Ong Pang Boon
Singapore
“At the same time, our shoulders should be broad enough to accept criticism and even admit mistakes if need be, and be prepared to make the necessary changes. This does not mean pandering to the baser instincts of the people.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry will certainly give every assistance to the villagers in clearing the debris, especially if they are left over by the contractors. I will appreciate if the Member can also let the Ministry know who are these contractors and we will prosecute them. CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE (Progress) 2.”
“The Ministry is now monitoring the results of the programme and is happy to note that there are some improvements in the cleanliness of our public toilets. It would prosecute managements of public toilets who fail to provide proper maintenance.”
“A comprehensive programme to monitor the air and sea environment in the vicinity of the Complex has been drawn up. Engineers and technicians from the Ministry and other departments have been sent for overseas training on the surveillance of petrochemical complexes.”
“The professional or other misconduct for the purposes of revocation must be of such a nature as to render, in the opinion of the Attorney-General, the notary public unfit to practise as such. This amendment is dealt with in clause 4 of the Bill.”
“All flats of the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) including those at Blair Plain are rented out to employees on monthly tenancies and are not provided as part of their terms and conditions of service. These flats are therefore not service quarters.”
The complete record
Every one of 668 lines we hold for Ong Pang Boon, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 14.
“Sir, the Workmen's Compensation Act merely compensates but can never remove the sorrow and anguish suffered by the bereaved families. Important and necessary as workmen's compensation is, my Ministry is more concerned with the prevention of industrial accidents. As our Republic develops rapidly towards a higher industrial and technological base, the injection of more sophisticated machineries in the manufacturing sector is unavoidable. Consequently the methods of production and material handling have also undergone revolutionary changes. Most of the industrial accidents occurred under these new working environments and exposures to machineries hitherto unfamiliar to our new generation of workers. In 1970, the total number of industrial and occupational accidents was 9,682. This figure gradually climbed to the peak of 13,094 in 1973, registering an increase of 35%. During the same period, the amount of compensation paid out also recorded an increase of 287.5% from $1.6 million to nearly $6.2 million. In 1974 the total number of accidents registered was 12,639, representing a decline of 455 cases or 3.5% over the previous year. However, the number of actual fatalities registered an increase of six cases or 3.8% over the previous year's figure of 160. The amount of compensation paid out as at December 1974 was $5,834,000 not including outstanding claims. The final figure for the year, therefore, might well match that of 1973. It can be seen that although the overall number of accidents dropped by 3.5% the amount of compensation paid remained almost the same because there were more severe injury and fatal cases.”
“Sir, the House is fully aware of the rise in the cost of living over the last few years as a result largely of inflation originating from overseas. The level of compensation payable under the 1971 Act is, however, not proportionate to the margin of increase in the cost of living today. My Ministry, therefore, has taken the opportunity to increase the quantum of workmen's compensation in the new Bill to a more realistic level. With the increased use of different types of chemicals, resins and other irritating substances in modem production processes and the prevailing high noise levels in industries like textile, shipbuilding and ship-repairing, building construction and metal container manufacturing, the Ministry finds it necessary to add industrial dermatitis and noise-induced deafness to the list of diseases for which workmen's compensation is payable. The listing of these two diseases besides forming part of our continuing efforts to improve the health and welfare of workers is also a step forward in bringing our legislation more up-to-date and in line with present day working environment. My Ministry has also taken the opportunity in the new Bill to provide for the establishment of a new Workers' Fund. The objectives of the Fund are, inter alia, to finance rehabilitation schemes for injured workers so that they can return to productive labour and to finance other projects for the general advancement of the welfare of workers in Singapore. The establishment of this Fund will underline the importance we in our Republic attach to the role workers play in our national economic development. It is my hope that, once it is established, firms and other organisations will be forthcoming with their donations which will enjoy exemption from income tax.”
“Even in cases where there is no dispute over the assessed quantum and degree of dependency, the claimants cannot be compensated immediately until a Memorandum of Agreement has been signed by both parties. Here again, the employer can delay payment by not completing the Agreement. To crown it all, the Act requires that a waiting period of seven days be observed before the Memorandum of Agreement can be registered. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the House will agree that this long delay is not only undesirable in that it works to the detriment of the injured worker or his dependants but wholly unnecessary. My Ministry has therefore decided to replace the time-consuming procedures with a new system of administration and enforcement providing for expeditious payment of workmen's compensation. Also in the new Bill dependency will no longer be a bone of contention. The assessed compensation will be paid in full regardless of whether the dependency is full or partial. Sir, my Ministry has also found that the provision for insurance coverage for employer's liability is unsatisfactory. Under the 1971 Act the insurer is not required to pay directly to the Commissioner for Labour the assessed compensation on behalf of the employer. My Ministry has found that insurance companies also often delayed payments, or in some cases even refused to pay, on the ground of alleged breach of insurance policies taken out by the employers. The House might like to know that in one case an insurance company took eight months to investigate before informing the Ministry of its refusal to pay on grounds that the policy was under-declared. This Bill also seeks to remedy this situation.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." This Bill seeks to repeal and re-enact the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1971 (Cap. 130). The spirit of the 1971 Act has been retained and reinforced by a number of innovations which I will dwell upon in greater detail later. Sir, any workmen's compensation scheme must provide for expeditious and adequate payment of compensation. But the procedure laid down in the 1971 Act has been found to be time-consuming, causing long and unnecessary delays in the payment of compensation. Under the 1971 Act, the Commissioner for Labour will assess the amount of compensation payable and this assessment is then sent to the parties concerned. Since the Act does not provide for a time limit for the employer to either object to the assessment or to pay the compensation, a great number of employers have in the past deliberately ignored the notice of assessment. It is only after repeated reminders that we get a response from the employer. The employer may further delay payment of compensation by disputing either the extent of his liability to pay compensation or the extent of dependency of the claimants on the earnings of the deceased worker. Under the Act, full compensation is payable only if there has been full dependency and proportionate payment if there is partial dependency. In either of the cases that I have just mentioned, an inquiry has to be held by the Commissioner for Labour which is often a long-drawn affair. If no agreement is reached at the conclusion of the inquiry, then the dispute is referred to the Arbitrator. More time elapses before the disputed case is finally settled by the Arbitrator.”
“Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1975 to 31st March, 1976, and ask leave to sit again tomorrow. Mr Deputy Speaker: So be it. ADJOURNMENT Resolved "That Parliament do now adjourn." [Mr Ong Pang Boon]. Adjourned accordingly at Five minutes to Eight o'clock p.m.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I have noted the point and will take that into consideration.”
“Sir, as I have said, the regulations have been drafted and, as soon as vetting is completed, it will be published.”
“The report of the study group runs into 70() pages and it is bound into four volumes. I invite interested Members to make a study of the report and give me their suggestions. However, Sir, industrial accident prevention is a tripartite affair that calls for the concerted effort of labour, management and the Government. If cooperation is forthcoming from workers and management, one can hope to see a reduction in the rate of industrial accidents in our factories. Mr Ivan Baptist: Sir, I am most grateful and thankful to the Minister for giving me this very useful information that the regulations are nearly ready and will be introduced soon. But what I am interested to know is how soon will they be introduced. In addition, I would like to refer the Hon. Minister to my debate on the President's Address in which 1 stated that the Ministry should look into this business of greater regulation or greater self-regulation, and I quoted the examples of the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It is important for us to realise that we need tripartite cooperation. It will also be essential that greater self-regulation be introduced into health and safety at work.”
“This Committee which comprises representatives from Government departments, statutory boards, contractors' associations and professional bodies is making continuous review of safety problems in the construction industry. The Ministry is taking more stringent action on work sites which are found to be unsafe, Work sites which have serious unsafe conditions will be ordered to stop work for rectification of the unsafe conditions. The Member for Sembawang may be aware that my Ministry has also published a Code of Practice on Safety and health at construction work sites and a pictorial of dos and don'ts, a Safety and Health Guide booklet. These publications are distributed free of charge to all concerned in the construction industry. As a result of these measures, fatalities in the construction industry declined from 41 in 1973 to 35 in 1974, a reduction of 15%, whilst the total number of accidents declined from 487 in 1973 to 448 in 1974, a reduction of 9%. Amputation cases registered a drop of 75%. A special unit was set up within the Factory Inspectorate of the Ministry in January this year to specially look into the safety and health measures of the shipbuilding and shiprepairing industry. Soon after its formation, the unit immediately launched an intensive inspection programme covering shipyards. As early as March 1973, the Ministry appointed a study group on accident prevention in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry to make an in-depth study into the causes and nature of accidents in this industry and to recommend preventive and remedial measures. After two years of exhaustive study and deliberation, the study group completed its report and presented it to the Ministry on 15th March, 1975. The Ministry is now studying the recommendations of the study group.”
“I share with the Member for Sembawang his concern about the high rate of industrial accidents. Industrialisation has brought about a concomitant increase in the rate of industrial accidents in the Republic. The rate of accidents has been the highest in the construction industry and in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry. My Ministry has already taken a number of measures to bring about a reduction in the rate of industrial accidents. Firstly, the existing legislation will be amended to provide for heavier penalties for those who contravene safety and health standards. New regulations will be introduced under the Factories Act providing for the composition and conduct of safety committees and the qualifications, registration and duties of safety officers, as stated earlier. Secondly, the Factory Inspectorate has been expanded and training of staff pursued. The Ministry has also begun the training of safety officers for industry. Thirdly, a bi-monthly newsletter called The New Worker was started in August 1973 to promote safety and health awareness among workers and management. The publication is now published monthly. Another publication A Guide to Safety, Health and Welfare for Factories has gone to print and will be distributed to factories later. In addition, the Ministry is paying special attention to the construction industry and the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industry which have the highest rate of accidents. The Ministry has a special unit to look after the problems of safety in the building construction industry. In addition, in 1973 the Ministry set up the Building Construction Safety Committee to advise on measures to curb accidents in the construction industry.”
“The technical wing of the Factory Inspectorate has a staff of 39 officers comprising the Chief Inspector of Factories, the Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories, two Senior Inspectors of Factories, nine Inspectors of Factories, two Senior Technical Officers, eight Technical Officers and 16 Technicians. Although the technical staff is small and inadequate to cope with the volume of work, nevertheless the Factory Inspectorate has made and will continue to make every effort to ensure that employers observe the safety regulations in their factories. The Factory Inspectorate carried out a total of 7,597 inspections and follow-up visits on the 5,067 registered factories, and 3,063 items on non-compliance were notified to the occupiers in 1974. It seems unlikely that the factory occupiers can engage in malpractice for any long period of time without being discovered, for factories are generally visited once a year. Notwithstanding this, I share the view of the Members for Anson and Sembawang that there is still an urgent need to further increase the staff of the Factory Inspectorate. The Ministry has, in fact, planned to expand the Factory lnspectorate, and it will take the matter up with the appropriate authorities. The Member for Anson has suggested the introduction of a service charge for services performed. I would like to point out that the main function of the Factory Inspectorate is to ensure that employers comply with safety and health standards laid down in the Factories Act. It would therefore not be appropriate to levy a service charge for this. However, the Member may like to know that the Inspectorate does charge a fee of up to $30 for the registration of factories and the annual renewal of their registration.”
