SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) has asked several companies to take down listings for tray return ambassadors because these companies had not yet secured any contracts with the agency. 

TODAY has seen at least two job listings by cleaning and outsourcing companies advertising for the role, with one showing a monthly pay of up to S$2,200. 

NEA said on Friday (July 2) in response to queries from TODAY that “listings were made by companies on their own accord, without having secured any contract with NEA”.

“Hence we have reached out to those companies and requested that they take down their unsolicited listings.” 

Government agencies often put up tenders for roles such as ambassadors and award these to private firms. These firms then hire workers for these roles. 

NEA said that the ambassadors have a wide range of roles such as ensuring safe distancing measures are observed and reminding diners to return their dirty trays and crockery after meals. They may also be tasked to move about different hawker centres. 

In the job listings online, “tray return ambassadors” were described as workers whose job is to encourage the return of trays after meals at hawker centres. 

TODAY understands that “tray return ambassadors” is not the official term used by NEA.

One such listing was made on June 14 by consulting company Greensafe International, which advertised the role of tray return ambassador on mycareersfuture.gov.sg website, with a salary range of S$1,400 to S$2,200 a month.

Eligible candidates would need to be able to “engage and encourage patrons, stallholders and cleaners of the hawker center to participate in the Tray Return Initiative”, the advertisement read. 

Candidates had to also be physically fit and able to stand for long hours, it stated. 

NEA manages and regulates 114 markets and hawker centres round the island.

It announced in May that diners who fail to return their trays at hawker centres from Sept 1 may be issued warnings and fines, with a three-month advisory period having started in June. 

Mr Thorasamy Rajagopal, general manager at Greensafe International, told TODAY on Friday that the firm had removed all advertisements as advised by NEA. 

“The tender is not awarded yet and hence the decision is as aforesaid,” Mr Rajagopal wrote in an email reply. “The matter is closed and we have no comments.” 

On social media, there were screenshots circulating of a job advertisement for the same role by outsourcing firm WSH Experts. The advertised monthly wage was S$1,350 to S$1,400 a month and it called for workers with two years of experience, among other requirements. 

As of Friday, the listing could not be found online. 

When TODAY contacted the firm, a staff member said that the firm had posted the job advertisement, but it was “wrongly” put up and quickly taken down. WSH Experts has not replied officially to TODAY’s queries. 

NEA said that it routinely hires ambassadors to maintain the safety and cleanliness at hawker centres. 

“This practice has been in place even before the Covid-19 pandemic and was stepped up recently due to the pandemic situation.”

It added that it does not stipulate the salary range when putting out such tenders.

“The appointed vendor will be responsible for the recruitment and deployment of the ambassadors, including administration of their salaries and other related costs and benefits.”