Gig workers in Singapore to receive more protection

The recommendations, which strive to improve retirement and housing adequacy, work injury compensation and bargaining power, will benefit taxi drivers, private-hire car drivers and freelance deliverymen.

The Advisory Committee on Platform Workers, which was set up by the Ministry of Manpower in September 2021 to look into these issues, is now in the final stages of its consultations, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon recently.

“We should, in the next month or two, be able to finalise the recommendations,” he told reporters after a dialogue with 100 taxi drivers, private-hire car drivers and delivery workers, who shared their views and challenges. 

Koh, who is adviser to the committee, also said the release of the recommendations, which are due in the second half of 2022, is just the start. 

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“Once we come out with the recommendations, we will need to do a broad series of engagements with the workers to help them understand what the recommendations mean. We also need to continue working with the platform companies to see how they can operationalise many of these recommendations,” he said. 

“The Government also must look at how, if need be, any legislation needs to be enacted to make sure that what we want to achieve can be enforced as well,” Koh added.