beyond the PWM, the TCWM will press on our efforts to uplift the image of the industry, and urge all of society to recognise and value the importance of our waste management workforce especially amidst challenges due to COVID-19,” said its chairman Fahmi Aliman.

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