December 2013, lower-wage civil servants, on the Operations Support
Scheme, for example, received a salary increase of $50 to $70. In 2012 and 2013, we had also given
wage increases of $60 and $70 respectively to Division IV officers, going beyond the
National Wages Council's (NWC) recommendations. With the above adjustments, the monthly salaries
of approximately 2,200 lower-wage civil servants have increased by between $180 and $200, or
some 15%, over and above their annual increments.
We also help lower-wage civil servants by encouraging them to train and develop themselves
through skills upgrading because increases in wages should be accompanied by increases
in productivity. We recently implemented a training roadmap that helps them to identify
competencies and learning programmes that will enhance their productivity and ability
to undertake bigger jobs. For example, we have developed a range of courses in customer
service, including how to deliver service more professionally, and to supervise a frontline
team. Through these courses, frontline officers can be considered for a higher job responsibility,
which will pay a higher salary.
In November 2013, the Training Incentives Scheme was enhanced to encourage and support
skills upgrading.
And with this, Division III and IV civil servants will receive double the incentive,
$200 instead of $100, upon completing a relevant Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) course.
Around 230 officers have been tapping on this scheme each year. Given the increase in incentive
quantum, we expect even more officers to upgrade themselves through training and to benefit from it.
These efforts to help our officers upgrade themselves are communicated to our lower-wage
workers and their supervisors through briefings and via collaterals from the Public Service
Division (PSD). And we also work regularly, meeting the HR officers from various agencies, and also
the public sector unions to gather feedback to further improve these measures.
PSD is also working with the unions to conduct a pilot study into the future work
of our lower-wage officers, and the skills and training they will need to take on these
new roles.
In terms of re-employment, since 1 July 2011, 324 or almost 9 in 10 Division III and
IV civil servants who retired at 62 have been re-employed. Since 1 April 2012, Division
IV officers have been re-employed at the same substantive grade and at their last drawn
salary. And this has been extended to Division III officers since 1 August 2013. These re-employed
officers will also continue to benefit from salary adjustments and training initiatives.
Madam Chairperson, the Public Service will continue to work closely with the unions
to uplift the salaries of our lower-wage officers, in parallel with updating and upgrading their
skills so that they continue to serve and contribute to Singapore.