• NTUC and its affiliated Platform Work Associations (PWAs) have co-developed principles with Platform Operators (POs) for setting and reviewing fares and incentives. These principles will guide ongoing discussions between PWAs and POs on these issues.
• Principles follow NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng's August call for platform operators to provide platform workers with clearer earnings information.
• Principles cover three areas: Fair earnings, notice and engagement for changes affecting earnings, and safety-focused incentive structures.
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliated associations – the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA), and the National Taxi Association (NTA) today released the "Principles for Fair Earnings and Safe Incentive Schemes for Platform Work”.
These principles were co-developed by NTUC and its affiliated PWAs, as well as POs, in response to the recommendations from Trilateral Workgroup co-chaired by representatives of the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Transport, NTUC and Grab Singapore.
POs engaged by the Platform Workers Trilateral Group, including AmazonFlex, ComfortDelGro Zig, Deliveroo, foodpanda, Gojek, Grab, Lalamove, Ryde, and TADA have agreed to these principles. The agreement demonstrates shared commitment to improve the livelihoods of platform workers in Singapore.
Responding to Platform Workers’ Concerns
The principles were developed in response to long-standing challenges faced by platform workers, including the desire for greater transparency in earnings components and incentive schemes that lead to long working hours. These issues were shared at regular engagements between PWAs and platform workers, including recent platform worker engagement sessions with NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng in July and August.
Foundation for Continued Engagement
The principles will guide POs when setting and reviewing their fares and incentives, as well as guide and support bilateral discussions to improve working conditions for platform workers. Where a PWA has been formally recognised by a PO, industrial relations processes under the Platform Workers Act will be observed.
The principles establish guideposts across three main areas:
i. Fair earnings: POs are committed to ensure fair and transparent earnings which reflect the flexible nature of platform work. Incentives should add to overall earnings but should not make up most of a worker's earnings.
ii. Visibility on structural changes: Where structural changes to incentive schemes are expected to materially impact earnings, POs are encouraged to engage with PWAs to ensure visibility and support constructive discussions on the changes.
iii. Reasonable incentive structures that do not compromise the health and safety of platform workers: Incentive programmes should follow the health and safety guidelines that the Workplace Safety and Health Council and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) developed. For example, incentives should not encourage workers to work too long without proper rest.
For full principles, please see Annex A.
