Lee Boon Yang
Singapore
“6 The other guidelines are that there must be a post office sited within 5 km of every private residential estate and within 1 km of any commercial or industrial estate. MAID LEVY CONCESSION (Applications by the disabled) 32.”
“Madam, can I quickly respond to the point on assistive technology? Certainly this is an area of interest. We cannot say that we have the capability at this juncture but we will certainly look into what is possible and work with our ICT sector.”
“Nevertheless, if the spouse of the homemaker is working, he will be eligible for WIS if he satisfies the criteria. Husbands of homemakers are further eligible for tax relief.”
“Sir, I do not think it is quite correct to say that we always expect our own artists to perform for free or do public service. There are, of course, occasions where we do seek Singapore artists and arts companies to contribute to the national causes. For instance, when we went international for Singapore Season in China.”
“Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what checks does the Ministry or the National Environment Agency have in place to prevent mistaken payments to hawkers who cease operations due to upgrading works at hawker centers; (b) how did the mistaken payment of $18,000 to Mdm Lee Ah Muey come about; and (c) what will the…”
“While it was also true that initially the reaction or the response of the licensing authority was that foreigners should not participate in such an event at the Speakers' Corner - because there is already an existing prohibition against any foreigners taking part in any activities at the Speakers' Corner - subsequent assessment resulted i…”
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“Foreign workers are in fact treated as local workers in that they can join any union which represents workers in the industry. For instance, in the construction industry, there is a union called the Building and Construction Trade Union (BACTU) whose membership is open to both local as well as foreign workers. In fact, out of BACTU's 4,300 members, more than 25% are foreign workers. Of course, many foreign workers, including a large number from the non-traditional sources, do not join trade unions because they may think that since they are here for only a short period of stay, they do not see any real benefit in joining unions and they also may well want to save on the monthly subscriptions for their membership in the trade union. Nevertheless, I agree with the Member that employers should look after the welfare of their foreign workers. This is why my Ministry has stipulated, as one of the conditions for the employment of non-traditional source work permit holders, that employers shall provide adequate housing, sanitary and other facilities for their foreign workers. My Ministry is also working with the Construction Industry Development Board to study the feasibility of setting standards for workers' quarters on construction sites. Sir, as I said earlier, our labour legislation accords equal protection to local and foreign workers without discrimination. The Employment Act protects the basic terms and conditions of employment. The Factories Act safeguards workers' safety and health at the workplace and the Workmen's Compensation Act provides for compensation for workers injured in the course of their work. Any foreign worker who feels that he has not been treated according to the statutory provisions should take it up with the employer.”
“00 pm The Skills Development Fund also gives 3-year work permit holders the same level of support as Singapore citizens and permanent residents for all training courses that are endorsed by the Fund. To further encourage employers in the construction and marine sector to train their foreign workers and to improve productivity, my Ministry also introduced a skill-based two-tier levy scheme for these two industries in 1991. Under the scheme, foreign workers who are certified skilled by the Construction Industry Development Board or the Institute of Technical Education can qualify for a lower levy of only $250 a month, which will be further reduced by another 20% from 1st April this year. Sir, Dr Wong also asked whether the manufacturing sector's demand for foreign workers can be met. The Ministry of Labour is aware that the manufacturing sector has an increasing demand for workers in view of the strong growth achieved by the sector last year and the good prospect in the coming year. My Ministry has on 1st December 1994 raised the dependency ceiling for the manufacturing sector from 45% to 50% to give manufacturing firms greater flexibility and access to foreign workers during a period of business upturn. There is no need to further revise the dependency ceiling at this juncture as nearly 98% of manufacturing firms are able to operate within the new dependency ceiling of 50%. May I now respond to the Nominated Member, Dr Kanwaljit Soin. Yesterday, she said that there were no unions for foreign workers and therefore the Government had to play a role in ensuring the welfare of foreign workers. There is a misconception here because our labour laws do not prohibit foreign workers from joining trade unions.”
“I am of the view that since managers and executives are able to negotiate effectively with their employers for their terms and conditions of employment, they do not need the representation of a trade union for this purpose. And for this reason, we should not force companies to allow rank-and-file unions to represent their managers and executives. We should continue to encourage junior management personnel and front-line supervisors to join rank-and-file unions. Sir, I next turn to Dr Wong Kwei Cheong who asked whether the figures on the labour force contained in the Labour Force Survey include the large number of foreign workers that are currently working in Singapore. The Labour Force Survey is a sample survey which covers households, including foreigners in Singapore. The Survey cannot provide figures on the total number of foreign workers in Singapore because it does not cover foreign workers who live on construction worksites, for instance, and Malaysian workers who commute daily from Malaysia to work in Singapore. Sir, currently, we have more than 300,000 foreign workers in Singapore and they include more than 80,000 foreign domestic workers. Dr Wong also asked for the levy collections. The foreign workers levy collections for 1992, 1993 and 1994 are $1.02 billion, $1.13 billion and $1.37 billion respectively. The levy is credited into the Government's Consolidated Revenue Account. Dr Wong also wanted to know what incentives are there for employers to train foreign workers. My Ministry encourages foreign workers to undergo training and for the employers to provide such training. We, in fact, issue 3-year work permits to foreign workers who have obtained relevant technical qualifications or diplomas and exempt them from the foreign workers levy. 1.”
“The aim of these guidelines was to ensure that junior management personnel, particularly front-line supervisors who are not executives, are able to join and be represented by rank-and-file unions. Since the implementation of the tripartite guidelines, the Ministry had dealt with 104 cases of claims to represent junior management personnel and front-line supervisors by rank-and-file unions. All the cases have been amicably resolved based on the guidelines. The settlement of these claims resulted in 1,840 junior management personnel and front-line supervisors joining rank-and-file unions. Our experience is that the guidelines have been effective in resolving claims over whether an employee is an executive and should be allowed to join a rank-and-file union. Hence, we should continue to make use of these guidelines to encourage more junior management personnel and front-line supervisors who are not executives to join rank-and-file unions. Sir, on the desirability for managers and executives to join rank-and-file unions, I have to point out that employers at this stage are still wary that this could give rise to a conflict of interest and problems in labour-management relations within the company. Employers are concerned that, eg, in wage negotiations, the company needs its managers and executives who have access to confidential information relevant to the negotiation to be able to negotiate objectively with the unions, and there may be difficulties if they are also members of the same rank-and-file union. Other employers are concerned that conflicts of interest could arise in the day-to-day operations of a company if managers and executives have to enforce discipline, particularly on subordinates who are members of the same union. Employers' concerns cannot be dismissed.”
