Parliament staff to get 2%-9% pay rise; clerks to receive new retention payout

AI generated

SINGAPORE - Parliament clerks will be eligible for a new retention payout from Sept 1 to help shore up a small, specialised workforce that has been difficult to replace.

The broader pool of Parliament staff will also receive a salary raise of between 2 per cent and 9 per cent from Aug 1, to align with their public service peers whose pay increases were announced in February.

The House approved unanimously these changes, which Leader of the House Indranee Rajah proposed in a parliamentary motion on Aug 4, based on recommendations in a report submitted to Parliament in July.

The recommendations came from the Commission on Parliament Staff, chaired by Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, and were put to Parliament for determination under the law.

Since 2008, the Parliamentary Scheme and the Language Executive Scheme (Parliament) have adopted a salary and performance-based framework similar to the Management Executive Scheme (MXS) in the civil service, said Indranee.

The Public Service Division (PSD) had said in February that it would adjust salaries for those on the MXS from Aug 1 to keep pace with the market and enable the public service to continue attracting and retaining talent amid evolving demands and growing complexity of the global environment.

Eligible MXS officers received salary adjustments of 2 to 9 per cent, with larger increases for grades where market gaps are wider, and no changes for those already competitively paid.

The commission hence proposed that staff on the two parliament schemes receive the same adjustments.

It also proposed that a retention payment component be included in the Parliamentary Scheme to recognise the specialised competencies of parliamentary clerks, and to address the rising challenges of attrition and replacement costs.

The proposed retention payment is a fixed quantum per grade, roughly equivalent to 1.5 to 1.75 months’ salary per year, or about 8 to 10 per cent of the annual salary package.

Entry-level clerks will receive a payout after each year of service, while clerks recognised for higher competence will receive a payout after every three years, subject to eligibility criteria.

The payment is capped at 20 years of service under the scheme, and existing officers will also receive a one-off ex-gratia payment as a transitional arrangement.

The proposals had received the support of the PSD on July 2, 2026.

Parliamentary clerks are a small group who specialise in parliamentary practice and legal procedure, said the commission.

There are eight of them under the Parliamentary Scheme. The median number of years in service is three years and 10 months, said a Parliament spokesperson.

The commission said that over the years, the volume and complexity of parliament work have increased.

At the same time, attrition has been rising.

Each exit “disapproportionately impacts” the operational effectiveness of the Parliamentary Secretariat given the small workforce, it added. Replacement cost is substantial, given the extensive training required for officers to achieve proficiency in the specialised nature of parliamentary work.

Recruitment has also become difficult specially for qualified legal professionals that would suit parliamentary secretariat roles, it said.

“The commission’s recommendations are aimed at ensuring that the terms of service of the staff of Parliament remain competitive in attracting and retaining strong officers in the schemes of service of the parliamentary service,” said Indranee.

Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC), one of two MPs who spoke in support of the motion, said this move will ensure that the staff who support Parliament have fair, updated and sustainable terms of service.

Their work has increased in volume and complexity, she said, citing how major Bills today routinely involve extensive clause-by-clause scrutiny and complex amendments while MPs regularly file more than 100 parliamentary questions each sitting.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Christopher de Souza noted that parliamentary staff carry out their duties with accuracy and professionalism for all members of the House, whether regardless of party or whether they are elected or appointed MPs.

MPs in the House thumped their arm rests in support when he paused for a moment to credit the parliament clerks, secretariat staff and translators for their hard work.

He added that he and Tan, who was deputy speaker from 2020 to 2025, had spoken to Seah several years ago on the need to increase the salaries of parliamentary staff which had been “behind the curve”.

Seah thanked the members of the House for their strong support on behalf of his colleagues.

“I’m quite sure with it, they will help me and help us do our job better.”