Singapore Budget 2015: 2,200 lower-wage civil servants to get $60 to $80 pay raise in April

SINGAPORE - About 2,200 lower-wage civil servants such as operations support officers in schools will receive a salary increase of $60 to $80 next month.

The move will keep salaries competitive, and is in line with similar salary increases these officers have received recently, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament on Tuesday.

Division IV officers had received built-in wage increases of $60 to $70 each year in the past three years, in support of the National Wages Council's recommendations, Mr Teo added.

Taken together with the civil service's regular salary adjustments, lower-wage civil servants have received total salary adjustments of about $300 to $330 from 2012 to 2014.

This is a 25 per cent increase in the officers' monthly salaries, over and above their annual increments, added Mr Teo, the minister-in-charge of the civil service.

In his speech during the debate on the Prime Minister's Office's budget, he gave an update on what the civil service is doing to improve the career prospects of all officers, in particular non-graduates, and to support lower-wage officers.

MP Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio GRC) had asked for an update on what was being done to improve the lot of lower-wage civil servants.

"We remain committed to improving the jobs and skills of our lower-wage civil servants," said Mr Teo.

He said that the civil service will also provide its lower-wage officers with more training opportunities.

For example, the civil service has a Training Incentive Scheme to encourage and reward officers who upgrade themselves with cash payouts.

Furthermore, from next month, the salary scales of lower-wage civil servants will be lengthened.

This means that officers who have reached the previous ceiling of their salary scales can receive further pay increments as they upgrade their skills, added Mr Teo.

charyong@sph.com.sg

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.