Released from 24-hour operations, stallholders at Our Tampines Hub hawker centre rejoice

SINGAPORE — Hawkers at Our Tampines Hub Hawker Centre who are operating round-the-clock will no longer do so from January.

All 13 stallholders — out of a total of 42 at the hawker centre — who had been operating for 24 hours a day have jumped at the opportunity to stop the practice. This follows a review of contractual terms between social enterprise hawker centre operators and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The hawker centre is operated by OTMH, the social enterprise arm of Kopitiam.

“After conducting the review and feedback dialogue with the stallholders, no stallholder opted for 24-hour operation. This will take effect on Jan 1, 2019,” Kopitiam’s corporate communications manager Vincent Cheong told TODAY on Monday (Nov 19).

The hawker centre is the only one out of 114 in Singapore — operated by both the NEA and social enterprises — that operates 24 hours a day.

The round-the-clock operations were requested by the community, but after it opened in November 2016, the demand for food in the wee hours never materialised.

The hawkers and centre operator will “recalibrate the arrangement”, both Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli and Senior Minister of State Amy Khor said on Monday in replies to different parliamentary questions.

The change is part of a series of tweaks that the NEA is making to hawkers’ contractual terms, which will also take effect from Jan 1 next year.

The agency, which oversees hawker centres, announced about two weeks ago that stallholders at social enterprise-run hawker centres will have greater flexibility on how long they wish to operate their stalls, among other changes.

MORE FREEDOM, SAY HAWKERS

The unshackled stallholders at Our Tampines Hub said they will be able to save on manpower and electricity costs, among other benefits.

The number of hawkers operating 24/7 at the hawker centre has gradually decreased.

From 36 stalls in Nov 2016, the figure dropped to 16 last month, reported The Straits Times.

Mr Muhammad Sabir Malik, who co-owns an Indian food stall and used to open round-the-clock, now opens for 18 to 20 hours a day. He had to hire someone to man the stall and display food even though there were no customers after midnight.

“Before, I could not take leave for two years, not even on the weekends. Now I have more time to spend with my family,” the 40-year-old said.

Mr Tan Thian Huat, who currently runs Jue Shi Lor Mee 24 hours a day, said the change will give him “more work-life balance and more freedom”. He also runs a lor mee stall at Ci Yuan Hawker Centre in Hougang.

The 56-year-old, who will operate from 7am to 11pm from next year, said he will be able to save on ingredients and manpower. His workers will work two shifts: 7am to 3pm, and 3pm to 11pm.

“After 2am, we have no business till 8am when the morning crowd comes in,” he lamented.

Ms Ivy Lim, 50, put in a request last week to open her Botak Delicacy stall for 16 hours instead of 20 hours a day.

“I welcome the flexibility to have shorter hours. I won’t be tied down by the contract – if we sell out earlier we can go home,” she said.