Platform workers in Singapore to get more bargaining power, better representation

According to a statement from the ministry of manpower (MOM), the new legislative framework will be implemented from July 2024.

The Tripartite Workgroup (TWG) on Representation for Platform Workers, which was set up in 2022, published a report (42-page / 2.14MB PDF) in July and proposed eight recommendations under three categories.

Making recommendations for how a representative body will be granted a mandate to represent platform workers, the TWG said that it could obtain such a mandate via direct recognition or secret ballot. All platform workers should be given the right to vote in the secret ballot except those who are ‘very new’ or ‘inactive’. The vote should be conducted electronically by MOM. The representative body will be empowered when having majority support from platform workers who voted, provided that 20% of eligible platform workers did so.

‘Very new’ platform workers disqualified from the vote are those who registered on some platforms three or fewer months before the representative body notifies the operator of its intention to represent the workers. ‘Inactive’ platform workers are those who did not take any job on the platform during the same three months, according to a local report.

Mayumi Soh of Pinsent Masons MPillay, the Singapore joint law venture between MPillay and Pinsent Masons said: “It would be interesting to understand the similarities and differences between the new representative body regime and unions in Singapore and the reasons for this.”

On scope of negotiations and formalising relevant agreements, the TWG recommended that platform worker representative bodies and platform operators should be free to decide areas to negotiate. Negotiations should follow principles set by the TWG, and collective agreements must be certified by the industrial arbitration court.

When platform worker representative bodies and platform operators have disagreements, unresolved disputes could be referred to MOM for conciliation, and then to the industrial arbitration court if conciliation fails.