We refer to the article “Cleaners get wage boost with new law” (Straits Times, Sep 2).

26,000 of 38,000 cleaners get $1,000?

It states that “These firms hire 52,000 cleaners. About 38,000, or about two-in three of them, are locals. Four in five of the licensed firms are small companies with fewer than 50 cleaners.

The data on the cleaning companies was revealed for the first time by the authorities on Monday morning.

Firms get a one year reprieve for contracts signed before April 1 this year. But from September next year, the firms will have to pay all cleaners accordingly, regardless of when the contracts were signed.

So far, more than 26,000 local cleaners are already on the wage ladder, according to a statement by the Manpower Ministry, NEA, Singapore Workforce Development Agency and National Trades Union Congress.

All 38,000 local cleaners will be on the wage ladder by September next year, said labour chief Lim Swee Say.”

12,000 have to wait till Sep 2015 to get $1,000?

Does the above mean that only 26,000 of the 38,000 local cleaners are getting the $1,000 pay now, but the balance 12,000 will only get it by September next year?

$6b foreign workers’ levies, but can’t pay $14.4m?

Since we estimate that foreign workers’ levies may be about $6 billion a year after the increase from July, why not just top-up their pay to $1,000 in the meantime. After all, the estimated cost may only be about $14.4 million (12,000 x $100 x 12 months), which is a pittance compared to the $6 billion.

Talking about $1,000 pay since 2008?

In this connection, we have been talking about paying cleaners $1,000 since 2008 – “Full-time cleaners now earn about $1,000 a month on average, compared to about $750 before the (Town Councils’ cleaners’) scheme was launched in 2008” (“Cleaners’ pay up $250 to $1,000: Congratulations?“).

No real increase in pay at all?

So now, after 6 years – we are still talking about all local cleaners getting $1,000 only by September next year.

Since inflation for the last 5 years from 2008 to 2013 was about 16.5%, $1,000 now is only equivalent to about $858 in 2008.

In other words, even when all the local cleaners get $1,000, in real terms they may not have gotten any pay increase at all.

So many schemes in the last 6 years?

In the last 6 years or so, we have had so many schemes and initiatives to raise cleaners’ pay to $1,000 (see below).

– ““Progressive wage concept initiative to raise the wages of cleaners” (“Measure wage targets in hourly pay, not gross total“, Jun 20)

“Unprecedented move by a group of officials from unions, cleaning companies and the Government would raise the pay of cleaners by 23 per cent” (Oct 19)

“Contracts would only be awarded to cleaning companies awarded the Clean Mark Accreditation” (“Parliament: Replies that never answer the question?“, Nov 14)

“The National Trades Union Congress ( NTUC) has set a target to raise 10,000 cleaners’ monthly salary to at least $1,000 by 2015″ (“NTUC: Wages need to account for standard of living?“, Dec 20)”

69,000 cleaners dropped to 52,000?

According to the article “Cleaners should be paid $1,000 and up” (New Paper, Jun 24, 2012) – “There are 69,000 cleaners in Singapore. Most of them earn below $1,000”.

So, why has the number of cleaners decreased from 69,000 to just 52,000 now, despite what we believe the increase in the number of establishments requiring cleaners and the increase in the population.

If indeed the number has dropped to 52,000, surely so much less cleaners doing the same job in Singapore should get a larger share of the total sum of money that is being paid in all the cleaning contracts.

S Y Lee and Leong Sze Hian