“Let me reassure the Member that we will continue to review various pieces of legislation under our purview to ensure that labour legislation remains up to date, relevant to our economic needs and can continue to serve both employees and employers. Sir, Mr Koo Tsai Kee yesterday asked whether the Government will consider allowing more people from managerial ranks to join the rank-and-file union. Section 16(3) of the Industrial Relations Act prohibits a trade union of employees, the majority of whose membership consists of employees in non-managerial or non-executive positions, that means, generally regarded as the bargainable employees, from seeking recognition in respect of employees in the managerial or executive position. It also prohibits such unions from serving a notice in respect of these employees for the purpose of collective bargaining under section 117 of the Act. The purpose of this prohibition is to avoid conflict of interest and labour-management disputes. However, the Act does not prevent employers from allowing their managers and executives to be members of rank-and-file unions for purpose other than collective bargaining. Managers and executives are also not prohibited from forming or joining their own unions. Sir, in response to unions' concern that some employers had resorted to inflating job titles of their employees who are not actually in managerial or executive positions, the Ministry, in consultation with NTUC and SNEF, issued a set of guidelines in January 1992 on union representation of junior management personnel and front-line supervisors, which I referred to when I responded to Dr John Chen earlier on.”
“Sir, past experience on retrenchment cases shows that employers have not abused their rights and it is unlikely that employees could be victimised under the guise of retrenchment. If an employer is suspected of abusing the right given under the law, the worker or his union could make representation to seek the Ministry's intervention. The Member also asked for a review of the provision in section 38 of the Trade Unions Act which enables any member of the public to secure a copy of the union's constitution for not more than $1 charge. As a trade union represents mainly the lower income bargainable employees, it is the objective of the law to keep the charge for obtaining information relating to the union as low as possible. This is to ensure that union members and those who are interested in joining the union will have easy access to the rules. That is why the charge for a copy of the union's constitution had been fixed at not more than $1. Notwithstanding the above, I will take note of his comments and in our review of the Trade Unions Act, we will consider his suggestion to review this charge. The Member also called for another tripartite committee to review other labour legislation including the Industrial Relations Act and the Factories Act. My Ministry's officers regularly review all labour legislation and propose amendments where necessary. For instance, in January this year, we amended the Factories Act in this Chamber to enhance coverage of the Factories Act, improve workers' safety, increase penalties for offenders and updated certain outmoded sections in the Factories Act.”
“He observed that the section on retrenchment benefits in the Employment Act is worded in the negative form. While section 45 of the Employment Act is worded in the negative form, it has never stopped eligible employees from claiming for retrenchment benefits. The law is also silent on the quantum of retrenchment benefits payable. Nonetheless, retrenched workers do receive retrenchment benefits although the quantum would vary from company to company and from situation to situation. In the case of larger companies, particularly the unionised ones, the retrenchment benefit norm is one month's salary for each year of service. For smaller companies, the quantum is usually lower. Sir, in my view, section 45 has served its purpose and is not necessary for the law to be amended. Mr De Payva has also expressed concern that the section on retrenchment empowers the employer to retrench workers by virtue of reorganisation or restructuring. Management of a company, including recruitment, promotion and transfer of workers and the need to reduce the size of the workforce, should be and ought to remain a function of management. Hence, section 17(2) of the Industrial Relations Act gives employers the right to retrench workers on the ground of redundancy, reorganisation and restructuring. Notwithstanding this, companies should provide reasons for retrenchment, including the basis for selection of workers who are affected by the retrenchment exercise. And in practice, companies have done so. If a company is unable or refuses to give reasons for retrenchment of workers, it will be difficult for the union to work closely with the company to ensure that the retrenchment exercise is carried out smoothly.”
“Sir, the $1,500 ceiling is not applicable to manual workers who are covered by the Employment Act regardless of their monthly salary. Hence, all manual workers can appeal to the Labour Court for assistance regardless of their salary. Non-manual workers whose salary exceeds $1,500 and who are not managers or executives can still enjoy the protection of the Employment Act, such as with regard to appealing against unfair dismissal, payment of salary and maternity benefits. However, the Ministry recognises that there is an anomaly in the Act that an employee who is not a manager or an executive but earns more than $1,500 and is covered by the Act is presently not able to pursue his employment dispute with the employer in the Labour Court by virtue of the salary restriction in section 115 which I mentioned earlier, and that the Ministry can only help such an employee through conciliation. The Tripartite Review Committee on Employment Act has addressed this anomaly and the Ministry has accepted the Committee's recommendation to remove the salary restriction contained in section 115. The removal of the salary restriction would give this group of employees the right to appeal to the Labour Court to resolve their disputes with their employers. On the matter of union representation, the Ministry had in 1992 issued a set of guidelines to enable employees who are junior management personnel and who are not executives, including those earning more than $1,500, to join rank-and-file unions. The guidelines have worked well and, in fact, many junior management personnel and front-line supervisors have since joined rank-and-file unions. Sir, I next turn to the Nominated Member of Parliament, Mr John De Payva.”
“This will enable workers to better cope with the changes which could involve redeployment to other jobs within the company or even retrenchment and looking for new jobs elsewhere. Sir, Mr Othman also asked for a progress report on the amendments to the Employment Act. The Tripartite Review Committee on the Employment Act completed its review of the Act in June last year. Following the recommendations of the Review Committee, my Ministry, together with the Singapore Employers Federation and NTUC, carried out a series of briefings and consultations on the recommendations to obtain feedback to ensure that these recommendations, when implemented, can be done smoothly. Using the feedback from the industries and trade unions, we have made refinements to some of the recommendations, including consequential changes to the Industrial Relations Act. These refinements would be incorporated as amendments to the law. My Ministry will be presenting the amendment Bill to this House before June this year. Sir, I next turn to Dr John Chen who spoke about the difficulty faced by those who are earning more than $1,500 a month being unable to seek remedy in the Labour Court. The monthly salary ceiling in the Employment Act, which presently stands at $1,500, is only applicable to certain provisions of the Act. For example, section 33 which gives priority of salary to other debts; Part IV which provides for minimal employment standards relating to rest days, hours of work, overtime payments and leave; and section 115 which provides for the eligibility of employees to seek adjudication from the Commissioner for Labour in respect of employment disputes with their employers.”
