ABSTRACT
The rise of non-permanent work and non-traditional work patterns is a global phenomenon. The growth of non-permanent work is surrounded by controversies about the interests that non-standard forms of employment serve, how the benefits gained from them are distributed and the protections that are available for those who participate. The use of on-demand, online work platforms for paid ‘gigs’ constitutes a relatively small proportion of the non-permanent work, but its growth is acknowledged to be part of a trend. The economy depends largely on the city-state’s human resources and is characterised by marked increases in non-permanent work, estimated to have reached approximately one-fifth in 2015. Non-permanent workers are rarely covered by collective bargaining arrangements, and, in such situations, social dialogue is argued to provide a useful approach for addressing the needs of non-standard workers. Support for the learning and development of non-permanent workers is often a side issue in public debates, if it is present at all.
