Singapore hotel industry gets a leg up

THE SINGAPORE National Trades Union Congress’ (NTUC) Hospitality & Consumer Business Cluster has introduced a new progressive wage framework that aims to boost job prospects in the local hotel industry.

The Integrated Progressive Wage model is expected to help 3,000 rank and file workers in the Singapore hotel sector earn higher wages through increased productivity, and offer them a choice of multiple career paths.

Under the model, the most junior-level workers such as room attendants, who earn around S$1,000 (US$793) a month, can rise up the ranks to become room associates through skills training and job re-design. This will help raise their wages to more than S$1,300 a month.

Subsequently, through further training, the workers will be equipped with skills to command S$1,600 as a supervisor, more than S$2,000 as an assistant manager, and more than S$3,000 as a manager.

Alternatively, workers may choose to join the Hotel Operations Specialist Team (HOST), a structured job re-design programme that equips them with two or three cross-skills in housekeeping, F&B services and front office.

Also available for those who wish to sharpen their skills to an even higher level is a new Executive Development Programme (EDP), a structured management trainee scheme that aims to attract mid-level Singaporean professionals, managers and executives, and build a core of local managers and supervisors in the hotel sector.

Yeo Guat Kwang, NTUC Hospitality & Consumer Business Cluster lead, said: “The new progressive wage system for the hotel sector is a highly versatile one. It enables low-wage workers in rank and file positions to flow up vertically as they deepen their skills and raise their productivity; it also gives them the flexibility to flow laterally to other job functions upon completion of HOST, and to flow up if they upskill through the EDP. In addition, Singaporeans looking for a mid-career switch can tap on the programme to get inducted into the sector.”

Margaret Heng, executive director, Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) said: “The SHA supports progressive wages for hotel employees who have acquired new skills to expand their jobscope, and when there is an increase in output as a result of a change in work processes leading to higher productivity.”

Sourced: TTG Asia