What it is
Developed by tripartite committees consisting of unions, employers and the government, the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) helps to uplift low-wage workers in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors.
Wages in these sectors had stagnated due to widespread cheap sourcing and a limited scope for collective bargaining, as prices are locked in once contracts are signed. In turn, the low wages resulted in high turnover and labour shortages.
The PWM benefits workers by mapping out a clear career pathway for their wages to rise along with training and improvements in productivity and standards.
At the same time, higher productivity improves business profits for employers. Service buyers also enjoy better service standards and quality.
Who it covers
The PWM is mandatory for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents (PRs) in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors.
Employers are encouraged to use these principles of progressive wage for your foreign cleaners, landscape workers and security officers.
When it took effect
Employers must meet PWM requirements by the following dates:
| Sector |
Meet PWM requirements by |
| Cleaning sector |
1 September 2015
Note: There are revised wages from 1 July 2017.
|
| Landscape sector |
30 June 2016 |
| Security sector |
1 September 2016 |
How it is regulated
The PWM is regulated by the respective lead sector agencies through:
| Sector |
Regulated by |
| Cleaning |
Licensing administered by National Environment Agency (NEA) |
| Landscape |
Landscape Company Register administered by National Parks Board (NParks) |
| Security |
Licensing administered by Police Licensing and Regulatory Department (PLRD) |
PWM by sector
View details of the PWM for each sector:
Help for employers
If you are an employer, you can tap on the Workfare Training Support scheme to offset a significant portion of the training costs for your Singaporean employees.
You can also get co-funding for productivity improvement projects through:
For enquiries or to report any PWM non-compliance, you can: