Six employers charged for failing to pay salaries to their employees

Five employers have been charged in the State Court on Tuesday (4 April) for failing to pay salaries to their employees, according to Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Three of the employers attended the trial, and have been charged, while two other employers failed to turn up in the State Courts for similar offences.The cases for the two employers have been adjourned.
Goodmate Global Pte Ltd faces the most number of charges, with 17 charges brought against the company for salary offences.
The business, which runs on manufacturing of metal doors, window, door frames, grills and gratings, faces 14 counts for non-payment of salary and three counts for failure to pay salary due on termination by employee due to breach of contract by the employer.
3S Restaurant Pte Ltd faces 7 charges – Two counts for non-payment salary and five counts for non-payment for work done on public holidays in addition to the gross rate of pay for that day.
WOWHoldings Pte Ltd, which operates in food and beverage business, faces five charges. Three of those charges are for non-payment of salary and two counts for failure to pay salary to employee upon dismissal.
Mr Woon Junyang, sole Director of Infinium Robotics Pte Ltd, who runs an autonomous robotic solutions business, faces four charges – three of which counts for failure to pay salary to employee upon dismissal and one count for failure to pay salary due on termination by employee due to breach of contract by the employer.
Access Builders Pte Ltd faces three charges, which are two counts for non-payment salary and one count for failure to pay salary due on termination by employee due to breach of contract by the employer.
In addition, MOM stated that a prosecution case involving a director (Mr Ching Hwa Ming, 秦华明) of two companies (J S Environment Enterprise Pte Ltd and Nam Hong Engineering Pte Ltd) will be before the State Courts today for 30 charges of non-payment of salaries.
The charges are ten counts for non-payment of salary, ten counts for non-payment of overtime, and ten counts for failure to pay salary due on termination by employee due to breach of contract by the employer.
MOM stressed that employers who fail to pay salaries to their employees can be fined up to $15,000 and/or imprisoned up to six months. The penalty can be doubled for repeat offenders.
Mr Raymond Tan Choon Guan, Director of Employment Standards Enforcement, said, “Employers must pay salaries on time. As in these cases, MOM will take stern action against errant employers for salary non-payment, including prosecuting those who have wilfully refused to comply with Labour Court orders or those who owed large amount of salaries to workers.”
MOM urges employees who have not been paid their salaries or feel that their salaries have been wrongfully withheld to approach MOM or their unions early for assistance.
“Doing so early will improve their chances of salary recovery,” it said.
MOM then stated that anyone who knows of persons or employers who contravene the Employment Act should inform MOM directly or call the WorkRight hotline at 1800-221 9922 or [email protected]. All information will be kept strictly confidential.