Mandatory bonuses for lift, escalator technicians from 2023
SINGAPORE: Local lift and escalator technicians will get mandatory bonuses of at least a month from 2023, said the Tripartite Cluster for Lift and Escalator (TCLE) on Friday (Jul 16) as it announced updates to the progressive wage model (PWM) for the sector.
The TCLE also agreed to extend the existing Lift PWM to cover escalator maintenance workers from 2022. This is as many workers under the Lift PWM maintain both lifts and escalators.
In 2018, the lift and escalator industry had adopted a voluntary PWM transitional wage benchmark, which mapped a schedule of minimum basic wages from 2020 to 2022. This was to give the industry time to adjust.
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From next year, PWM adoption will be made a mandatory registration requirement with the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for all lift and escalator maintenance firms.
TCLE further announced a six-year roster of wage increases until 2029 for these workers.
"The PWM recommendations today is another effort by the tripartite partners to give greater recognition to our essential service workers.
"Our lift and escalator workers can look forward to a sustainable wage increase over the next few years as they take on higher value jobs that harness technology," said Mr Zainal Sapari, NTUC assistant director-general and chairman of the TCLE.
There are five job levels in the PWM pay schedule, ranging from assistant specialist to principal lift and escalator specialist.
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By Jul 1, 2022, the basic monthly pay of an assistant specialist is set to rise to S$1,850 from the current level of S$1,480. It will increase to S$2,075 in 2023 and by July 2028, an assistant specialist is set to earn S$3,080.
At the top end, a principal specialist will draw a basic salary of S$4,150 by July 2028.
"Wages for entry-level assistant L&E specialists will see a base-wage increase of about 66 per cent cumulatively from 2022 to 2028. This is a year-on-year base wage increase of close to 9 per cent," said the TCLE in a press release.
In addition to the wage increments, the TCLE recommended a mandatory annual bonus for lift and escalator maintenance workers from January 2023.
Workers who have worked for the company for a year will be eligible for the bonus of at least one month's basic pay.
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“Like many other essential service workers, our L&E maintenance workers have specialised skill sets to ensure the smooth running of our lifts and escalators, without which we will all be greatly inconvenienced," said Mr Zainal.
He urged all service buyers and providers to support training efforts to improve the skill sets and competencies of workers in the industry.
"This will be a necessary step to help the L&E maintenance workers have better wages, welfare and work prospects," he said.
The Government has accepted the TCLE's recommendations.
BCA and the Ministry of Manpower said that since May 2019, the Government has procured lift maintenance services only from firms that adopted the voluntary Lift PWM.
