Gig workers in Singapore need help in terms of social security

Gig workers need help in terms of social security, as these workers get minimal or no Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, depending on the sector, said Singapore’s labour MP Desmond Choo.

However, workers who take on gig jobs do so because they are short on cash, and requiring them to contribute to their CPF or MediSave account would cut their take-home pay, he said at a roundtable event on Budget 2021, according to The Straits Times. 

The labour movement is looking into how gig workers can have greater structural support, which will include considering whether associations need to be set up so that they have more bargaining power and a collective voice, and if legislations need to be changed so that they will have greater protection, Choo said. 

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He also added that while Singapore may not be able to protect all jobs, having a good placement system is key to allow workers to be retrained and redeployed to sectors with better opportunities. 

There has been many unfilled roles under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package due to “mismatches and missed matches”, he noted.