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Rehired lower-wage public officers to get same salary

SINGAPORE — From next month, all re-employed lower-wage public officers will continue at the same grade and earn the same salary as before.

Central Business District skyline. Photo: Ernest Chua

Central Business District skyline. Photo: Ernest Chua

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SINGAPORE — From next month, all re-employed lower-wage public officers will continue at the same grade and earn the same salary as before.

These employees — categorised as Division Three officers under the public service organisation structure — typically perform clerical duties or front-line operational functions.

Their colleagues in Division One and Two will also face smaller salary adjustments if they are re-employed — with decreases capped at 15 per cent — and more will continue at the same grade and salary, under the Public Service Division’s (PSD) revised guidelines announced yesterday.

Mr Tan Hoe Soon, the PSD’s Director of Career Development and Management, said: “The revised re-employment guidelines will see the majority of public officers re-employed at the same grade and same salary.” He added that the PSD will continue to “monitor private sector practice and will offer fair re-employment terms that are reflective of market practice”.

Previously, most rehired public officers had their pay adjusted to the mid-point of their salary range.

As at Dec 31 last year, there were 11,678 Division Three officers and their monthly salary scale is between S$1,280 and S$2,030.

Following yesterday’s announcement, some 200 Division Three public officers turning 62 in the next 12 months will continue at the same job grade and salary should they be re-employed — a change from current practice where their salary could be adjusted by up to 30 per cent.

The revision provides “greater certainty for lower-wage public officers when they are re-employed”, the PSD said.

It said that the move was one of the outcomes of a review of Public Service re-employment guidelines.

The review, which started early this year, was done in consultation with the public sector unions and took into account private sector practices.

Last week, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) pointed out that the public sector lags behind private companies on pay packages offered to re-employed older workers.

The NTUC’s recent surveys found eight in 10 unionised private firm employees rehired in the same jobs with no pay cut.

NTUC Deputy Secretary-General Heng Chee How said yesterday that it is happy that the PSD has “responded positively to our feedback”.

Since April last year, the PSD has re-employed Division Four officers at the same grade and salary.

There were 4,248 Division Four officers as at Dec 31 last year, and their monthly salary scale is between S$1,135 and S$1,400.

Mr N Thurairajasingam, General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees, noted that while there could be “a few members who will see some reduction in pay”, the majority will benefit from the revisions.

General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees Ma Wei Cheng said his union is pleased with the improvements.

“Any employee who is offered a lower grade and lower pay has to have his roles and responsibilities reduced accordingly,” he said.

He added that where it is not possible for Division One and Two officers to be offered re-employment on the same grade, they would be offered a grade below.

Employees in leadership positions may be offered two grades below should there be no vacancies in the grade immediately lower. Mr Ma also urged employees unsure of the fairness of their re-employment terms to consult the union.

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