“Sir, the Member for Potong Pasir has raised some questions relating to safety committees and safety officers. I wish to state that a very comprehensive set of regulations governing the duties and appointment of safety officers has already been drafted. A notification governing the qualifications and training of safety officers has also been drafted. This set of regulations and notification will be enacted in the very near future. The Factory Inspectorate of the Ministry has been keeping a close watch on the effectiveness of safety committees. This is done in two ways. Firstly, the Inspectorate requires occupiers of factories that have to form safety committees to submit the names and particulars of the chairman, secretary and members of the safety committee. Secondly, Inspectors check documents such as the minutes of meetings of safety committees and the Factory Inspector's reports of the safety committees during their routine visit to factories. Feedback information on the effectiveness of the safety committees has been received. They are largely obtained during inspection visits to factories made by the Inspectors. It is hoped that when the regulations governing the duties and appointment of safety officers have been enacted, a greater effort will be made in ensuring safety in the various establishments. Sir, the concern of the Member for Anson was that non-compliance with the safety regulations by employers has been allowed to remain undetected for long periods of time because of the small staff in the Factory Inspectorate.”
“I do not think that situation will arise. If there should be such a tendency, then we will take steps to rectify it.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I am glad that the Member for Toa Payoh has raised this question. I will certainly look into the possibility of re-posting such officers back into the Labour Ministry.”
“The services of the Economic Development Board are also called in to assess the health of the particular company concerned so as to ensure that employers are retrenching workers because they are genuinely affected by the current economic situation. Further, the Ministry has made known to employers that they should explore all other means of resolving their temporary difficulties, such as reduction in the number of shifts, shorter working week or shorter working hours, and that a retrenchment exercise would only be embarked upon as a last resort. By and large, employers have been cooperating with the Ministry. Cases of abuse of the right to retrench are an exception rather than the rule. If however, there is abuse of this right, the worker or his union can always complain to the Ministry and the matter will be investigated into. The hon. Member might like to know that the present employment situation is not as bad as in some other countries, given the present world economic situation. Our unemployment rate stands at 4.5% in February 1975. The monthly retrenchment rate has declined from an average of 2,927 workers in the last five months of 1974 to an average of 1,476 in the first two months of 1975. Major industrial countries are expected to experience an economic upturn in the second half of this year. We are expected to feel the beneficial effects in the latter part of 1975 or early 1976. In view of all this, the Ministry is of the view that there is no need to amend the Industrial Relations Act to make retrenchment issues negotiable again.”
“This new Industrial Relations Division, as has been stated earlier, will be headed by a Principal Assistant Secretary who will be assisted by two Assistant Secretaries, four Administrative Assistants, two Senior Executive Officers, four Higher Executive Officers and eight Executive Officers. The Establishment Warrant for the new posts has been approved by the Finance Ministry, which is presently in the process of posting suitable staff to this new Division. As hon. Members are aware, there is a dearth of Administrative and Executive Officers with the necessary experience in industrial relations. However, my Ministry will do its best to ensure that those officers sent by the Finance Ministry will be suited for industrial relations work. If they are found to be unsuitable, and should the need arise, I am sure we can call on personnel in the NTUC for assistance. The existing experienced staff in the former Industrial Relations Section, the Labour Court and Trade Unions Section are being retained in the new Industrial Relations Division to provide continuity. It is hoped that the mix of new Administra- tive Officers and the existing staff will ensure that the quality of services rendered will be maintained and improved. The Member for Aljunied has also expressed concern over the possible abuse of the right of employers to retrench workers. I wish to inform the Member that the Ministry is monitoring the retrenchment situation. Labour officers are being deployed to keep a close tab on the reasons offered by employers for retrenching workers.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the hon. Members of Telok Blangah, Toa Payoh and Aljunied wish to know more about the new Industrial Relations Division set up in the Ministry, in particular, the recruitment of suitable officers. The new Industrial Relations Division has been formed through the bringing together under one administrative control of three separate sections of the Labour Ministry, namely, the Industrial Relations, the Labour Court and the Registry of Trade Unions. The new Division comprises three new key sections, namely, the Conciliation Section, the Preventive Mediation Section, and the Registry of Trade Unions. There is also an office administration unit within the Division. The Conciliation Section comprises two units - one for disputes involving unionised workers, formerly known as the Industrial Relations Section, and the other for disputes involving non-unionised workers, formerly known as the Labour Court. With their functions properly streamlined, the quality of conciliation work rendered by the units should improve. The Preventive Mediation Section is a new section of the Division. It will be involved in preventive mediation as well as labour assessment work. The preventive mediation services to he provided will seek to assist labour and management to develop a continuing harmonious relationship through elimination of disruptive practices and through the development of effective policies which foster better understanding and cooperation. This section will also monitor and assess the state of labour/management relations in the Republic so that early corrective policies can be formulated and industrial grievances resolved promptly.”
“Sir, I do not think it is necessary to apply to the Commissioner for Employment. But if the couple wants to do so, I cannot help it.”
