Labour MPs back the motion on Supporting Singaporeans in Starting and Raising Families

The Labour Movement has called for measures to review and improve policies to better support Singaporean families, marriages, and parenthood.

Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) spoke on 5 February 2025 during the motion in Parliament titled Supporting Singaporeans in Starting and Raising Families.

MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Hany Soh and MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim tabled the motion.

Safeguarding platform workers against platform algorithms

Labour Nominated MP and Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union Executive Secretary Jean See raised the issue of algorithms used by platforms in managing workers.

She said it is timely to protect platform workers against exploitative algorithmic management practices.

Ms See said that some people choose to be platform workers as it allows them to care for their young school-going children as single parents and primary caregivers.

However, as the platform workers can only work when their children are in school, Ms See said workers are worried that the platforms could deprioritise them in job allocation.

“Such action by the platform algorithms would hurt such platform workers’ livelihoods and compel these workers to unfairly choose between work and caregiving,” Ms See added.

Supporting freelancers in the creative industry

Ms See spoke up for freelancers in the creative industry.

With generative AI and globalisation reshaping the nature of creative work, Ms See said such pressures have impacted creative freelancers’ livelihoods.

She said there should be safe spaces for creative professionals to learn and progress in their careers.

She also called on the Government to take the lead in supporting creative freelancers and the industry by requiring principal creative agencies engaged by the Government for creative projects to prioritise engaging Singaporean creative freelancers or enterprises.

She explained: “Having the government take the lead in contracting and subcontracting Singaporean creatives for government-commissioned projects would provide the safe space for these creative freelancers to apply new knowledge and technology that expand creative frontiers, capture new value, and elevate the standing of Singaporean creatives.”

Supporting lower-wage workers

Ms See spoke up for lower-wage workers who may be less literate in English or digital skills, especially due to the faster pace of change and wider scale of technology adoption.

She urged the Government and industry stakeholders to prioritise connecting lower-wage workers with training that enables them to take on new career paths.

Employers’ key role in providing work-life balance and implementing ‘Right to Disconnect’

NTUC Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and MP for Radin Mas SMC Melvin Yong urged employers to play a more significant role in providing work-life balance for workers.

He reiterated his call to implement a ‘Right to Disconnect’ policy at the workplace, which he first raised in Parliament in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A ‘Right to Disconnect’ policy allows an employee to refuse to work outside of designated working hours.

Since 2020, various countries, such as France, Belgium, Spain and Australia, have legislated the ‘Right to Disconnect’. Mr Yong said the momentum for clear legislation is growing globally.

Better quality of preschool education

Mr Yong urged the Government to lower the teacher-to-child ratio at preschools, which he said would directly result in higher quality preschool education.

He said that the quality and accessibility of preschool education are key forms of parenthood support.

“Today, many working parents send their young children to preschools, preferably ones that are affordable and near to home,” Mr Yong said.

Supporting lower-income families

Mr Yong called for greater preschool subsidies for lower-income families.

He said he is concerned that 10 per cent of Singaporean households with preschool-going children do not send their children to preschool.

According to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), the preschool participation rate drops to eight in 10 children in lower-income families.

“Our children’s foundation years set them up for success, and more support should be given to lower-income families to help their children attend preschool and build a good foundation to excel in school for years to come,” Mr Yong said.

Helping small- and medium-sized enterprises to support families

NTUC ASG and MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Yeo Wan Ling called on the Government to explore solutions to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) so that employees can take their parental leave with peace of mind.

Ms Yeo said that SMEs with fewer resources often struggle to find temporary replacements when staff go on parental leave.

“This burden frequently falls on colleagues, which can be overwhelming, especially in smaller teams. SME owners may also face financial strain when reimbursing employees for parental leave,” she explained.

Another call she made was for the Government to support SMEs in creating more spaces for lactating mothers.

She also called on the Government to monitor whether the current six days of Government-Paid Childcare Leave are sufficient to meet growing childcare needs.

Supporting larger families

NTUC ASG Desmond Choo and MP for Tampines GRC called for support for those with large families, especially those with young children and elderly parents.

He encouraged efforts to support those with large families, such as increased childcare leave for families with more than one child and to review the costs faced by young couples.

Family planning options

Mr Choo called on employers to offer fertility benefits, including egg freezing, to support female staff who would like the flexibility of having children later in life.

He said that the high cost of egg freezing, estimated at $10,000 per cycle, remains a substantial barrier for many women.

Singapore legalised selective egg freezing in 2023 for women aged 21 to 37, regardless of marital status.

Mr Choo also reiterated his call in 2017 for subsidies for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments, such as IVF, to be reduced progressively once the woman is above 40 years old instead of removing the subsidies entirely.

Currently, subsidies for ART are available to women over 40 only if they begin their ART cycle before turning 40.

Empowering working mothers

Mr Choo called on companies to take a longer-term view to create more options for mothers.

He suggested companies put structured career breaks for mothers, where they can take a leave of absence.

“When mothers are ready to come back, companies can offer 'returnship' programmes combining upskilling and mentorship. These combine upskilling, on-the-job training and mentorship that help mothers reintegrate into the workplace.” he added.

He also urged companies to re-design high-level jobs to allow flexible working hours and reduced hours and workloads for mothers.

Are you a woman keen to return to work? Check out the NTUC U Women and Family's various initiatives.