CIVIL servants, rejoice.
Some 86,000 officers working in the Singapore Civil Service are due to receive a year-end bonus of 1.05 months this year, with junior-grade officers awarded an additional one-time payment of S$600.
This payment takes into account an upgraded growth domestic product forecast for Singapore this year from an earlier range of between 2 and 3 per cent to an improved estimate of around 3.5 per cent, said the Public Service Division (PSD) in a press statement on Monday (Nov 25).
Taken together with the 0.45-month mid-year payment announced in June, civil servants will receive a total of 1.5 months in bonuses for the full year, with those in the more junior grades acquiring total lump-sum payments of up to S$850 this year.
Civil servants will also receive the non-pensionable annual allowance, also known as the 13th-month bonus.
On the labour market front, the manpower ministry’s advance revealed that total employment continued to expand even while uncertainty in the global economy remains; unemployment rates and retrenchments also remained low amid a tight labour market, said PSD.
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Last year, civil servants in Singapore were awarded a 0.6-month year-end bonus that totalled up to a 0.9-month bonus, or annual variable component, with the mid-year bonus.
In response to the announcement, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Deputy Secretary-General Cham Hui Fong said: “As we see positive economic indicators, NTUC continues to encourage civil servants to enhance their skills and capabilities through upskilling programmes, ensuring they remain competitive and ready for future challenges.”
Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, general secretary of Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE), conveyed the public-sector union’s appreciation to the government for the enhanced support of S$600, which he said will help officers in the lower-wage income groups manage rising costs of living.
He added: “AUPE will continue to work closely with the government to ensure our civil servants’ contributions are well recognised, while encouraging them to embrace upgrading opportunities for an even better future ahead.”