“As I have explained just now, the Central Provident Fund was established to provide compulsory savings for workers for their old age or when they become permanently disabled. It would be inconsistent with this objective if members are permitted to use their credit in the fund as ready sources of finance for any other purpose, such as acquiring properties for investment or speculation. However, two exceptions have been made in respect of flats built by the Government under its public housing programme. Members with family incomes up to $1,500 per month have been using their CPF credit under the approved housing scheme to acquire flats constructed by the Housing and Development Board or the Jurong Town Corporation, while those with family incomes of up to $4,000 per month will be able to utilise part of their credit to acquire middle-income fiats built by the Housing and Urban Development Co. (Pte) Ltd. In both these instances, the flats must be occupied by the members and their families. The construction of these properties is not oriented towards profit on a commercial basis. 6.15 p.m. In addition, there are provisions in both schemes for the restoration of the members' CPF accounts should the ownership of the property be changed so that their protection against old age or permanent disability is still valid. These two housing schemes go a long way to assist the great majority in acquiring property for owner-occupation. The Ministry, therefore, has no intention of allowing the use of CPF for the purchase of private houses.”
“This, of course, does not mean that the Labour Ministry will not intervene on the side of the contract worker especially if he is unskilled, old and immobile and thereby being heavily exploited. In the last analysis, the consciousness of the workers of his rights and responsibilities is crucial in the struggle against exploitation, and the best safeguard against ruthless exploitation lies in trade unionism. I therefore urge the unions in the NTUC to carry out more vigorously its task of educating the workers in general, to heighten their political and social consciousness and to recruit them into their fold for the well-being of the workers. Mr Deputy Speaker, the Central Provident Fund was set up to provide workers with benefits in their old age through the accumulation of compulsory savings based on a percentage of their wages. For obvious reasons, the self-employed workers and professionals have not been brought within the CPF scheme. Firstly, it is difficult to ascertain the monthly income of the self-employed worker. Secondly, the need for compulsory savings for old age does not arise in the case of, for example, self-employed professionals who by virtue of their relatively higher income and education can well look after themselves. There may be a number of non-employees who require old age benefits, but due to the nature of their undertaking in terms of earning capacity insistence on contributions can reduce the viability of their ventures, even though such contributions will be to their long term benefit. It is therefore not proposed at present to bring self-employed workers and professionals within the ambit of the CPF Act.”
“I do not think the system of contract labour can be abolished at our present stage of economic development. In fact, I notice that more and more public works are let out on contract. The question is: are our contract workers being ruthlessly exploited today as in the fifties or the early sixties? I do not deny that there may have been certain instances of exploitation of these contract workers by some unscrupulous employers. However, I suggest that in a tight labour market situation, the recent retrenchment notwithstanding, it is not possible for an employer to continue exploiting his workers ruthlessly and in-humanly without losing his workers to another. True, some contract workers, because of the casual nature of their job, may not be enjoying certain benefits such as CPF, paid holidays, paid annual leave, paid sick leave, etc. However, it must also be admitted that this takes place sometimes with mutual consent between employer and employee. The Central Provident Fund Act lays down explicitly the liabilities of employers and the entitlement of employees. The contract worker, if he wants to, can always complain to the Ministry of non-payment of CPF by his employer. Very often he does not because he is a party to this non-payment, preferring to have more take-home pay than save for his old age. Similarly, in respect of paid holidays, annual leave and paid sick leave which are provided in the Employment Act, the contract worker can always seek redress from the Labour Ministry. The fact that this is not done is because of the relatively higher pay for contract workers and the relative freedom of working as and when they please.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, the hon. Member for Boon Teck has urged the Ministry to ensure that in the re-organised set-up of the Industrial Relations Division, preventive mediation should play an effective role in preventing trade disputes. I would like to assure him that this is what we intend to do. Emphasis will be placed on preventive rather than conciliation work. The Preventive Mediation Section will seek to diffuse and eliminate nascent areas of friction between labour and management before they develop to the stage of dispute, work stoppages or strikes. It will help both parties to develop a continuing good relationship through the elimination of disruptive practices and the evolution of sound in-plant policies. Mr Deputy Speaker, contract labour has been in existence ever since immigrant labour was brought in on a large scale from China and India in the mid-19th century. The development and growth of Singapore to its present eminence as the most developed of the developing countries in Asia with the highest GNP per capita outside Japan and the fourth largest port in the world owe in no small measure upon the backs of contract labour. Our industrialisation programme, public housing and school building programmes, would not have been so successful had it not been for the valuable contribution of contract labour. Because of the relatively high productivity, mobility and flexibility, contract labour has been found to be invaluable especially in such labour-intensive industries as the building construction and shipbuilding and ship, repairing industries where volume of work is subject to severe fluctuation thereby making the maintenance of a large standing permanent work force uneconomic.”
“Regarding the reviewing of the quantum of gratuity for daily-rated workers, I take it that the Member for Anson is referring to daily-rated workers in the public sector. These public daily-rated workers are well represented by trade unions which are affiliated to the NTUC. Therefore, any proposed revision of the gratuity scheme should be taken up with the appropriate authority by the respective unions through the normal collective bargaining process.”