“They must be able to keep up with the changing skill requirements of industries in order to enjoy greater employability and market value for themselves. Sir, to promote greater awareness of the importance of training and to demonstrate commitment, my Ministry supported the unions' proposal to have a training clause incorporated in collective agreements. However, to allay the fears of employers who are not ready or willing to put in a numerical target in their collective agreement, I suggested last year in this House that unions should first persuade employers to accept a clause on training of their workers in their collective agreement in qualitative terms. Based on our study of the collective agreements between companies and unions over the last year, the number of collective agreements incorporating training clauses has increased from 7% in 1993 to 27% in 1994. This is a very good response and my Ministry would like to take this opportunity to commend the unions' initiative and effort to get companies to commit to training and upgrading of workers. I would also like to say that the cooperation of the employers who have taken up the suggestion is highly commendable. But while good progress has been made, the bulk of the collective agreements still do not have such a provision for training of their workers. I would therefore strongly urge all employers to respond positively to the unions' proposal for a training clause to be included in the collective agreements. And for those who have already done so, they should start to invest more resources for workers' training. Finally, Sir, to ensure that company restructuring is carried out smoothly, companies should always consult their unions and provide the necessary information.”
“Sir, yesterday afternoon, just before the moment of interruption, I was responding to Encik Othman Haron Eusofe's observation that with globalisation of businesses the wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers in Singapore would widen. As I was saying, this is an economic fact of life governed by the forces of supply and demand. Unskilled workers in Singapore will increasingly have to compete with unskilled foreign workers working here in Singapore on work permits and those who are in their home country. Those who are on work permit here come from low-wage countries and an influx of such workers will certainly widen the wage gap between skilled and unskilled Singaporean workers and it is for this reason that my Ministry is compelled to regulate the entry of foreign workers by reviewing the foreign workers levy from time to time. As more and more companies redistribute their labour-intensive activities to nearby countries which have a much larger pool of low-cost workers, the unskilled workers in Singapore will face greater difficulties. We cannot reverse such trends and it is not in our long-term interest to try to retain such labour-intensive and low value-added jobs in Singapore. The right thing to do is to assist those who are unskilled to enhance their economic and market value by making them more employable. This is best done through skills upgrading and retraining. For this to succeed, it is important that workers take retraining and skills upgrading efforts seriously so that they are able to keep pace with the changes taking place in the economy. Even if they are retrenched for various reasons, they can seek alternative employment in other companies so long as they possess marketable skills. So workers must take a positive attitude towards retraining.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1995/1996, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Work permit holders come from low-wage countries and an influx of such workers will further widen the wage gap between skilled and unskilled Singaporean workers. That is why my Ministry has to be very careful about managing the revolving pool of foreign workers in Singapore and we have to use the mechanism, such as the foreign workers levy, to regulate the influx of foreign workers.”
“Because if we have an adversarial labour-management relationship, it will seriously affect our attractiveness as an investment destination. It will have a serious effect on our economy and, in the long run, it will seriously affect the future of Singaporeans. Sir, the Ministry will continue to work with employers and trade unions to closely monitor developments in labour-management relationship. Our officers are constantly in touch with union leaders and management, particularly companies that employ a sizeable workforce. This proactive approach has, in fact, enabled us to identify and isolate small scale industrial disputes and, by doing so, we are able to prevent them from escalating into major industrial confrontations. Sir, the Ministry is also actively involved in organising seminars and participating in meetings that are organised by the Singapore National Employers' Federation and other bodies to help new investors to Singapore to better understand our system of managing industrial relations, including the procedures for resolving disputes amicably. Such efforts have brought about better appreciation of the role of our trade unions and closer labour-management cooperation. The ability and willingness of employers and unions to resolve differences amicably, without resorting to arbitration, and our strike-free records since 1978 show that this approach has worked well for the benefit of all. Mr Othman has also noted that with globalisation of business, the wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers will widen. This is a fact of economic life governed by the forces of supply and demand. Unskilled workers in Singapore will increasingly have to compete with unskilled workers who are here working on work permit and unskilled workers in their home countries.”
“Sir, the flexible wage system which has been recommended by the NWC and has been implemented for many years in Singapore has also played a part in strengthening our labour management relations. Under the system, workers have been granted substantial wage increases, coupled with higher bonus payments, in line with better performance by the company. From 1987 to 1994, average built-in wage increase went up by about 7.4% each year. And average bonus payment also went up from about 1.49 months' salary in 1987 to 2.27 months in 1994. So workers can thus readily appreciate that their efforts to improve productivity and to help their company to remain competitive are promptly and adequately recognised by their companies. So the willingness of our unions and workers to make short-term sacrifices in difficult times, such as during the economic downturn in 1985/1986 to help employers, is therefore reciprocated by good wage increases and higher bonus payments in good times. And close cooperation forged with goodwill and trust on both sides augurs well for our labour-management relationship. It also supports Mr Othman's observation that good labour-management relationship helps us to maximise our potential. And here, I would like to add that considering there is a total lack of resources, apart from our labour resources, our manpower resources, we cannot afford to let our manpower resources go to waste through a series of industrial conflicts. We cannot have a situation where there is a breakdown in the harmonious labour-management relationship, where instead of having good relations, we have unions and employers engaged in conflicts and in taking industrial action over various disputes.”
“Sir, first, I would like to thank all the hon. Members for their comments and feedback on various labour-related issues. I would like to reply first to the Member for Marine Parade GRC and Chairman of GPC for Labour who has pointed out that the business environment in Singapore is becoming increasingly competitive, and in response, companies may have to undergo restructuring and to upgrade their operation in order to stay ahead of competition outside Singapore or to be able to seize new business opportunities. I agree with the Member that we must manage these developments carefully, in particular, when workers have to be retrenched as a result of a company undergoing restructuring or redistributing some of its activities to nearby countries. In order for us to be able to manage these developments successfully, there must be close labour-management consultation, there must be a good labour-management relationship in order to be able to minimise the impact of restructuring on workers. We have to make every effort to ensure that our good industrial relations will not be undermined as a result of such restructuring activities by various companies. Our harmonious industrial relations climate has been a major factor for Singapore emerging as the most favourable investment destination and it has also contributed greatly to our rapid economic growth. Its importance is reflected in the way BERI's criteria have put high ratings for labour-management relations and for a legal framework within the country. Because of these two factors where we score very highly, BERI has consistently been giving the Singapore workforce the number one position.”
“Sir, I hope that the Member can understand that in matters of defence security, information on expenditures, particularly information on special project expenditures, is valuable information which can, in fact, provide a lead to those who are interested on what directions are being taken by the SAF and on the SAF planning for contingency situations. The Chairman: Mr Low, do you wish to withdraw your amendment?”
“Sir, Mindef has very elaborate procedures and different levels of control for approving the projects. Let me explain that, just as I explained last year to the hon. Member, before any project is embarked upon, there is a very comprehensive and thorough scrutiny on the need for the particular project and on the technology to be acquired and how best to acquire this technology in the most cost beneficial way. I will not compromise the security of the SAF by revealing the details of these projects, whether it is in number or the amount of money that has been voted for such projects. As I have said in my main answer, it is not in the interest of the SAF to reveal such details. It is a practice that is common to all countries.”
“Sir, the mission of the SAF is to provide a credible military deterrence against threats to Singapore's sovereignty and territorial integrity. More crucially, the SAF must have the ability to secure a swift and decisive victory over the aggressor, should deterrence and diplomacy fail, and this requires the SAF to maintain, amongst other things, its technological edge. For the SAF to be able to maintain this technological advantage, it has to modify and upgrade weapons systems acquired from external sources to meet our special requirements. And from time to time, there will be occasions when we may even have to develop indigenous equipment within Singapore. Depending wholly on the weapons systems bought off the shelf from external suppliers will not give the SAF the necessary technological superiority. These are some of the special projects that are carried out by the SAF. And like most countries, for obvious security reasons, details on funding of such special projects cannot be disclosed. However, let me assure this House that all projects, whether special or otherwise, are subjected to the same stringent funding procedures before approval. Mindef rigorously ensures that every dollar voted by Parliament for defence spending is put to good use.”
“I think Mr Chiam demonstrates the propensity to spend our reserves all the time. In this case, our 250,000 reservists have been built up over many decades. And the defence force that we have today is because we have built them up over many decades. To stop now would mean eroding the capability of the SAF. However, Mindef is flexible and those who are physically fit, who have made the effort to keep themselves fit and have made themselves fit for NS, have been given a 2-month shorter NS period. And that is because the fitness level that they have attained enables us to reduce the basic military training period, the first two months of which are devoted to bringing servicemen up to their fitness level. To-date, 33% of NS enlistees have attained this fitness standard. Sir, while the regional situation is stable, we must not preclude the possibility that the security situation could turn stormy overnight. Mr Chiam is right that the situation today is different from the 60s and the 70s. But the future that we face is an uncertain one. It is not the peaceful, rosy future that Mr Chiam believes in. Other countries in the region share the same perception and are modernising and strengthening their armed forces. We cannot take the present state for granted and we must be prepared for all eventualities. Our national service system is the backbone of our defence capability. It has served us well and we should not tamper with it when there is no reason to do so.”
“For instance, as the Member has pointed out, since the introduction of GST with its personal tax relief rebate of $700, it has largely displaced the intended benefit of the two-tier tax relief for national servicemen. Sir, NSmen who have served the country unflinchingly deserve special recognition. And we must accord them recognition commensurate with their commitment and sacrifice. In peace-time, they turn up regularly for training and mobilisation exercises which are often held during weekends. In time of crisis, they will be there right alongside their active counterparts defending Singapore in the front line. We should also show appreciation to those who have completed their 13-year cycle of NS training. In this regard, I intend to convene a new committee to be called RECORD II to look into the contributions of NSmen, and to recommend measures to give NSmen the recognition they deserve. RECORD II will be chaired by the Minister of State for Defence and Finance, RAdm Teo Chee Hean. RECORD II will start its work once we have selected the members and determined its terms of reference. It should finalise its report and present its recommendations by the end of this year. RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Sir, while Mindef has no plans to lengthen national service, we also do not intend to reduce the period of active national service liability. The current period of national service is just sufficient to train servicemen for combat service in NS units. A reduction will affect the combat effectiveness of our soldiers and our units. Mr Chiam has pointed to the 250,000 national servicemen that we have. We call them national servicemen now to recognise their front-line duties. Mr Chiam continues to call them reservists.”
“Sir, just to clarify Mr Chiam's point. He seems a little befuddled here. The point is that any national service defaulter who has an outstanding Police gazette against him for failure to perform his national service, failure to enlist, failure to complete his national service or staying away from the country beyond the validity of his exit permit, anyone who has an outstanding Police gazette and if he returns to Singapore, even with a foreign passport, he is still an offender and will be dealt with according to the law. Sir, may I now respond to Dr Ho Tat Kin's point. I would like, first of all, to thank the Member for drawing the attention of the House to a very important concern of Mindef, which is how to recognise the contributions of our national servicemen. As the Member reminded the House, in 1990, RECORD, which is the acronym for the committee called Committee to Recognise the Contributions of Reservists to Total Defence, was set up to look into the ways that we could accord due recognition to national servicemen (NSmen). The Committee's recommendations, which included tax relief for NSmen, increased allowance for NSmen holding key appointments in NS units, letters of commendation for outstanding performance during training, appointing a number of NSmen as ADCs to the President, providing a resort and country club for the exclusive use of NSmen, streamlining and improving the NS system so that inconvenience to NSmen is minimised, were implemented. Although we have implemented most of these recommendations of RECORD, there is still a need, from time to time, to review our system of recognising the contributions of successive cohorts of national servicemen.”
“Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether any directions or guidelines have been given to the Immigration Department on the position of foreign workers who have commenced proceedings in the courts against their employers to recover monies lawfully due to them from their employers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in 1991, eight ex-employees of the company Hi-Tek Vegetable Farms approached my Ministry for assistance to claim salary arrears against the company. As the company was in financial difficulties and was unable to make any payment, the case was referred for hearing at the Labour Court of my Ministry. The Labour Court ordered the company to pay a total of about $33,000 to the eight employees. Unfortunately, the company failed to comply with the order. We then advised and subsequently helped the workers to enforce the Labour Court Order against the company in the Subordinate Courts by way of a Writ of Seizure and Sale. Before the Writ of Seizure and Sale could be executed, the Subordinate Courts advised the claimants that the company had been placed under receivership by a secured creditor. Hence, the workers' claims for arrears of wages had to be taken up with the Receiver. Since this involved making claims against the Receiver, my Ministry requested the Legal Aid Bureau to provide legal assistance to the affected workers. The Legal Aid Bureau has since assigned the case to a legal firm for follow-up action on behalf of the workers. We were informed that the company has been placed under liquidation on 3rd June 1994. That being the case, the workers' claim will be dealt with by the liquidator of the company in accordance with the priority spelt out under the Companies Act. RECOVERY OF MONIES BY FOREIGN WORKERS FROM EMPLOYERS (Guidelines for Immigration Department) 3.”
