41,000 Food Service Workers to Get Pay Raise in New Progressive Wage Model

About 41,000 full-time and part-time food service workers in Singapore will receive pay raises from 2023-2025 beginning on March 1. The Singaporean government has greenlit the Tripartite Cluster for Food Services' (TCF) recommendations on their new Progressive Wage Model (PWM), released yesterday, which will benefit kitchen assistants, waiters, and cooks.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on the same day, the TCF's recommendations included wage increases sustained for three years, a "clear career progression pathway" for those in the food service industry, and training prerequisites for food service roles.

Around 12,000 full-time food service workers will have their salaries increased to the entry-level PWM wage level of S$1,750 in the beginning of March. This will then go up to S$2,080 by 2025, which is a 19% hike.

A career progression pathway will also be employed for the food services industry to help workers earn more, gain better skills, and get more job responsibilities. It will be divided into two categories of food establishments, namely Quick-Service, which comprises food kiosks and outlets, and Full-Service for restaurants, caterers, and central kitchens.

Lastly, food service workers must complete a minimum of two Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) under the new model to help them improve their job roles. According to the MOM, employers have a year to implement the training requirements from March 1.

Meanwhile, employers have to comply with the new wage requirements for their employees from March to August this year. Non-compliance with wage requirements beyond August may result in the suspension of work pass privileges.