“I wish to assure him that work permit policies are formulated with the interests of our citizens in mind and taking into consideration the manpower requirements of our industries. The Ministry will continue to issue work permits to skilled workers, especially for those industries in which the local supply is insufficient. As for the semi-skilled or unskilled jobs, work permits will only be granted if the Ministry is satisfied that these are jobs which Singaporeans themselves do not want or if they are unavailable. The Member may wish to know that foreign workers constitute only a small proportion of the Republic's total labour force. However, to further reduce our reliance on foreign labour, it is necessary for us to attract more capital-intensive and higher technology industries and to develop sufficient local skills to meet the manpower requirements of industries. In this connection, the Industrial Training Board has stepped up its technical courses and apprenticeship training scheme. The Member also feels that the salary limit of $750 per month, by which non-citizens have to apply for work permits, is inadequate and out of proportion to present day working conditions. I do not think this ceiling of $750 has been overtaken by events, as it cannot be said that wages for the unskilled and semi-skilled have generally gone beyond this figure. According to Central Provident Fund statistics, about 86% of about 622,000 employed persons at the end of December, 1974, earn less than $750 per month, inclusive of overtime and other allowances. The ceiling of $750 is therefore still adequate for the purpose of regulating the employment of non-citizen workers for the unskilled and semiskilled categories.”
“I wish to assure the Member that the Ministry will not lose sight of the need to ensure that the safety, health and welfare of these young workers are adequately protected, when eliminating the requirement for young persons to obtain the approval of the Commissioner for Labour to work in industrial undertakings. The existing provisions relating to safety, health and welfare of the employment of children and young persons as presently embodied in the Employment Act will be consolidated and re-enacted under the new regulations relating to the employment of children and young persons, which will be made under the Employment Act. 5.45 p.m. To ensure that employers comply, provisions will be made in the regulations for heavy penalties to be imposed on employers employing children and young persons contrary to the provisions of the regulations. It is not practical for the Ministry of Labour to run any scheme of practical training for any young persons prior to allowing them to work in industrial undertakings. Nor has it the resources, manpower and expertise to undertake such massive and varied training. Rather, the prospective employer should in his own interest introduce such a practical scheme relevant to his own industrial undertaking. I would, however, like to point out that children and young persons can avail themselves of the various training programmes and apprenticeship scheme presently run by the Industrial Training Board and other statutory bodies before taking up employment in industrial undertakings. The Member for Anson has expressed concern over foreigners taking on jobs in the Republic which he feels should be offered to our citizens.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the recent Committee on Crime and Delinquency has found that the requirement in which young persons seeking employment in industry must obtain certificates of registration from the Commissioner for Labour has contributed to the delinquency of young school dropouts. In the light of this, the Committee has recommended that the Employment Act be amended to allow children between the ages of 14 and 16 to seek employment in industrial undertakings without having to obtain the approval of the Labour Ministry. The Government has accepted this recommendation and my Ministry is consequently taking action to amend the Employment Act to allow those between the ages of 14 and 16 to work in industrial undertakings without having to obtain the prior approval of the Commissioner for Labour. The Committee believes that this measure will reduce delinquency among the young and afford opportunity for them to gain industrial training which will better equip them for gainful employment at a later stage. I note that the Member for Sembawang also shares this view. As he may be aware, the Ministry of Labour will in addition be amending the Employment Act in order to allow children between the ages of 12 and 14 to work in industrial undertakings if they are engaged to work under approved apprenticeship schemes. This amendment is being made to enable children who are unable to pursue academic education to take up apprenticeship employment, and thus prevent them from falling into juvenile delinquency.”
“Sir, there is an appropriate subhead, Work Permits, and if the Member for Anson could raise this question under Work Permits, I would be happy to answer.”
“The Member for Jalan Kayu has also asked whether consideration may be given to exempt Singapore blue identity card holders who have no roots elsewhere from the need to obtain work permits. The Ministry of Labour has been issuing work permits freely to applicants holding Singapore blue identity cards. As a rule, Singapore blue identity card holders are given work permits valid for two years, as against one year for other categories of applicants. Further, Singapore blue identity card holders on work permit and who have family roots in Singapore may be granted work permits for a five-year period. A review is now being made of the position of permanent residents holding blue identity cards, with a view to granting them work permits valid for a longer period. Meanwhile, it is proposed not to exempt Singapore blue identity card holders who have no roots elsewhere from having to apply for work permits. The Member will recall that sometime ago the Ministry of Labour announced that permanent residents who passed the appropriate skill tests or who possessed acceptable training qualifications would be eligible for citizenship if they satisfied the ten-year residential qualification. Holders of Singapore blue identity cards who are unskilled should, therefore, strive to upgrade their skills so that they can qualify for citizenship under the scheme. Mr Ho See Beng rose ---”
“In May 1973 the Work Permits Office implemented a scheme whereby skilled workers, technicians and supervisors may have their yearly work permits renewed for a three-year period if they pass trade tests conducted by the Industrial Training Board, or they have acceptable qualifications. This policy was introduced to encourage skilled non-citizen workers to remain in Singapore. The Work Permits Office has received a sizable number of applications for three-year work permits since the implementation of the scheme. Then in June 1973 the Work Permits Office, in a move to discourage excessive job-hopping, introduced measures to disallow work permit holders from changing employment unless there are good reasons to support their applications, for example, changing to a higher skilled job. The implementation of this policy has, to a considerable extent, reduced undesirable labour turnover among work permit holders. However, it has increased the workload of the Work Permits Office. Then in July 1973 the Work Permits Office implemented a policy requiring work permit holders to obtain the prior approval of the Commissioner for Employment in order to contract marriage with Singapore citizens. The implementation of the above measures has resulted in an increase in the workload and responsibilities of the Work Permits Office. It is, therefore, necessary for the staff of the Work Permits Office to be increased. In addition, the Work Permits Office has recently computerised several areas in the Work Permits Office in order to improve the operating efficiency and to enable the speedy compilation of statistical data required for the formulation and assessment of policies. This has also resulted in the need for increased staff.”