“It should, however, be pointed out that notwithstanding the priority accorded to workers' claims, there would be situations where workers may get little or no payment at all from the proceeds of sale if the assets available for distribution are insufficient to meet the claims of secured creditors. Sir, the law as it stands provides sufficient protection to workers who are affected by the winding up of their company. FOOD PRICES IN MARKETS AND FOOD CENTRES (Increase) 13. Mr John De Payva asked the Minister for the Environment whether food prices in the markets and food centres, where the stalls have been sold, have gone up.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to ensure that workers' interests are protected in the event of their company being placed under liquidation, the Companies Act provides for certain claims by workers to be accorded priority over unsecured debts. What this means is that in a winding up process, when the assets of the company are sold, the proceeds from the sale would be distributed in accordance with the priority accorded in the Companies Act after the secured debt has been paid. Under the Act, claim for wages ranks after the costs and expenses of winding up. However, priority claim for wages, together with the quantum of retrenchment benefits, is subjected to five months' salary or $7,500, whichever is the lesser. Any amount claimed in excess of this limit will not be accorded priority but will rank pari passu with other unsecured debts. The Member for Nee Soon Central may also wish to know that retrenchment benefits, workmen's compensation, Central Provident Fund contributions and remuneration payable to workers in respect of vacation leave are also given priority under the Act. To provide adequate protection for workers made redundant as a result of their company being wound up, the Companies Act was amended in 1993 to specifically provide for retrenchment benefits to be paid to employees affected by the winding up. In the event that the quantum of retrenchment benefits is not spelt out in the contract of service or collective agreement, the amount of compensation could be decided by the Commissioner for Labour.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the last revision of the salary ceiling in the Employment Act was in 1992. In announcing the increase in 1992, I also indicated that the salary ceiling would be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that changes are more gradual. The review is under way and the Member's suggestion will be considered. COMPANY BANKRUPTCY (Payment to employees from proceeds of auction) 12. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for Labour whether he will consider introducing legislation so that when a company has been declared bankrupt and will be holding a public auction of its assets, the company will use the proceeds from the auction to pay its employees their outstanding salaries first before paying its creditors.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry has no intention to change the present CPF withdrawal age of 55 years in conjunction with the raising of the retirement age. RETRENCHED LOW-SKILLED WORKERS (Upgrading of skills) 4. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether his Ministry has any plans (i) to keep track of retrenched low-skilled workers (disaggregated by age and sex) from the electronics and other industries; (ii) to upgrade their skills to make them employable; and (iii) to help them to find employment after upgrading.”
“Mr Imram bin Mohamed asked the Minister for Communications (a) how many Certificates of Entitlement have been issued and how many cars have been registered under the Off Peak Car scheme since 1st October 1994; (b) how is the strike price determined and whether the OPC bids influence the strike price; (c) whether an OPC can be converted into a normal car after 10 years, on payment of the quota premium; (d) why a deadline is imposed for conversion of weekend cars to normal cars; and (e) whether the OPC scheme has inadvertently penalised owners of bigger weekend cars and, if so, what is the remedy.”
“Based on our surveys, 210 companies retrenched their workers during the first nine months of 1994. This was less than the 228 companies recorded during the same period in 1993. However, retrenchment exercises in 1994 involved a larger number of workers resulting in 5,487 workers being retrenched as compared to 4,422 for the same period of nine months in 1993. The companies involved include AT & T Consumer Products, Thomson Television Singapore, Mitsubishi Electronic Manufacturing and Shintom Electronic. About half of the retrenched workers were from the electrical and electronics industry. Preliminary figures for the last quarter of 1994 show that there were at least 24 companies which retrenched another 2,256 workers, making a total of 7,743 workers retrenched for the whole year. Hence, the total number of retrenched workers in 1994 would be higher than the 6,487 workers retrenched by 305 companies in 1993. From our feedback, many of those retrenched have no difficulty finding jobs. As part of our Ministry's employment assistance programme, the Employment Service has offered to help the retrenched workers to look for alternative employment. It is also common for companies involved in a retrenchment exercise to help their retrenched workers by contacting the potential employers and arranging for them to be interviewed for suitable jobs. In our current tight labour market, workers who are not choosy should have no difficulty finding alternative employment. OFF-PEAK CAR SCHEME 17.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the training of the workers in dealing with a particular piece of machinery would have to be the responsibility of the operator. Whatever machinery that is installed by the operator before it can actually commence operation in the factory, or before it can be licensed or certified by the Factory Inspectorate, they will have to inform the Factory Inspectorate of the process that is going on in the factory. We will then ensure that the working condition and the process that they are going to operate are safe and that they have complied with the requirements for the particular operation. For instance, if you need to train a worker to do a particular job, it is really the responsibility and onus of the employer to ensure that the worker is properly trained. Likewise, whether it is to inspect an unfenced machinery or to operate a lifting device, you have to provide the training. With the exception of certain statutory requirements like a steam boiler, or pressure vessel, there are clear-cut statutory requirements on what kind of training is required before you can operate. They have certificates like Boiler Certificates which will categorise the skill of the worker and allow him to operate a particular type of boiler up to a certain capacity. So there are some specifications which are listed in the regulations. There are many other areas of work, particularly in the inspection and maintenance of machinery which must be the responsibility of the operator to provide the training. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] Clause 1 -”
“In addition, whenever there is a change in the layout of the factory, or whenever there is an installation of new equipment that changes the operational procedure within a factory, the operators are required to inform the Ministry of Labour about such changes. So safety precautions will be looked into at that point in time before they can commence work. These regulations will enable the Ministry to monitor closely and regularly the safety conditions in factories, thus, to a large extent, achieving the objective of the annual safety plan proposed by Mr John De Payva and Mr Othman Haron Eusofe. As I said earlier, in the case of shipyards, those that are employing 200 workers or more are required to appoint external auditors to audit their safety management system annually. And for the construction industry, we require them to conduct an audit once every six months, if the contract sum exceeds $30 million. So with this auditing requirement for the two most hazardous industries, we believe that it would have contributed greatly to minimising the accidents. Mr Speaker, Sir, I believe that I have dealt with all the points raised by Members. Once again, I want to thank them for supporting the Factories (Amendment) Bill.”
