Committee of Supply 2021 debate, Day 3: Edward Chia on need for 'vertical' and 'horizontal' approaches for Progressive Wage Model

The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) is critically important for all Singaporeans, said MP Edward Chia. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 2), he said it is a sustainable model as wages are paid in tandem with the skills and productivity required for specific sectors. He urged the Government and the labour movement to move faster to implement PWM in more sectors. He pointed out that the current approach is "vertical". It also needs to be "horizontal" to include smaller businesses which do not have economies of scale and need a longer runway to scale up.