How many workers did not get any wage increase?

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March 20, 2018

Is the Wage Credit Scheme helping low-wage workers? 

I refer to the article “Wage credit: $800m for over 90,000 employers” (Straits Times, Mar 20).

It states that “Introduced in 2013, the scheme helps employers share productivity gains with their employees by co-funding wage increases for Singaporeans up to a gross monthly wage of $4,000.”

As to “In this month’s payouts, the Government will co-fund 20 per cent of qualifying wage increases given in 2015, 2016 and last year for more than 600,000 Singaporean workers” – how many workers were there in the last year?

Is the “600,000 workers” referring to 2015 to 2017?

So, how many workers did not get any wage increase last year?

In this regard, perhaps the latest National Wages Council (NWC) wage increase recommendations’ statistics may be a good indicator.

“Only about 21 per cent of companies gave their low-wage workers ($1,100 monthly) salary increases of at least $50 (as recommended).

13.1 per cent of low-wage workers had a wage cut, 11.9 per cent had no pay increase at all, and a whopping 54 per cent had wage increases of less than the recommended $50″.

Leong Sze Hian

 

 

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About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.