“I wish to point out that this, in fact, would not necessarily be the case as the majority of unskilled non-citizen workers if allowed to work in Singapore, will be earning salaries of less than $200 a month, in which case income tax would not be payable by them. Similarly, CPF contributions need only be paid by the employer which goes direct into the credit of the non-citizen worker. 5.30 p.m. Government is also aware that some professionally qualified women have been unable to take up gainful employment or have to give up jobs because of the difficulties in obtaining domestic servants. The Ministry had, in fact, been quite liberal in the issue of work permits to domestic servants. In 1971 there were 2,623 non-citizens on work permits working as domestic servants in the Republic. The number increased to 3.369 in 1972, and further increased to 3,964 in 1973. Householders who intend to employ non-citizens as domestic servants would have little difficulty in obtaining work permits if both the husband and wife are in gainful employment or if the husband can satisfy the Commissioner for Employment that his wife would take up employment within a reasonable period of time upon being granted approval to employ a non-citizen domestic servant. However, in view of our current policy to bring down population increase and also marriages of work permit holders, preference will be given to those applicants who are middle-aged or already married in their home country. The Member for Jalan Kayu mentioned about the increase in the staff of the Work Permits Office. I think he is aware that several new measures have been implemented by the Work Permits Office in recent months.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have explained earlier that because of the present shift in our economic strategy, from one of promoting labour intensive low technology industries to less labour intensive and higher skilled industries, we will have to be more selective in our intake of foreign labour. Work permits, as 1 have said just now, will continue to be issued liberally to those applicants who possess the skills which Singapore needs, or who can be easily trained to acquire these skills. On the other hand, unskilled applicants and those applying for white-collar jobs will not be favourably considered for work permits unless they have special merits. These unskilled workers include shop assistants, coffee-shop assistants, and so forth, as mentioned by the Member for Jurong. The over-riding basis upon which work permits are considered is the skill and the qualification of the non-citizen worker. There is no discrimination since our policy is based primarily on economic consideration. Certain instances were quoted by the Member for Anson. I am afraid I am not able to give him an informative reply unless he supplies me with the particulars of those cases. I do not think that Budget time is the time for a Member to raise specific cases concerning either his own constituent or his friend. If he wants a reply, he should raise a Question. Sir, the Member for Anson has also stated that with a relaxation of work permit policy, Singapore could gain from CPF contributions and taxes -I presume income taxes - derived from non-citizen workers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not think one can right an unfair and unjust act, as the Member for Boon Teck has put it, by another unfair and unjust act. But, as I have pointed out just now, the increase in trade union membership, especially in the last one year or so, has been tremendous. 4.45 p.m. I would say the NTUC has succeeded in a large measure in persuading workers to join their union. In fact, I have been looking at some of the figures of certain unions affiliated to the NTUC, and I have noticed that the percentage of union membership in certain establishments has gone up from about 30-40 per cent in 1971 to 80-90 per cent today. So I think the unions are not doing badly and, given a little bit more time, they would be able to achieve, if not 100 per cent, at least 90 per cent membership. I think that should be a figure that one can hope for.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have explained just now, at this moment I am not prepared to consider lowering the age of union membership to those who are below 18 years. However, I am prepared to consider granting exemption for those who are above 18 years to hold office in trade unions. I am not quite convinced that the non-unionised workers in a unionised establishment are better off than the unionised members at this time, because with the coming of the National Wages Council, whatever advantages the non-unionised workers have been enjoying in the past will no longer be able to continue any more. In fact, as time goes on, I think the non-unionised employees will find that it will be to their advantage to join the unions.”
“That, Mr Speaker, is a better way to solve the problem of the "free-riders" or "social parasites" as the Member called them.”
“Yes. However, my Ministry is not yet convinced that the best way to deal with the problem of "free-riders" or "social parasites", as the Member called them, is to force them to contribute financially to a development and welfare fund, as it would have the effect of forcing non-unionised employees to become union members as they will then have to pay an amount equivalent to trade union subscription and other levies. However, much as we value the positive contribution of responsible democratic trade unionism, in our free society an individual should be able to seek and accept employment with any employer without having to pay tribute to a third party. If non-unionised workers are forced to pay the equivalent of union dues to a development and welfare fund, in effect they are forced to pay for the right to work, a right which they should freely enjoy as citizens. However much we may deplore the actions of "free-riders" who only want the benefits of trade unionism but without paying for them, we should not throw out fundamental rights in any solution to the problem. A more positive solution would be for trade unions to pursue even more vigorously their campaign to increase union membership. If a man can be voluntarily persuaded to become a union member and pay his union dues, he is far more of an asset to the union than an unwilling person who is forced to pay the equivalent of union dues. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of unionised members in the Republic; their number rising from 112,500 in January 1971 to 191,500 in December 1973. With the dynamic growth of co-operatives and other services provided by the NTUC for its members, undoubtedly more workers will find it beneficial to join NTUC unions.”