“So the Government, as the registering body for building contractors, will be examining whether, in future, before a contractor can be registered with CIDB under its various categories, it has in fact got a good safety record. And if a contractor persistently has a bad safety record and a lot of accidents has been happening in the particular contractor's work site, we could consider either not allowing him to be registered or debarring him from tendering for Government contracts. This is an idea that my Ministry has taken up with the CIDB and we will be examining the feasibility of implementing such a criterion. We have also worked with the Association of Singapore Marine Industry (this is an association of the shipyard industry) to encourage them to draw up some pre-qualification among their members for contractors tendering for work within a shipyard and to look into the safety record as one of the factors in assessing the suitability of such contractors. As to whether we should expand the system of safety audit to other industries, let us look at it from a broader view. As it is, apart from the shipyards and the building industry which are already required by our regulation to have safety audit, all other factories, including the heavy industries, are already subjected to regular inspection by the factory inspectors. Special attention is paid at these inspections on the hazardous equipment, such as lifting equipment and pressure vessels. This equipment, in fact, is required to be inspected periodically by competent engineers. For instance, a boiler, or lifting device, like crane, has to be inspected annually and certified to be safe and fit for use.”
“Everybody has something to lose if an accident happens, most of all the worker who is at the frontline. So we hope that workers will pay greater attention to the safety requirements of their company and, at the same time, employers will invest more in terms of providing a better, a safer and a healthier working environment for their workers. Sir, I now turn to the comments by Mr John De Payva. I have responded to his comment on contract worker with low skill and low education. I think this is an area that we will continue to provide the right kind of safety orientation and safety training to ensure that they are adequately prepared to work in the hazardous industries. As to whether we can compel contractors to have a good safety record before they can tender for a certain job, in so far as private sector employers are concerned, I understand that some companies, particularly those dealing with very hazardous activities, for instance, oil refinery, do have corporate policies where they would bar contractors from tendering for any service, repair or maintenance work with them, if the contractors have been shown to have a poor safety record. So companies on their own are already adopting this approach because they are conscious of the need to maintain good housekeeping and good safety management. So they would want to keep out contractors who do not comply with their requirements. The Ministry will encourage as many factory operators as possible to adopt this approach. But I think there would be difficulty in implementing this purely by force of law. We have been discussing with CIDB whether it is possible to ensure that in the CIDB registration for building contractors, we should incorporate a criterion on the safety record of the contractor.”
“That is why I said in my earlier response that even though the statistical trend is favourable, we are still very concerned and we will implement and impose any measure necessary to minimise accidents. She will notice that the amendment is, in fact, to raise the penalty even when there is a case of one death. It will be increased from $25,000 to $50,000. We are just saying that in the case of total disregard for safe practices resulting in an accident that causes multiple deaths, we think we should signal that this is more serious and that the employer or the operator should be subjected to a much heavier penalty of $200,000. It is in no way trying to minimise the impact of just having one death. Sir, on clause 40, "safe working pressure" is in fact a much more dependable and reliable measure than the old terminology of "maximum permissible working pressure" because I think safe working pressure is precisely what it means, ie, the condition under which a particular pressure vessel, whether it is a steam boiler, compressed air receiver or underfired vulcaniser, can be operated without any risk to its worker. Maximum working pressure means you are reaching the maximum limit. The margin for error is henceforth much less. We prefer to choose a more conservative and safer approach to it. Finally, the Member's question whether the amendments will reduce or minimise the causes of accidents. That is our intention, that is our hope. But, of course, on their own, the amendments themselves may not achieve this. We need, and we seek, the cooperation of employers and, as I mentioned earlier on, workers also. To reduce accidents, it requires total effort on the part of the legislator, the employer and the workers. Everybody must contribute.”
“So in that sense, I think workers will become familiar with the dangers associated with the kind of materials or chemicals or substances that they are working with and they should therefore comply with all the safety precautions. They would also be familiar with the measures to be taken in case of an emergency. I agree with Mr Chin that, apart from tightening up the provisions in the Factories Act, it is important that factory operators follow the spirit of the Factories Act which is really to ensure that our workers can continue to enjoy working in a safe and healthy environment. May I now turn to the comments raised by Dr Soin on the age of 20 for workers who are authorised to make inspections on unfenced machinery and such likes, ie, examination, lubrication or other operations of unfenced machinery? The age of 20 is basically to ensure that such workers have a certain number of years of working experience. As you know, in our system, people may go into an industrial employment at the age of 16 because after their 'O' level, some of them may well leave school and go on to such a job. But we think that a young worker, with hardly a few years of experience, is not an appropriate person to do such work because in checking on some unfenced machinery where there are exposed moving parts, you need to be more experienced, more matured and more careful. So the age of 20 has nothing to do with the age of majority. It is just an estimate, a subjective assessment of how many years of experience would be necessary before a worker has sufficient maturity and a sense of responsibility to be allowed to carry out such job safely for himself and for his co-workers. On clause 35, I take the point that one death is already one too many.”
“Sir, in response to Mr Chin Harn Tong who spoke on the repealing of section 14 by clause 6 to introduce new standards for natural or mechanical ventilation, I think the point here is that the source of air must of course be the atmospheric air. There is really no other way. Short of insisting on purifying natural atmospheric air, we cannot really improve on the quality. And even if we do, we are only affecting the air quality for a small proportion of the total population, which has no option but to breathe the air that we are living in. So his reference to atmospheric pollution is taken note of. The Ministry of the Environment will be working very hard to ensure that our ambient air is of good breathable quality. There is nothing much that we can do within the Factories Act itself to specify that quality of air. What we are specifying is to ensure that within the workplace itself, there is sufficient ventilation, mechanical or otherwise, to ensure that the workers are enjoying good quality air and they are not subjected to working in a polluted atmosphere. As to the need of getting workers to be familiar with first-aid drills and other measures to prevent the contamination of the work area by dust and other toxic material, we have already, in this amendment, required the management to obtain all the safety instructions or precautions necessary by way of obtaining the material safety data sheets (MSDS) which I referred to earlier on. There is an obligation on the management to ensure that the safety precautions which are clearly spelt out in the MSDS should always be complied with in the place of work.”
