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10 years of the Progressive Wage Model: NTUC's way of uplifting workers
We look at how the PWM has impacted the lives of workers in the first three sectors – Cleaning, Landscape and Security.In Singapore, the narrative of progress is often punctuated by stories of individuals who rise against the odds.
Over the past decade, the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), introduced by NTUC, has transformed the lives of thousands of lower-wage workers, particularly in the pioneering PWM sectors: cleaning, landscaping, and security.
Take for example Chan Tuck Hon, 57, a landscape site supervisor at Landscape Engineering Pte Ltd; Baskaran Periappa, 45, a cleaning team lead at FairPrice; and Muhammad Nasharudin Shariff, 52, a senior security supervisor with Westminster Investigation and Security Management.
These individuals exemplify how the PWM has not only improved their wages but also provided clear pathways for career advancement and enhanced professional recognition.
We look at how the PWM has helped shaped these individuals’ careers, along with other workers in PWM-mandated sectors.
A decade of progressive wages
It’s hard to believe that it has been a decade since the PWM was first made mandatory for the cleaning sector in 2014.
The PWM has since been expanded across eight sectors, benefiting more than 155,000 lower-wage workers.
These sectors include:
The vision behind the PWM
The PWM was conceived to address growing concerns about income inequality in Singapore.
Though the economy was thriving, many workers in lower-wage sectors saw little improvement in their pay.
Mooted by NTUC's then-Secretary-General Lim Swee Say in 2012, it aimed to create a wage ladder linked to job progression, skills and productivity.
The idea was simple: as workers enhance their skills, their wages should reflect that growth, creating a sustainable pathway to better earnings.
The PWM allows wage increases tailored to each industry’s unique needs, according to NTUC Assistant Director-General Zainal Sapari.
He added that, unlike a one-size-fits-all minimum wage, the PWM aligns pay rises with skill development and productivity, ensuring workers are rewarded for their hard work and learning.
Better training, better progression
And training begets progression – something Mr Chan can attest to.
He was a Team Leader with Prince Landscape when I first met him back in 2021. Since then, spurred on by the compulsory training he received under the PWM, he has used his own spare time and leave to push himself to complete his diploma in landscaping.
Today, he is a landscape site supervisor with Landscape Engineering Pte Ltd and draws over $3,000 monthly – above the current landscape baseline PWM wage of $2,750.
He shared what motivated him to upskill himself: “If you have the knowledge, things are totally different. You can handle things more easily and know how to solve problems.”
Wages up, lives up
When Mr Baskaran first started in the cleaning industry some nine years ago, he drew close to $1,200 per month.
Today, the father of one shared he earns around $1,800 as the cleaning team lead at NTUC FairPrice’s Sun Plaza outlet.
He added that the wage improvements have also helped improve his family’s quality of life.
“Besides increasing my salary, the training has taught me how to make sure [the supermarket] customers are safe, and how to be friendly with customers. When I am happy, they are happy, it makes working more enjoyable,” he shared.
Things are set to improve further for workers like Mr Baskaran.
At the 10-year PWM commemorative event organised by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) earlier this year, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad shared: “In the next few years, we expect even more significant wage increases.
“The basic wage requirements for general cleaners will increase by 85 per cent over just six years, from $1,312 in 2022, to $2,420 in 2028. This is much higher than what we saw in the early days when wage requirements grew more gradually by 31 per cent over nine years from 2013 to 2022.”
For the cleaners’ part, their employers must ensure that the workers fulfil their training requirements, which are periodically reviewed by their respective tripartite clusters to ensure relevance.
Elevating public perception
Beyond the wage increase, better jobs and improved productivity, the PWM has also helped uplift the perception of job roles.
Mr Nasharudin shared that PWM has improved the public’s opinion of the security industry, helping raise the dignity of the work security officers do.
“The PWM has helped improve the image of the security profession, you know, with the skills and qualifications we must undergo.
“I have met some people that have said ‘wow, you’re a security officer’,” he shared with a laugh.
A long road, but a step in the right direction
Beyond linking wage growth to skills development and productivity, the PWM continues to empower workers with opportunities for career progression and higher earnings, as seen in the success stories of individuals like Mr Chan, Mr Baskaran, and Mr Nasharuddin.
As we celebrate 10 years of the PWM, it's clear that this model is a forward-thinking solution to the challenges of wage disparity.
By linking wage growth to skills and productivity, it empowers workers to take charge of their careers and futures, allowing them to hold their heads up high as they navigate their own career trajectory.
In a world where immediate solutions are often called for, the PWM proves that sustainable change is possible—one skill at a time.
Don't get left behind. Visit NTUC's LearningHub and sign up for Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) courses today.