“According to the 1970 Population Census a total of 86,441 persons in the age group 15-19 were working. This represents only about 7 per cent of the total work force. This is because of expansion of our education system, which now provides more opportunities for our youths to pursue secondary and post-secondary education. Consequently, should the new entrant to the labour force be under 18 years of age, it will not be long before he reaches that age. Moreover, young workers are more easily misled by self-seeking and slogan-shouting leaders into supporting undesirable or irrelevant issues which are not in their interests nor in the nation's interests. They are also more susceptible to manipulations by irresponsible trade unions, which will undoubtedly use them to consolidate their base. For these reasons, the existing minimum age of 18 years is considered adequate for the moment. Sir, I can understand the sentiments of trade union leaders against the nonunionised employees of an establishment who pay no union dues but nonetheless enjoy the benefits of trade unionism.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, trade unions are important social institutions and trade union officers have a vital role to play in the development of a healthy trade union movement and the economic development of the country. To discharge their duties as responsible trade union officers, they must have qualities of leadership so as to be able to lead and command the respect of their rank and file. Since they are entrusted with the responsibilities of managing the affairs of their unions and have to negotiate with employers on behalf of their members, they should possess keenness of mind and maturity of outlook. This can only come about with age and with a sufficient period of working experience. It is therefore not proposed to reduce, as a general rule, the minimum age at which trade union members can become officers of trade unions, i.e, from 21 years to 18 years. However, the Ministry is aware that there are instances where there is a high concentration of young workers in certain establishments, such as the garment and electronic industries. If the present law is rigidly adhered to, the union may not be able to find sufficient eligible members to stand for election as office-bearers. In these specific instances, there would appear to be a case for the Ministry to consider granting exemption to those between the ages of 18 and 21 years to enable them to hold office. However, the proposal has other important implications which require further study before a decision can be made. Sir, there is no compelling reason for lowering the minimum age from 18 to 16 years for a person to be eligible for union membership. To begin with, the average age for our youths, especially our young men, to enter the labour force has risen.”
“No, Mr Speaker, Sir. Permanent residents holding Singapore blue identity cards will get work permits almost automatically. In fact, I have not come across cases where their applications have been rejected. When I mentioned that applications for white-collar jobs would not be favourably considered, I did not mean that we would exclude them completely. If the applicants possess good academic qualifications or some professional qualifications, the Ministry is quite prepared to grant work permits to them. In fact in recent months we have approved more work permits for white-collar jobs. But, as I said, they have to have something more than the others.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I agree with the Member for Jurong that where two persons want to get married, nothing can prevent them from doing so. I am not stopping them. If they want to, they can go ahead. The only thing is that if they do, then they will have to suffer penalties in the form of a withdrawal of certain privileges to the citizens concerned. The House is well aware that the Government, in fact, has been quite liberal in granting work permits to non-citizens. This liberal policy will be continued as long as there is a shortage of labour in Singapore. The Member will be aware that the Government is shifting its emphasis in economic development from labour intensive to high technology and high skilled industries. In the light of this new strategy of industrial promotion, work permits will be issued more freely to skilled workers and those with suitable qualifications. Those who are unskilled and those who are applying for white-collar jobs will not be favourably considered for work permits unless they have special merit. As I have explained just now, it is best for the labour intensive low skilled industries to think seriously now, if they have not done so, to modernise themselves and to introduce as much labour-saving device as possible.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, if the Member for Bras Basah will give me a little bit more detail such as the name of the applicant, I may be able to check it up for him. If, instead of waiting for two months from 16th January till today, he were to take the trouble to make a telephone call to my office I am sure he would get an answer within a day or two. For two months he has not bothered to take that trouble.”
“Sir, the Labour Inspectors do make checks at bars and restaurants at night.”
“The present provisions in the law, whereby employees may be required to perform overtime under conditions which I have just listed, are considered adequate at the moment. 3.15 p.m.”
“Making over-time compulsory will not be in the interest of the employees. This is because in certain types of industry or operations prolonged hours of working would expose the workers to hazards which may be injurious to their health. Furthermore, it would be difficult to ensure that employers are justified in asking their employees to work over-time. The problem of labour shortage cannot be solved by forcing workers to work overtime at the whim and fancy of the employers, without due regard to the health and well-being of the workers. The maximum hours of work are specifically laid down in the Employment Act to protect the workers. All over the world the trend is towards a shorter working week. The introduction of a 44-hour working week in 1968 had already taken into account the need of industries as well as the health of the workers. Besides, the Employment Act also provides for a maximum over-time of 72 hours a month and, in exceptional circumstances, permission may be sought to exceed this limit. Instead of compulsion, employers should think of offering better incentives and working conditions to induce the workers to accept overtime work. However, far more important in a labour-tight economy is for the industry itself to be modernised so as to raise productivity by the use of more labour-saving devices and machinery and more efficient management techniques. The labour intensive low technology industries which have low value-added per worker should give serious consideration to switching over to more sophisticated industries employing higher technology which will give a higher GNP return per head.”
“Apart from this, processing of some applications may take a longer time than usual because the applicants themselves have not completed their forms correctly or had omitted certain significant particulars. It is because of this that the parties concerned will have to be interviewed to clarify the doubts as well as rectifying the errors where they occur. In certain cases, extra time is involved as investigations have to be carried out to verify documents submitted by applicants in support of their applications. I would like to assure the Member for Bras Basah that the Ministry realises the importance attached to the applications and that these will be processed as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary delay and inconvenience to the applicants. If the Member could supply me with particulars of the cases where undue delay has been encountered, these would be looked into immediately. The Member for Bras Basah also raised the question whether it is desirable to introduce compulsory overtime to meet the labour shortage in order to reduce the cost of production. Hours of work of employees are regulated by law so that their health and welfare can be adequately safeguarded. The present limit on normal hours of work of eight hours a day or 44 hours a week is considered fair and reasonable. Under normal conditions an employee must be given the choice to accept or reject a request from the employer to work overtime. However, adequate safeguards are provided in the law to ensure that under exceptional circumstances, such as work to be performed by an employee in the essential services, or where urgent work is to be done to machinery or plant, or where interruption of work occurs for which it was impossible to foresee, employees must comply with the employer's request.”
