10 September 2024
The passing of the Platform Workers Bill marks a positive step towards the sustainable development of Singapore’s platform economy. Platform operators and platform workers share a symbiotic relationship and must work hand in hand to balance business flexibility with the enhanced protections.
2. The new Bill seeks to strengthen protections for platform workers in three key areas: (a) adequate financial protection in case of work injury, (b) improved housing and retirement adequacy, and (c) enhanced representation.
3. Leveraging the strong tripartite relationship, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) has been actively involved in shaping the policies of these enhanced protections while ensuring that platform operators’ voices are heard. Since August 2021, SNEF had organised 10 engagement sessions involving 12 platform operators to gather valuable feedback on the proposed policies. The insights gleaned from these sessions have been instrumental in helping tripartite partners better understand the unique challenges and concerns of platform operators. Outside of these engagements, SNEF has also contributed significantly to tripartite discussions on both the legislation and implementation parameters.
4. With the Bill allowing platform operators to be formally represented, SNEF intends to continue with the role of representing platform operators to advocate for their interests and foster a harmonious and productive relationship amongst platform operators, platform workers and the Government.
5. As the protections roll out on 1 January 2025, SNEF looks forward to continuing the close collaboration with tripartite partners and platform operators to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the new policies.
-End-
About Singapore National Employers Federation
The Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) is a trade union of employers. Our mission is to advance tripartism and enhance labour market flexibility to enable employers to implement responsible employment practices for sustainable growth. SNEF has a membership of over 3,600 companies with a combined workforce of over 850,000. For more information, please visit www.snef.org.sg
