Number of Resident Cleaners Attaining Minimum Progressive Wage Model Training Requirements and Planned Enforcement Actions against Cleaning Businesses for Non-compliance
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Gan Thiam Poh’s inquiry on the number of resident cleaners meeting Progressive Wage Model (PWM) training requirements and enforcement against non-compliant businesses. Minister Grace Fu Hai Yien reported that as of February 2022, 14,500 cleaners met the requirements, with another 21,200 completing one of two mandatory modules. Cleaning businesses must ensure cleaners attain modules in workplace safety and environmental cleaning by 31 December 2022 or face fines up to $5,000. Repeat offenders risk license revocation, and the National Environment Agency is collaborating with SkillsFuture Singapore to engage businesses to ensure they meet the deadline. These measures follow the Government's 2021 acceptance of recommendations to enhance training standards for the cleaning sector to improve professional competencies and wage outcomes.
Transcript
24 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the total number of resident cleaners who have attained the minimum two Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) certificates as required by the training requirements under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the cleaning sector; and (b) what enforcement actions will be taken against the cleaning businesses and companies that failed to ensure that their cleaners meet the PWM training requirements by 31 December 2022.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: In June 2021, the Government accepted the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners’ (TCC) recommendation to enhance the mandatory training requirements for cleaners under the Progressive Wage Model. Following the announcement on 7 June 2021, all licensed cleaning businesses were given 18 months, until 31 December 2022, to ensure that their cleaners attain one Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) module on Workplace Safety and Health and one other WSQ module related to environmental cleaning. As of end February 2022, around 14,500 cleaners, or about 35% of the resident cleaning workforce, have fully met the enhanced training requirements. Another 21,200 or about 51% of resident cleaners have completed one of the two required modules.
Any cleaning business not in compliance will face a financial penalty of up to $5,000 and repeat offenders may have their cleaning business licences revoked. The National Environment Agency, together with SkillsFuture Singapore, has been actively engaging licensed cleaning businesses to send their cleaners for training early.