NTUC and civil service unions support govt’s decision to give 1.25 months of bonuses to civil servants
November 27th, 2009 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
The government-controlled trade union NTUC and its eight affiliated civil service unions have given the thumbs-up to the government’s decision to give a one-off year-end payment of 0.25 month, capped at S$750, on top of the usual 13th month bonus to civil servants.
The Annual Variable Component (AVC) of the salaries of civil servants is tied to Singapore’s economic performance as measured by its GDP growth.
The deputy Secretary-General of NTUC, PAP MP Halimah Yacob said that the payout will provide “some relief, particularly to the rank-and-file workers, as civil servants have endured lower annual salaries for 2009.”
There are no independent trade unions in Singapore to serve the interests of ordinary Singapore workers. The Secretary-General of NTUC is a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Swee Say.
Despite the bonus, many civil servants still expressed disappointment at the amount.
One teacher told the state media that “most people are not very happy”.
“But we know as civil servants, we have to make the sacrifice. There are many in the private sector who have been retrenched and have yet to find jobs,” she said.
Mr Thomas Tan, a 27-year-old in the legal service, concurred:
“It is not even a thousand dollars, but I guess in these lean times, we have to take what we can get.”
A job in the civil service is considered as an “iron rice bowl” as it guarantees a secure regular income minus the threat of retrenchment faced by workers in the private sector.
Furthermore, the pay is in the private sector is not necessarily higher than the public sector.
Even with a projected decline of 15 per cent, top civil servants are expected to take home $338,000 this year or a monthly pay of about $28,100.
It is highly unlikely that they will be able to command that kind of salary in the private sector.
A medical specialist in a public hospital earns between $10,000 – $15,000 monthly and maybe slightly more than $20,000 in the private sector.
A top surgeon or lawyer in Singapore can expect to earn more than $30,000 a month, but they are professionals and not administrative staff like civil servants.
The high salaries of Singapore’s ministers and senior civil servants remain a point of contention among Singaporeans whose median wage is only $4,500 a month.
Tan Yong Soon, a permanent secretary at the Ministry of Environment, was rapped last year for an extravagant holiday cum cooking trip in Paris, France.
With elections around the corner, the government will not risk infuriating Singaporeans by raising their own salaries now.
After the 2006 elections, the salaries of ministers and senior civil servants are increased to peg it to two-thirds of the pay of the eight top-earning professionals in Singapore with no consultation with the people.
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7 Responses to “NTUC and civil service unions support govt’s decision to give 1.25 months of bonuses to civil servants”
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Yeah there are lot of jobs in Health care admin find a local school to get your degree in few months check http://bit.ly/6jqMDp
1.25 is fair enough.
After all the shit the ground staff have to face from the public due to some government’s poorly thought out policies, I think the lower CS/ground staff deserves it.
In fact I strongly believe their salary should be increased to compensate that.
Being a former civil servant, I know the kind of shit fellow singaporeans can do. Most likely due to the culture the government has instill in us – singaporeans are becoming selfish, self-centred and being disrepectful towards public servants.
Top/Senior Civil servant? Do they deserve more bonus? I don’t think so. 2.0 at most. Definitely not something like 8 mths bonus.
NTUC sleeping or just faithful lackey? Research by Leong Tze Hin says 1/4 of the entire Singaporean workforce (including those unemployed) earns less than $1,200 per month including those working part-time with income of only $600 per month.
Why does those earning more than $3,000 per month need or want this $750 one-off-payment. With so many poor Singaporeans struggling hand to mouth, the “rich” still so hard up of scrambling for this little pie?
It is mind-boggling to me. What calculation does LSS did for his poor Singaporean workers?
Come on, this is bordering on obscenity! Or are we so BLIND of greed in this only “successful” city-state of NO COUNTRY in existence?
Division 3 and 4 civil servants should be paid more.Maybe half a month would be fair. Most Division 1 and 2 officers civil servants are already well paid, hence .25 month capped at $750 is ok. Officers in the Admin Service should not be getting anything at all. These officers are already over paid. Hence, they should have pay cuts instead of getting a bonus.
NTUC is a useless entity, which is redundant and serves merely as the govt’s mouth piece, not the voice of the workers.
Useless NTUC
You are absolutely right. How can NTUC represent workers when its leader, the Secretary General position, is always held by a Minister (usually without protfolio). A minister can never represent the workers, he represents the management (government). So it’s all a sham and Singaporeans in general couldn’t care less. Such apathy.
Its good if you do not take in performance bonuses which can caries 0.25 month to more than 6 months for the super scholars!
Do not be fooled by this figure. Not many people except civil servants knows of performance bonuses in gov agencies such as SAF, MHA etc.
For example, this year I getting 1.25, but I will be also looking for another 1 month (if i am an regular officer in SAF and no screw ups this year)
So in face you will get total 2.25 months bonuses, not sure many people get this; the published gov bonuses rates are just BULLSHITS!