No mid-year bonus for civil servants, superscale officers to take pay cut: PSD

SINGAPORE — All civil servants will not receive any mid-year bonus while public officers in superscale grades will take one-time salary cuts of either 0.5 or 1 month, the Public Service Division (PSD) said on Thursday (18 June).

The measure was in view of the unprecedented economic crisis brought about by COVID-19, the PSD added. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has downgraded Singapore’s 2020 GDP growth forecast to -7.0 per cent to -4.0 per cent, while the labour market is also weakening as total employment fell sharply and retrenchments rose in the first quarter, the PSD noted in a media release.

“The Public Service stands in solidarity with the rest of the nation during this difficult period,” the unit of the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The measures took into consideration the recommendations of the National Wages Council release in March this year, which called on employers and employees to do their part in helping to reduce costs and save jobs.

The pay cut for the superscale public servants comes on top of the earlier 0.5-month pay cut taken by senior public service officers in key leadership positions, which was announced in February.

The government appreciates the hard work and sacrifices of public officers in the fight against COVID-19, with many having gone beyond their call of duty to take on additional or expanded roles, the PSD said.

“The Public Service will continue to work in unity with all Singaporeans to ride out the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge stronger from the crisis.”

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