Platform workers in Singapore are set to receive better representation and negotiating power after the government accepted all eight recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Representation for Platform Workers.

Platform Workers refer to delivery workers, private-hire car drivers and taxi drivers who use online platforms to match them with demand for their delivery and point-to-point transport services, but who are not employees of the companies operating these platforms.

The Tripartite Workgroup on Representation for Platform Workers was formed in August 2022 to propose a framework for a representative body to seek legal mandate to represent platform workers collectively; the scope of issues that can be negotiated between a platform operator and a platform worker representative body; and a dispute management framework to efficiently address disputes between negotiating parties.

The Advisory Committee on Platform Workers had identified enhancing representation as a key area of protection for platform workers. It had recommended that platform workers should have the right to seek formal representation through a new representation framework designed for platform workers. This provides avenues for platform workers to negotiate for their interests, and for platform operators to have clear dispute resolution processes.

According to the Committee, this is crucial for building strong industrial relations between platform workers, platform worker representative bodies and platform operators.

The recommendations cover a process for a platform worker representative body to obtain mandate to represent platform workers, the scope of negotiations and formalising negotiated agreements, and how disagreements between platform worker representative bodies and platform operators will be resolved.

The eight recommendations are as follows:

1.     A platform worker representative body can obtain mandate through direct recognition or secret ballot

2.     All platform workers can vote in a secret ballot, except those who are very new or who are inactive

3.     Voting will be done electronically and conducted by the Ministry of Manpower

4.     A platform worker representative body obtains the mandate when it has majority support from the platform workers who voted, subject to a 20% quorum of eligible platform workers

5.     Platform Worker representative bodies and platform operators should be given the flexibility to determine areas for negotiation

6.     Negotiations will be guided by a set of principles agreed by the Tripartite WorkGroup

7.     A collective agreement must be certified at the Industrial Arbitration Court

8.     Unresolved collective disputes can be surfaced to the Ministry of Manpower for conciliation, and if conciliation fails, to the Industrial Arbitration Court for arbitration

Singapore’s government will work closely with tripartite partners, platform workers and platform operators to implement the recommendations from the second half of 2024.

In November 2022, it was reported Singapore’s platform workers would receive savings and injury insurance in line with employees after the government accepted recommendations from the Advisory Committee.