Competitive pay is an important factor when choosing your profession.

So, how does a job with a base salary of $5,000 sound to you?

While enticing, the job description may not be to everyone's liking. 

A local podcast show called The Common Folks recently interviewed a garbage collection driver who claimed that someone in his profession can not only earn $5,000 a month, their salaries can even go into double digits. 

"The pay is good. It's $5,000 minimum and you can go up to between $8,000 and $10,000," he shared without elaborating more. 

On Wednesday (May 3), a snippet of the podcast was shared on The Common Folks' TikTok page.

Watch on TikTok

Co-host Asyraf Osman got down to business with his first question.

"Why did you pick this job?" he asked. To be fair, with a $5,000 salary, why not right?

In all seriousness, the interviewee, who was not named in the clip, admitted that money played a role in his decision. "I know I wanted to try this job so that I can make money for my family."

If he is to be believed, it's quite a comfortable living he's making driving a garbage truck.

Last-choice job or job by choice?

Another misconception of the job was also shattered when the interviewee shared more details about his fellow work colleagues.

To the co-hosts' surprise, the interviewee's supervisor apparently holds a Master's Degree and all his colleagues can boast having their own BMW motorbikes. 

This certainly contrasts with the "archaic ideas" Singaporeans tend to have around skills-based jobs like this.

"My own mother used to tell me that if I didn't study, I'd end up working at the rubbish disposal," Asyraf said.

This brought a grin to the interviewee's face, as he nodded in agreement to how locals tend to look down on the profession.

So much so that he shared: "I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel any shame early on."

But over time, he learned that "other people's opinions aren't important" and continued on as a garbage collection driver.

In the comments section, the hot topic being discussed was whether his salary claims were true.

Many were still sceptical, going by netizens' responses. 

"If it's really $5,000 a month, I'll resign from my office job right now," one TikTok user said. 

Another was keen to understand more details about his company and the job scope.

"What type of job scope are you in (sic)? Rear end loader (REL) drive, compactor driver, crew, supervisor or executive?" he asked curiously.

Others simply weren't bothered by his claims, instead choosing to focus on the perceived stigma of the job. 

"What is there to be ashamed of? You're doing work that is halal. It's more shameful if you're continuously asking/begging from others," another said. 

The price of being a garbage man

A search online shows that some of the netizens' scepticism may be warranted after all.

Last month, a Refuse Truck Driver job advert was put up on the employment website Indeed, and the salary on offer was between $3,200 and $3,500 a month.

This is very much lower than the numbers being presented in the podcast.

Regardless, it seems that plans are in the works to lift the wages of those working in this field.

In January 2022, the Ministry of Manpower declared that the new Progressive Wage Model (PWM) benefits waste management workers.

This year, a sustained PWM wage increase will take effect from July 1, and the six-year schedule goes on to 2028.

Furthermore, next January will also see the introduction of a mandatory annual PWM bonus for eligible workers.

ALSO READ: Malaysian crosses border every day to work in a job 'not everyone in Singapore' would want to do. Why?

amierul@asiaone.com

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