What just changed for Platform Workers? Your complete guide to the new protections

If you’re a taxi driver, private-hire driver, or delivery rider in Singapore, September 2025 brings significant changes to your industry.

 

After months of discussions, a trilateral group co-chaired by representatives of NTUC, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Transport (MOT), and Grab Singapore unveiled 10 comprehensive recommendations that will reshape how platform work operates in Singapore.

 

But what do these changes mean for you? Here’s everything you need to know about the new protections, enforcement measures, and industry standards that will affect your daily work.

 

The problems these changes address

 

Platform workers have long faced two major challenges that the new recommendations directly tackle:

 

Challenge 1: Illegal competition

 

• Foreigners working illegally on platforms have been undercutting local workers’ earnings. This happens in two main ways:
• Foreign workers using local platform workers’ accounts.
• Illegal ride-hailing services from foreign-registered vehicles and unlicensed operators.

 

Challenge 2: Unclear and unsafe working conditions

 

• Lack of transparency in how earnings are calculated.
• Sudden changes to incentive schemes without warning.
• Pressure to work excessive hours to meet unclear targets.

 

Muhd Khairil, 33, a delivery rider with three years of experience, explains the daily unpredictability: “Sometimes there’s a bit of uncertainty about how much I will earn today because of the fares and also the demand.

 

“Sometimes I question whether I’m able to earn enough money to put food on the table or not.”

 

 

What’s changing? The 10 recommendations explained

 

Part 1: Stopping illegal competition (Recommendations 1-6)

 

The first six recommendations focus on eliminating unfair competition from illegal platform work that has been affecting local platform workers’ earnings.

 

Stronger enforcement and penalties

 

Platform operators must now notify MOM whenever they suspect a platform worker is allowing foreigners to misuse their accounts.

 

If MOM investigates and finds an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, that platform worker will be banned from working on all major platforms for at least 24 months.

 

This cross-platform ban is new and much more severe than previous individual platform suspensions.

 

For illegal point-to-point rides, the Government will push for stronger deterrence measures, including higher fines and longer jail terms. Currently, offenders face up to $3,000 in fines or six months’ imprisonment.

 

The Government may also consider banning foreign vehicles and drivers suspected of providing illegal services from entering Singapore altogether.

 

Disrupting illegal channels

 

The Government will work to shut down apps, channels, and advertisements that facilitate illegal ride-matching.

 

This includes engaging online platforms to remove these services and strengthening the Government’s power to block them when platforms don’t cooperate.

 

A recent example is the inDrive app, which was removed from Singapore app stores after it allowed users to book trips between Johor and Singapore without proper licensing.

 

Enhanced detection methods

 

Food delivery platforms will conduct more frequent and randomised identity verification checks on their workers.

 

Grab, for example, already performs nearly one million selfie verification checks each month and investigates about 10 cases of potential account misuse.

 

Platforms that outsource work will also need to ensure their contractors submit proper work pass documentation for any foreign workers involved.

 

Safe reporting and education

 

New dedicated reporting channels allow platform workers and the public to report suspected illegal activities safely.

 

You can report illegal ride-hailing services through LTA's OneMotoring website and suspected illegal delivery work through MOM’s ‘Report an Infringement’ webpage.

 

Importantly, you should never confront suspected illegal workers directly but use these official channels instead. The Government, platform operators, and Platform Work Associations (PWAs) will also work together to educate the public about the safety risks of using unlicensed services.

 

Part 2: Fairer and safer work conditions (Recommendations 7-10)

 

The remaining four recommendations focus on improving working conditions and addressing platform workers’ concerns about transparency and safety.

 

Industry-wide payment principles

 

Platform operators and PWAs will work together to develop principles for payment and incentive schemes.

 

All nine major platform operators have already agreed to three key principles.

 

First, earnings should be fair and transparent, with incentives designed to complement your overall earnings rather than making up most of your income.

 

Second, when platforms plan structural changes to incentive schemes that could materially impact earnings, they should engage with PWAs to ensure visibility and support constructive discussions.

 

Third, incentive schemes must follow health and safety guidelines and should not encourage platform workers to work excessively long periods without adequate rest.

 

These principles directly address concerns like those raised by Mr Khairil: “There’s no check and balance, basically, there’s no transparency, so whatever we see on the app, we have to either accept it or, if we want, we can cancel.”

 

The new framework aims to eliminate such uncertainty and provide workers with the clarity they need to make informed decisions about their work.

 

“Today, our platform workers are not given clear breakdowns to understand their earnings components. Just like all other workers, platform workers want assurance that they are paid fairly for their effort and time,” said NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.

 

Better communication and support

 

Platform operators and PWAs will identify key information to provide to platform workers, enabling them to address anxieties around income uncertainty better.

 

They will also schedule regular meetings to discuss key issues affecting workers. Additionally, PWAs will continue encouraging platform workers to prioritise and take care of their health and safety.

 

Clearer outsourcing practices

 

Food delivery platform operators that outsource jobs will provide more clarity and assurance to platform workers about these practices and encourage workers to head to high-demand areas.