“Unless the work permit worker is adjusted to the different and faster pace of life in a highly disciplined and urbanised society, and to the ethos of small planned families, marriage between a work permit holder and a Singapore citizen can lead to difficulty for themselves and for Singapore. The Ministry of Labour has decided to discourage these young workers on work permits from contracting early marriages until they have shown that they are able to settle down successfully in Singapore and to support a small family. From 1st July, 1973, it will be necessary for a work permit holder to first obtain the approval of the Commissioner for Employment before contracting marriage with a Singapore citizen. A marriage between work permit holders where Singapore citizenship or permanent residence in Singapore is not acquired nor desired will not require prior approval. I hope the Member for Anson will appreciate now the reason why prior approval is necessary before a marriage is contracted between a work permit holder and a Singapore citizen or resident. The Member for Bras Basah mentioned about the delay in getting replies from the Commissioner for Employment in respect of applications for marriages. I hope the Member for Bras Basah will appreciate that because of the importance of personal interest attached to the applications, greater care has to be exercised in processing applications from work permit holders to contract marriage with either Singapore citizens or permanent residents. This is to ensure that there is no slip-up in approving non-deserving cases or rejection of truly deserving ones.”
“Presently, a large majority of non-citizens, wishing to contract marriage with Singapore citizens, are work permit holders and are, therefore, already in employment when they apply for approval to contract marriage. It is presumed that most of them are likely to continue working after marriage in order to increase their family income so as to enjoy a higher standard of living. However, this is not of major consideration. The reasons for the need to seek prior approval of the Commissioner for Employment for marriage to be contracted between a citizen and a work permit holder are contained in a Government statement issued on the 25th June, 1973. I presume the Member for Anson has not read the Government's statement and, for his benefit and those like him, I would like to read extracts of the statement: `One significant facet of Singapore's economic growth has been the easy employment situation for young school leavers and others still in their teens. They come into contact with equally young workers on work permit in Singapore. It is natural for these young workers on work permits, having found their bearings, to make friends and mix freely in our society. After a time, many of them may want to marry, settle down and raise families in Singapore. This evolution can result in a healthy infusion of vigorous and hardworking types to Singapore's population, provided they have acquired work skills and are industrious and thrifty. These qualities are essential if these young people are to be integrated successfully into Singapore's society. However, it takes time for such attributes to be proven in regular and successful employment.”
“The conditions imposed include disallowing the young person to: (a) work on any service involving management of or attendance on machinery in motion; (b) work on any service involving management of or attendance on or proximity to live apparatus not properly insulated; (c) be employed as a workman during the night; (d) be employed as a workman on a rest day. 3.00 p.m. The Member for Anson may wish to know that last year, 19 employers were convicted for engaging 71 under-aged workers without applying for certificates of registration, and were fined a total sum of over $9,000. As for employment of non-citizens without work permits, I think the Member for Anson should be well aware that constant checks by Labour Officers are being carried out in factories and construction sites. The Ministry is fully aware that there are many industries operating on night shifts and that some employers are engaging non-citizens without work permits to man these shifts. The Member for Anson may be assured that the Ministry does conduct random spot checks at night not only to prevent illegal employment of non-citizens but also to ensure that working conditions are satisfactory during the night. Labour Officers are required to carry out night inspections by rotation. With the recent acquisition of a Ford transit van, the Ministry hopes to step up its night enforcement. For the information of the Member for Anson, an aggregate of 103 employers were prosecuted last year for engaging 229 non-citizens without work permits, and the total fine imposed amounted to about $46,000. The Labour Inspectorate is therefore not sleeping. The Member for Anson also raised the question as to why marriage of non-citizens should seek the approval of the Commissioner for Employment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the fundamental objective of the Ministry of Labour Employment Service is to facilitate employment process and improve the efficient utilisation of the labour force. It is open to every citizen. On the other hand, the Direction of Employment Department in the Ministry of Defence was set up with the specific task of helping national servicemen, who have completed their full-time national service liabilities, to look for civilian employment. For obvious military reasons, the Ministry of Defence would want to handle this job itself. However, in spite of the difference in objective, the procedures involved in implementing the objectives are somewhat similar. In this connection, there has been close working relations between the two bodies to ensure that no person or establishment is inconvenienced as a result of the setting up of these two bodies to look after employment matters. There is, therefore, no necessity to merge the two to establish a central agency for handling employment matters. The Member for Anson has raised the question of exploitation by employers of workers below the minimum legal employable age. Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry is quite aware that there are employers who engage workers below the minimum legal employable age without first obtaining clearance from the Ministry. Labour Officers from the Labour Inspectorate, on their routine or surprise checks on factories, are constantly on the lookout to ensure that no under-aged workers are employed without prior approval from the Ministry and, where permission has been granted, to see to it that the conditions imposed are adhered to.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Bras Basah kept on repeating that the couple has contracted to marry before the date. As I have said, if the couple has already contracted to marry before 1st July, then approval will be given. I have not rejected any such case. MULTI-STOREY STRUCTURES FOR PIG FARMING AT SEMBAWANG 2. Mr Teong Eng Siong asked the Minister for Law and National Development if he will give details of the occupation licences, rentals and other conditions for premises in the proposed multi-storey building for pig-rearing at the Sembawang Field Station.”
“Sir, if the Member can submit his case to me, I will look into it. If the whole intention is to beat the deadline by submitting an application for marriage even though there was no intention originally, then I think we have to think twice before giving approval.”