Cabbies, platform workers can be legally represented by 3 associations: NTUC

Cabbies, ride-hailing drivers and freelance delivery workers now have better legal protection under the Platform Workers Act.

Three organisations – the National Taxi Association (NTA), National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA) and National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA) – have been approved by the Ministry of Manpower under the Platform Workers Act 2024.

This means they now have legal powers to potentially represent the 67,600 or so workers in Singapore and negotiate with platform operators for better conditions.

“Our delivery riders work hard every day, facing varying traffic and weather conditions… we can better speak up for them on important issues like their earnings, safety on the roads and better working terms,” said NDCA president Ng Gan Poh.

The National Trades Union Congress has been advocating for platform workers, starting with taxi drivers through the NTA in 2010. The NPHVA was then formed in 2016 and the NDCA in 2020.

The three platform work associations have already set up the NTUC Care Fund (Work Injury Relief), which hands out $250 worth of grocery vouchers if workers are injured on the job.

Other forms of assistance include the Union Training Assistance Programme, which supports upskilling and reskilling of workers; and the NTUC Hardship Grant, which has a one-time financial assistance offer for low-income union members.

NPHVA general secretary Joseph Goh said private-hire drivers often work with different platform operators, which have their own rules.

Private-hire car driver S.P. Tan, 56, told The Straits Times that he wants to see standardised fees across platform operators to push for more income stability, including no fee differences for peak and non-peak hours.

“You should be able to know that if you work for 10 hours, you would receive a certain standardised amount,” he said, adding that private-hire car drivers will feel “more confident” to drive this way.

NPHVA’s Mr Goh said: “The formal registration and recognition of our NPHVA empower us to negotiate more effectively with the different platform operators, especially regarding fair compensation and dispute resolution.”

NTA president Ken Tan added: “Many taxi drivers have been with us for years, and now we can do more to support them.”

The Platform Workers Act passed in September 2024 designates such workers as a distinct legal category in between employees and the self-employed. They are eligible for financial compensation if they get injured while working, with the same level of coverage as employees.

The Act mandates that younger workers born on or after Jan 1, 1995, must contribute more to their Central Provident Fund accounts. MOM said these workers have a greater need for CPF savings to pay for housing and so can benefit more from compounding interest. Older platform workers can opt in.

Taxi drivers can join the NTA and receive work-related assistance by e-mailing [email protected], while private-hire vehicle drivers can join the NPHVA and e-mail [email protected]. Delivery platform workers can join the NDCA and e-mail [email protected].

Source: Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

ADV: [webinar] Navigating Uncharted Waters - Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law and AI Regulation (27 March 2025, 1 Public CPD Point) The Workplace Fairness Act must go further if we are to stamp out discrimination: Opinion