Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Many in society would consider garbage collection a blue-collar job, one that is physically demanding and to a certain extent, generally low-paid.

One ex-garbage collector named Danny shared his experience to challenge such perceptions.

Working as a waste attendant

23-year-old Danny talked about working as a waste attendant on local podcast TheCommonFolks.

He would collect garbage from private properties and HDB blocks.

He had to collect the garbage on private property by hand, while garbage from HDB flats could be collected with the help of machines.

There was usually one driver, and one or two attendants in a garbage truck.

He admitted that he felt ashamed about working as a waste attendant for the first few days.

However, he came to see that "money is money", and noted that it was not earned through illicit means.

He decided to stop caring about what people think and work for his family.

Pay for drivers at least S$5,000

"My mother used to tell me that if I didn't study, I'd end up working as a garbage collector," podcast host Asyraf said.

Danny responded with a grin, saying that such a perspective is "typical".

He debunked them, however, saying that his supervisor has a master's degree.

Furthermore, Danny added that "the pay is good" and many of his colleagues have BMW motorbikes.

For basic waste attendants, the pay was around S$2,600 to S$2,800 without factoring in allowances and overtime (OT) pay.

With allowance and OT, the pay can go up to S$3,400 to S$3,500.

In comparison, garbage truck drivers can earn "at least S$5,000 and it can go up to between S$8,000 to S$10,000".

You can watch the two-part podcast here and here.

Reaction

Many were surprised at how much garbage collectors are earning.

"If it's [really] 5k, I will resign from my office job now," one commenter wrote.

"S$5,000? Considering," said another.

However, some netizens questioned if the job of a waste attendant in Singapore really pays that well.

Significant and sustainable wage growth

A quick search on online job portals shows that the pay for a waste attendant ranges between S$1,800 to S$3,500.

Meanwhile, the average salary for garbage truck drivers is between S$2,500 to S$4,500.

According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), waste management workers will receive sustained wage increases from 2023 to 2028 under the Progressive Wage Model (PWM).

This will ensure significant and sustainable wage growth to benefit up to 3,000 resident waste management workers.

You might like this video:

Read more:

Top image via TheCommonFolks SG and rockinfreakapotamus/YouTube.