 

This includes practical measures like Grab’s commitment to give platform workers a 90-minute priority window to book shifts in high-demand areas before opening them to outsourced workers.

 

Real impact: What workers are already seeing

 

The enforcement efforts have already produced measurable results:

 

Income increases:

 

• Private-hire drivers: 10-15 per cent income increase
• Cross-border taxi drivers: Up to 30 per cent income increase

 

Enforcement numbers:

 

• 70 foreign-registered vehicles caught providing illegal services (most impounded) since July
• 644 delivery workers checked at 30+ hotspots
• Only four found working illegally (showing the problem was smaller than perceived)

 

Implementation timeline: What happens when

 

Already active:

 

• Dedicated reporting channels for illegal activities
• Enhanced enforcement operations
• Cross-platform information sharing on violations
• Industry-wide payment principles implementation

 

Coming soon (Phased implementation):

 

• Cross-platform account bans (coordination between all major operators)
• Enhanced identity verification procedures
• Public education campaigns

 

Requiring legislation (Timeline TBD):

 

• Higher penalties for illegal point-to-point services
• Stronger Government powers to block illegal apps/channels

 

Who’s covered: The platform operators involved

 

All nine major platform operators, which account for 99 per cent of platform workers, have agreed to these recommendations.

 

Aside from Grab Singapore, they include Deliveroo, foodpanda, AmazonFlex, Lalamove, ComfortDelGro Zig, Gojek, TADA, and Ryde.

 

This comprehensive coverage means that virtually all platform workers in Singapore will benefit from these new protections and standards, regardless of which platform they work with.

 

Grab’s Group Managing Director of Operations Yee Wee Tang highlighted specific measures: “We will ensure fair and transparent earnings.

 

Grab is already exploring potential ways to improve the transparency of platform workers’ earnings through the driver app.

 

“We will consult drivers and PWAs along the way … As a company, we are fully committed to holding ourselves accountable and playing our part in raising industry standards to support platform workers better,” said Mr Yee.

 

Understanding the outsourcing issue

 

One source of confusion has been legitimate foreign workers in the delivery sector.

 

Here’s the difference:

 

Illegal: Foreigners using platform worker accounts or providing services without proper permits.

 

Legal: Foreign workers with valid work passes employed by third-party companies that contract with platforms.

 

The new recommendations address both by requiring proper documentation and giving platform workers priority in high-demand areas.

 

Your role in making this work

 

For platform workers:

 

• Join your relevant association (NDCA for delivery, NPHVA for private-hire, NTA for taxi).
• Report suspected illegal activities through official channels.
• Don’t confront suspected violators directly.
• Participate in association meetings and feedback sessions.

 

For platform operators:

 

• Implement the agreed-upon principles consistently.
• Maintain transparent communication with PWAs.
• Strengthen identity verification systems.
• Report suspected violations to authorities.

 

Looking beyond the immediate changes

 

These recommendations represent more than just policy adjustments – they establish a new framework for how platform work operates in Singapore.

 

The collaborative approach between the Government, PWAs, and platform operators creates a model for addressing future challenges as the industry evolves.

 

Francis Loo, 60, a private-hire driver, points to the scale of the challenges that required this coordinated response: “The illegal Telegram Hitches... went up to about 199,000 driver and rider members.

 

“Now I just checked, it’s about 143,000. That’s a lot of rides that could have gone to official drivers.”

 

The trilateral approach provides a mechanism to address such industry-wide issues that no single party could tackle alone.

 

“These were not issues that NTUC and our PWAs could address on our own – it required joint action with Government agencies and platforms,” explained Mr Ng, emphasising the collaborative approach needed to tackle industry-wide challenges.

 

Health and Manpower Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon also emphasised the importance of working together: “Supporting the welfare of our PWs is a collective responsibility. By working hand-in-hand, we will be able to do more to safeguard the livelihood, safety and well-being of PWs.”

 

National Development and Transport Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling said that tackling illegal platform work requires everyone’s participation: “The Government, Platform Work Associations, Platform Operators and the general public have a part to play to help curb illegal platform work.”

 

Questions and next steps

 

Will these changes affect platform flexibility? The recommendations are designed to maintain platform work’s flexibility while adding protections. The focus is on transparency and fairness, not restricting how you choose to work.

 

How will enforcement be sustained? The trilateral group will continue monitoring implementation and adjusting approaches based on results. Regular meetings between all parties ensure ongoing attention to platform worker concerns.

 

What if problems arise with implementation? PWAs now have formal channels to raise concerns with both platforms and Government agencies, with clear escalation procedures if needed.

 

Get involved: Your associations matter

 

The success of these changes depends on strong worker associations that can effectively represent your interests. PWAs have already secured concrete wins:

 

• Stopped unfair incentive changes through direct negotiation
• Secured priority booking for platform workers over outsourced workers
• Influenced LTA policy changes affecting driver penalties

 

Join today:

 

• Delivery workers: National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA)
• Private-hire drivers: National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA)
• Taxi drivers: National Taxi Association (NTA) 

 

The stronger your associations, the more effectively they can represent your interests as the platform economy continues evolving.