“As for sub-contractor workers, I think it is a responsibility of their supervisor and employer, ie, the sub-contractor himself, to ensure that they comply with the safety rules, the procedures or the safety management system installed by the company in which the sub-contractor is working, whether it is for a particular shipyard or whether he is a sub-contractor or a main contractor in a construction site. My Ministry has also provided training for the safety supervisors for shipyards and contractors. We will continue with our training and educational efforts in order to raise the awareness of workers on the proper safety procedures, the safe way to work in whichever industry. However, I believe that at the end of the day, we need more than just legislation. We need management's total commitment to safety. We also need workers' understanding and appreciation of the need to comply with the safety regulations of the company because sometimes we see reports of accidents happening where workers in fact caused or contributed to the accidents through sheer negligence and blatant disregard for safety regulations. So there is a substantial need for workers to also play their part. In this respect, my Ministry is working closely with NTUC in order to initiate some programmes whereby we will be able to work with the union branches or the union officials in the particular industry, especially in the shipyards, to alert the workers to their contribution towards safety management in the company, their role and responsibility in helping the company to maintain a safe working place.”
“The most important thing is that despite all the measures that have been taken so far, from time to time we are still encountering totally unnecessary preventable accidents. And the purpose of this amendment is to ensure that such accidents should be kept to the barest minimum, if not, totally eradicated. Sir, Mr Othman Haron Eusofe also spoke on the training of workers, particularly foreign workers and sub-contractor workers, ie, workers who are less well educated and lower skilled, which Mr John Payva has also mentioned. I agree that this is an important area and we have in fact made it mandatory for such workers to undergo proper safety orientation before they can commence working. For instance, there is a Construction Safety Orientation Course. There is also a Shipyard Safety Instruction Course. Workers in these sectors must complete these courses before they can commence working in the worksites in the construction industry or in the shipyards. When we conduct such training courses, we take note of the fact that a large number of these workers are in fact foreign workers and may not understand English all that well, or they may only speak their own native languages. So, in fact, our safety courses are conducted in English, in our four national languages, even in dialects, if necessary, in Thai, and in Bengali for many of the workers who come from Bangladesh. So we do tailor-make our safety orientation courses to the language that the worker is most familiar with.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank all the Members who have spoken up in support of the amendment to the Factories Act, and I will respond to the queries and questions raised by them. First, let me respond to Mr Othman Haron Eusofe's point about safety in the shipyard. Like everybody else, we in the Ministry of Labour are equally concerned with the spate of accidents in the shipyard and we have taken particular measures to try to reduce such accidents. The Committee of Inquiry mentioned by Mr Othman Haron Eusofe is just one of the measures when we look into the details of a particular accident and arising from it, try to learn the lessons so as to avoid a recurrence of similar accidents in the future. We have also made all the recommendations of the Committees of Inquiry part of the shipyards' safety regulations. We have made it mandatory for shipyards to comply with the recommendations of the various Committees of Inquiry. While it is quite unfortunate that we have had a series of serious accidents in shipyards that killed quite a number of workers, if we look at the overall picture, the number of accidents in the industry has actually been declining. For instance, between 1993 and 1994, the number of accidents has dropped from 4,257 to 4,003 in 1994. This is the overall accident rate. If you look at the severity of accidents, the number of fatal accidents has dropped from 77 in 1993 to 53 in 1994. But let me say, Mr Speaker, this statistical trend which shows that the number of accidents is declining, and the number of fatalities and severity of accidents are going down is really no cause for complacency.”
“To differentiate the seriousness of any contravention that results in death, especially multiple deaths, it is proposed that the maximum fine for such a contravention be raised to $50,000 where there is one fatality, and $200,000 where there are two or more fatalities. Clause 35 of the Bill seeks to amend the Act to make these changes. The maximum term of imprisonment will, however, remain at one year for both types of contravention. Sir, many provisions of the Factories Act which require factory occupiers to provide safe machinery and equipment are written in general terms. What constitutes safe machinery and equipment is not spelt out in detail. Clause 36 of this Bill introduces a new provision in the Act to require that the relevant Singapore Standards or Codes of Practice published by the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research be taken into consideration in determining whether a machine, apparatus, appliance or equipment is safe. At present, the Chief Inspector is empowered to compound any offence under the Act for a sum not exceeding $200. Composition has proven to be an effective way to deal with less serious violations as the punishment is meted out almost immediately. It has led to many offenders taking prompt action to rectify the unsafe conditions found at their workplaces. To enhance the effectiveness of this enforcement option, the Ministry proposes that the maximum composition fine be raised to $1,000. This amendment is in clause 38 of the Bill. Sir, the Bill also contains other amendments which are made for the purpose of bringing the Act up-to-date. They are mostly of a technical nature or consequential amendments. Explanations for these amendments are in the Explanatory Statement of the Bill. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“To put it in another way, a worker working on a machinery or plant belonging to the owner of the aircraft will still be protected by the Act because, in the process of working on such a machinery or plant, should the worker have to use a ladder or erect a scaffolding in order to reach a particular machinery or plant, then all the safety precautions pertaining to the erection of the scaffolding or ladder or work platform will still apply because the exemption is only for machinery or plant which is part of the aircraft belonging to the owner of the aircraft, whereas all the other fixtures that are necessary for the worker to gain access to this particular machinery or plant should be governed by the Factories Act and all safety regulations will still apply. Sir, clause 32 amends section 77 to extend the power of the Minister to make regulations on work involving the use of pesticides, maintenance and repair of roads, lift maintenance and any other process or operation which poses safety and health hazards to workers. Clause 33 enhances the powers of the factory inspector to enable him to: (a) take samples of any substance found in a factory; (b) monitor the workplace for various health hazards, such as excessive noise and heat, and harmful substances; and (c) require any hospital to provide information of any person who is injured in an accident and is receiving treatment at the hospital. At present, the maximum fine for any contravention of the Factories Act which results in the death of, or serious bodily injury to, any person, is $25,000. This fine was first introduced in October 1979, more than 15 years ago. Furthermore, no distinction is made between a contravention which results in death and that which results in serious bodily injury.”
