From haze to job security: Labour MPs speak up for workers in Parliament

• Haze guidelines are mandatory. MOM has made more than 500 worksite checks since September.
• MOM will work with government agencies to give contractors flexibility to protect workers during haze, wherever practical.
• Platform workers can turn down unsafe loads. They can’t be penalised for it, and MOM will take action against operators that fall short.
• More support is on the way for retrenched workers. Law reviews are under way, including measures in the Employment Act review.

Workers have faced a tough few months. A prolonged haze has made outdoor work riskier, retrenchments rose in the second quarter, and AI is changing what entry-level and routine jobs look like.

At the Parliament sitting on 3 and 4 November 2026, Labour Members of Parliament raised these concerns. They asked how outdoor workers will be kept safe during the haze, and what more can be done for retrenched workers and older jobseekers.

Haze: Keeping outdoor workers safe

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Yeo Wan Ling pointed to recent news reports of outdoor workers’ health being affected by their working conditions. She asked what the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) can do to get more employers to adopt its haze guidelines.

Manpower Minister of State Dinesh Vasu Dash replied that employers must take reasonable and practicable measures to keep workers safe, including from the haze.

“It is mandatory for employers to adhere to MOM’s haze guidelines,” he said.

He added that MOM has conducted more than 500 worksite inspections since September. The most common lapse was a missing or incomplete risk assessment for haze-related hazards. Employers with lapses were issued Notices of Non-Compliance and must fix them or face composition fines.

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Melvin Yong asked whether MOM would develop haze response protocols for each sector, for essential frontline workers who must keep working outdoors.

MOM said its existing guidelines, including the 20 October guidance based on one-hour PM2.5 readings, already apply to all sectors, including essential frontline workers. Employers can redeploy staff and let workers take breaks as needed, it added.

Protecting workers shouldn’t cost contractors

Outsourced cleaners, landscapers and conservancy workers face a particular risk. Their employers may be bound by fixed-price contracts that penalise any drop in service.

NTUC’s e2i Stakeholder Management Director Wan Rizal asked whether MOM would work with tripartite partners to ensure contractors are not penalised for adjusting work schedules or protecting their workers during the haze.

Mr Dinesh acknowledged that such measures may raise service providers’ costs and make it harder to meet contract terms. He urged service buyers to show understanding and flexibility.

Mr Rizal pressed further. He noted that MOM had already told platform operators not to penalise delivery riders for haze-related delays.

“Our cleaners, our landscapers and our conservancy workers deserve the same protection. Protecting workers from haze should never be counted as poor performance under a contract,” he said.

He also called for the public sector to lead, because government agencies, town councils and schools are among the largest buyers of outsourced cleaning and outdoor services. If public sector contracts adopt haze and heat provisions first, he said, “this will definitely set the standard for private buyers to follow”.

Mr Dinesh replied that “generally the answer is yes”. He said MOM will work with government procurement entities to exercise flexibilities wherever practical.

On 4 November, Ms Yeo asked whether MOM would work with major service buyers, including government agencies and town councils, so that contractors are not penalised when they suspend or reschedule work to protect workers.

She called for such provisions to be built into contracts “so that worker safety is not compromised by commercial considerations”.

Mr Dinesh said the Government encourages contracts to include flexibilities for contingencies such as the haze.

“I do believe that government agencies can also lead the way in exercising those flexibilities,” he said.

Safety and well-being beyond the haze

Ms Yeo also raised the case of platform delivery workers who are given oversized loads that don’t fit in their delivery bags and penalised for rejecting these unsafe jobs.

In a written reply, MOM said platform operators must allow workers to request that such loads be split without penalty. If a load cannot be split, workers must not be penalised for declining it on safety grounds, and must be paid at least proportionally for their travel time.

“Where an operator is found to have fallen short, MOM will take appropriate enforcement action,” it said.

Nominated Member of Parliament Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari asked whether MOM would study the mental fatigue experienced by employees who must closely monitor and verify AI outputs.

In a written reply, MOM said it recognises that such work may bring “additional cognitive demands, including mental fatigue”. It will continue to examine the issue as it monitors how AI is changing work.

Retrenchment and re-employment

In a written question, Mr Rizal highlighted that workers aged 50 to 59 had the highest retrenchment incidence in the second quarter of 2026, and that only 41.9 per cent of them found new jobs within six months. He asked for more targeted support for this group.

MOM replied that it is “reviewing how we can provide even stronger support for retrenched workers and jobseekers”. It will announce details when ready.

Mr Sanjeev asked whether retrenched workers with short periods of service, or on contracts, receive sufficient support.

MOM said that as part of the ongoing Employment Act review, the tripartite partners are “exploring measures to strengthen support for retrenched workers”. In 2025, about one in 10 retrenched residents had been with their employer for less than two years.

Mr Sanjeev also asked about the 93 officers retrenched in GovTech’s transformation exercise. In a written reply, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) said that of the 36 officers who have left so far, 11 have found new jobs, and 14 are receiving career coaching or applying for roles.

The officers are being supported by the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees and NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay noted that non-resident employment grew four times as much as resident employment in the second quarter.

He asked what measures would support resident employment. In a written reply, MOM said the non-resident increase was driven mainly by Work Permit holders in construction and manufacturing, in jobs unlikely to be filled by residents.

It pointed to schemes such as the Fair Consideration Framework and career conversion support.

Need help at work or with your job search? Reach out to NTUC’s e2i, or become an NTUC member to have your voice heard.