Platform Workers Trilateral Group to submit recommendations on fair competition concerns by end of 2025
The group, comprising the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Transport and Grab Singapore, was formed to address the issue of foreigners taking on delivery jobs illegally and other issues affecting platform workers.
A food delivery rider in Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Calvin Oh)
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SINGAPORE: A trilateral group looking into the issue of foreigners taking on delivery jobs in Singapore illegally is aiming to submit its recommendations by the end of the year, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon on Monday (Jul 14).
Announced earlier this month, the Platform Workers Trilateral Group comprises the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Grab Singapore, who will work with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliated associations to tackle this and other issues affecting platform workers.
Meeting for the first time on Monday, the group agreed on two areas to focus on, said Mr Koh in a Facebook post.
First, it will consider how to address platform workers' concerns about fair competition stemming from "outsourcing practices and unauthorised activities" in the sector.
These include foreigners illegally using platform accounts or taking on delivery jobs without valid work passes, as well as the provision of illegal hitch services, said Mr Koh.
Second, the group "will work with platform operators to establish fair and safe principles for payment and incentives schemes".
"We look forward to having further robust discussions on how we can work together to address challenges faced by platform workers and safeguard their well-being," said Mr Koh.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Grab said: "Our goal as a trilateral group is to co-create solutions and industry best practices to protect the livelihoods of platform workers and safeguard their well-being, especially against unlicensed workers and services."
In announcing the group's formation, NTUC had said that "urgent action" was needed to address the issue of foreigners performing delivery jobs illegally as it creates unfair competition for delivery workers and has a direct impact on their earnings.
The group is being overseen by Mr Koh, Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng and Grab group managing director of operations Yee Wee Tang.
MOM and MOT also said in a joint statement earlier that the group will collectively address the challenges faced by platform workers and safeguard their well-being in a rapidly evolving economy.
The ministries added that they were looking to bring other platform operators into the group's discussions subsequently.