“They were concerned that the exemption is too wide and could give rise to situations where workers will be exposed to unnecessary hazards. I have therefore re-examined the section closely and concluded that it is necessary, as I have explained earlier, to provide for such an exemption. I would also like to point out that such an exemption is not new. Similar exemption already exists under the current Act in section 74(4). Essentially, section 74(4) exempts "machinery or plant which is on board a ship and is the property of the owner". The reason for such exemption is not to cause unnecessary modifications to ships and aircraft calling at our port and airport. Sir, however, I would like to clarify that where a provision specified in section 76A(2) does not refer to machinery or plant, it will not be given any exemption as a result of this amendment. For example, section 33, sub-sections (2), (5) and (7) refer to openings in floors, ladders and work conducted at an elevated platform, or work at heights. As these sections do not refer to machinery or plant, which is part of the aircraft belonging to the owner of the aircraft, they would apply even in relation to work carried out on such machinery or plant.”
“These measures include requiring processes that generate such contaminants to be carried out in isolated areas or in closed vessels or systems. Clause 22 also enacts a new section 60A in the Act, to require factory occupiers to obtain from their suppliers of hazardous substances material safety data sheets (MSDS) and take appropriate precautionary measures based on information contained in the MSDS. In addition, clause 24 empowers the Minister to prohibit the use of certain chemicals or processes that may pose serious health risks to workers. Clause 31 creates a new section 76A to extend certain provisions of the Act as specified in section 76A(2) to works carried out in an airport for repairing, servicing, cleaning, loading and unloading or refuelling of aircraft. However, where a provision specified in section 76A(2) refers to machinery or plant, section 76(A)(3) will exempt the application of such a provision as long as the machinery or plant is part of the aircraft and is the property of the owner of the aircraft. For instance, section 21(1) mentioned in section 76A(2) refers to the guarding of transmission machinery, and section 22, sub-sections (1) and (2) refer to the guarding of other machinery. "Guarding" in this connection refers to protective devices over any moving parts. These sections will not apply to such machinery if it is part of the aircraft. This is because it is impracticable to require the fencing of or modification to these mechanical parts of an aircraft which are already regulated by the civil aviation authorities. Sir, at this juncture, I would like to thank Mr Charles Chong and officials of the SIA Engineering Company Engineers and Executives Union for drawing my attention to section 76A(3).”
“For instance, it will not be necessary for an occupier of a factory with less than 10 workers to comply with the requirement of submitting a layout plan to the Chief Inspector of Factories when he applies to register the factory. Hence, the Chief Inspector will be given the power to simplify the registration requirements in respect of these factories. This is provided for under clause 4 of the Bill. Clause 6 amends the Act to stipulate technical standards on natural and mechanical ventilation provided at workplaces. Here, we have adopted criteria laid down in Singapore's Building Control Regulations and internationally recognised standards. Clause 10 amends the Act to allow any person, instead of only a male, who meets the necessary requirements to carry out examination, lubrication or other operation on unfenced machinery. Clauses 14 to 17 amend sections 36 to 39 of the Act to apply the same requirements of test and examination on different types of pressure vessels such as steam boilers, steam receivers and air receivers. Also, a new provision is introduced to require the authorised inspector to inform the Chief Inspector immediately if the examination shows that the pressure vessel is unsafe for use. This will enable corrective action to be initiated immediately. Sir, as more toxic chemicals are now being used in factories, an increasing number of workers may be exposed to chemical hazards. The Ministry, therefore, proposes to introduce additional measures to better protect the health of these workers. Clause 22 of the Bill seeks to amend the Act to introduce new measures to protect workers against toxic dust, fumes and other contaminants.”
“Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Sir, the Bill before the House seeks to amend the Factories Act to improve safety and health standards at factories and other workplaces. The Bill also seeks to expand the scope of the Act to cover more workplaces. I shall now highlight the major changes introduced through this Bill. Clause 2 of the Bill amends the Factories Act to expand the interpretation of "factory" to include, among other things, warehouses and industrial testing laboratories. Such premises are presently not covered. It is quite clear that activities carried out in warehouses and industrial testing laboratories may expose workers to safety and health hazards similar to those present in manufacturing factories. For instance, workers in warehouses are exposed to hazards from falling materials and material handling equipment, while those working in the testing laboratories are exposed to toxic, corrosive or inflammable substances. With the amendment, the safety and health provisions of the Act will apply to warehouses and industrial testing laboratories, thus enhancing workers' safety in these premises. Clause 2 also amends the Act to delete existing section 6(5), which excludes from the Act factories in which less than 10 persons are employed and no mechanical power or dangerous substances are used. With the amendment, the safety and health provisions of the Act will be extended to workers working in these small factories. These factories, however, will not be required to meet all the existing registration requirements which are meant for factories with more workers and equipment.”
“The Ministry of Labour does not have the information requested. CORRECTIVE WORK ORDER 10. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for the Environment whether the Corrective Work Order scheme has worked as a deterrent measure against littering.”
“Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for the Environment whether a post office box number can be used as an address on food packaging under the Sale of Food Act.”
“Most employers in Singapore do not employ workers below the age of 16. A minority such as fast food restaurants and retailers are known to have employed some school children during their school vacation. Such vacation work keeps students occupied in meaningful activities and provides them with a source of supplementary income. School children working during the school term are a small minority and they are mostly working during weekends or on public holidays. Some employers do require consent either in writing or verbally from underaged workers' parents notwithstanding that there is no legal requirement for them to do so. For example, Burger King, a fast food establishment, requires written parental consent. The employment of persons who are below the age of 16, including school children, is governed by the Employment Act and the Employment of Children and Young Persons Regulations. There are special provisions to protect such young workers. For example, the Regulations stipulate that when a young person aged between 14 and less than 16 years is attending school, the period of work plus the period of school attendance shall not in aggregate exceed seven hours in any one day. Young persons are also not allowed to work in any occupation or place of work or under working conditions that are likely to expose them to safety or health hazards. Given the safeguards in our law and the fact that employers generally do obtain parental consent, my Ministry is of the view that there is no need to disallow employers from employing school children below the age of 16 unless the consent of their parents and school principals has been sought. FOOD PACKAGING (Use of post-office box number as address on label) 3.”
“Secondly, modify provisions of the Act relating to disciplinary processes to enable them to cater for NUSAF servicemen. Lastly, enable the Armed Forces Council to make regulations giving effect to the NUSAF scheme of service and to exclude or vary the operation of the Act in relation to NUSAF servicemen. The new provisions in the SAF Act would take into account the differences between NUSAF and military schemes and would remain sufficiently similar to and consistent with the military system. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Dr Lee Boon Yang]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. PATENTS BILL (As reported from Select Committee) Order for Third Reading read.”