Platform Workers Bill gives Platform Workers core protections

We refer to Mr Foo Sing Kheng’s letter “Do what’s essential but don’t over-protect platform workers” (Sept 11).

We thank Mr Foo for supporting the need for work injury compensation insurance for platform workers. The reason for extending higher CPF contributions to platform workers and giving them a legal framework for representation is likewise due to the precarious nature of their work.

While platform workers have the flexibility to decide when and how much to work, they are different from self-employed persons. This is because they are under significant management control by platform operators in terms of how they provide services, and therefore resemble employees to an extent.

For example, platform workers generally do not have a say over how much to charge for their services and what set of tasks they can take on, which are controlled by the platform operators’ algorithms.

This limited autonomy is why we have given platform workers some labour rights, including increased CPF contributions, to better support them at work.

Platform workers in the mandatory cohort or who opt in to make increased CPF contributions are also being responsible in taking care of their housing and retirement needs.

In contrast to platform workers, self-employed persons have full autonomy to negotiate their own compensation with service buyers. This allows them to price in their own personal injury insurance, housing and retirement adequacy needs.

We hope that as a society, we will recognise and empathise with the different working conditions and constraints that platform workers are subjected to, and support them in having similar protections to employees in key areas of need.

Tan Li Sheng

Divisional Director

Workplace Policy and Strategy Division

Ministry of Manpower