SINGAPORE – About 1,800 full-time and part-time pest management workers in Singapore will benefit from salary increases and clearer career pathways, said the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) in a joint press statement on July 15.
The move, which is an expansion of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for the pest management sector, will include licensed vector-control technicians and workers.
The Tripartite Cluster for Pest Management (TCPM) – comprising representatives from industry associations, unions and government agencies – is being set up to develop and oversee the implementation of the PWM, ensuring that employers pay workers in line with their skills, productivity and work performance.
The tripartite cluster will be chaired by Wan Rizal, director of the stakeholder management, career services and partnership group at NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute, and co-chaired by Kung Teong Wah, a representative from SNEF and cluster general manager of Parkroyal Collection Pickering and Parkroyal on Beach Road.
Recommendations put up by the TCPM include strategies on sustainable wage increases that correspond with higher responsibilities, improvements in productivity and standards, and monitoring compliance with the PWM and its impact on the industry.
Wan Rizal noted that with Singapore’s densely populated built environment, including housing estates and food establishments, the job of a pest management worker is critical and demanding.
“Pest management work requires specialised skills, from detecting pest activities to applying pest control measures to handling chemicals safely to reduce public health risks,” he said.
He added that he looks forward to working with TCPM members to identify innovative solutions to raise productivity and professionalise the sector.
During a visit to pest control service EcoSpace Pest Management at Tampines North on July 15, director of subsidiary firm Servcare Services Kwang Wei Chan spoke about manpower and the physical challenges pest technicians often face on-site, and how technology like drones and live monitoring devices has significantly reduced the hours needed to locate and address infestation hot spots.
The Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash noted at the company visit that the pest management industry is the 10th sector to be included in the PWM, and that it will take at least two years to start the conversations with bosses, employees and stakeholders to understand the industry.
“Pest management workers play a key role in safeguarding public health and mitigating vector-borne diseases, and the expansion of the PWM to this sector recognises the expertise and importance of these workers,” he said.
NTUC assistant secretary-general Melvin Yong, who has been advocating for the expansion of the pest management industry for a few years, welcomes the move, which he said will uplift workers in the sector.
The TCPM will consult and engage industry stakeholders in the coming months to ensure that the PWM is sustainable and tailored to the specific conditions of the sector.
