About 23,000 community care sector employees could get at least 7% pay raise as part of new salary guidelines

SINGAPORE: About 23,000 community care organisation staff members could see at least a 7 per cent pay increment as part of new salary guidelines, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Tuesday (Feb 17).

Noting that an increase in salary for staff members would translate to an increase in operational costs, Mr Ong said that there will be a first tranche of support of S$100 million (US$79 million) to help defray the cost of the higher salaries.

Speaking during a visit to Alexandra Hospital on the first day of Chinese New Year, he said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will be issuing new salary guidelines for the community care organisation staff members "in the next couple of months".

Community care organisations "will then need to digest them, make the necessary plans, and I think it should be ready for implementation end of this year or early next year", Mr Ong said.

"I hope that with this move, we continue to make healthcare an attractive career," he added.

Mr Ong had earlier visited St Luke's Hospital.

Community care organisations provide a variety of intermediate and long-term services for people who require further care and treatment after being discharged from a general hospital. They also include seniors living in the community who may need help with their daily activities.

Healthcare professionals in the sector work in places such as community hospitals, nursing homes and hospices.

On the first day of Chinese New Year last year, Mr Ong announced a plan to increase the salary packages of 37,000 allied health professionals (AHPs), pharmacists, and administrative, ancillary and support staff.

The announcement by Mr Ong on Tuesday reflects the progress that the Healthcare Services Employees' Union (HSEU) and MOH have made together, said NTUC and HSEU President K Thanaletchimi. 

The HSEU has always been a close partner of MOH as it regularly reviews our healthcare workers' salaries, including those in the community care sector, said Ms Thanaletchimi.

Healthcare workers in the community care sector bear the same heavy responsibility of providing the best care to patients, as their counterparts in the acute care sector, she said.

She noted that HSEU has been "actively advocating for better recognition and more competitive wages in the community care sector, to narrow the salary gap between the community care and acute care sectors".

"We encourage all community care organisations to meet these salary guidelines."

HSEU will continue to advocate strongly for all healthcare workers, so that they can enjoy meaningful and sustained wage growth, and our healthcare sector remains attractive to talent, Ms Thanaletchimi added.