[SINGAPORE] A trilateral work group – comprising the manpower and transport ministries, the labour movement and platform operator Grab – has been formed to address the challenges that Singapore’s platform workers face.
It will tackle issues such as foreigners performing delivery jobs illegally, unauthorised ride-hailing services and income instability, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) announced on Friday (Jul 4).
The work group will be overseen by Senior Ministers of State Dr Koh Poh Koon and Sun Xueling, who helm the manpower and transport portfolios respectively, as well as NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Grab’s group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang.
In its statement, NTUC noted that there were reports of some foreigners misusing accounts on delivery platforms to take on jobs directly.
This is illegal, as platform work – assigned by on-demand apps such as Grab – can only be undertaken by Singaporeans.
Delivery workers thus face “unfair competition” and a direct hit to their earnings, said NTUC, noting that the labour movement and platform work associations have received feedback on the matter.
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NTUC further highlighted that while platform operators can outsource delivery jobs to other companies, some foreigners are serving these companies without work permits.
This practice is also illegal.
The work group will also look into other challenges that platform workers face, such as illegal hitch services and a lack of income stability.
NTUC noted that there are unauthorised ride-hailing services operating through messaging apps, such as Telegram, which affect workers’ earnings.
“These illegal services undercut legitimate platform workers’ job opportunities, creating unfair competition that affects workers’ ability to earn sustainable earnings,” it said.
Separately, NTUC flagged that incentive schemes for platform workers inadvertently encourage longer working hours, creating safety issues.
Platform workers also face uncertainty in job allocation, causing them to “grapple with a lack of income security”, NTUC said.
For instance, the app may allocate jobs with too great a distance to be performed via a specific mode of delivery.
Ng noted that platform workers are vulnerable, and called for them to be “treated fairly as they make an honest living”.
In a separate statement, MOM and MOT said that Grab’s participation in the workgroup “sends a strong signal” on platform operators’ commitment to working with the government and labour movement.
The ministries will explore bringing other platform operators into the discussion subsequently.
“The trilateral group provides a regular platform where the government can support partners in their efforts to resolve issues that may require regulatory interventions,” MOM and MOT said.
The formation of the group comes after a backlash against Grab’s planned changes to its driver incentive scheme.
Grab paused the changes after drivers and the labour movement had flagged concerns about the impact on income stability. The company is working with the National Private Hire Vehicles Association to address the concerns.
