A clear statutory definition of what constitutes a "manager" or an "executive" needs to be incorporated in the Employment Act (EA), said lawyer and Workers' Party Non-Constituency Member Dennis Tan Lip Fong. Speaking in Parliament after Manpower Minister Josephine Teo's Second Reading of the Amendment Bill to the Act on 20 Nov, Mr Tan said that "companies have tried to …

The $100 increase in salary threshold for non-workmen eligible for the additional protections under Part IV of the Employment Act from $2,500 to $2,600 is too insignificant, said Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Associate Professor Daniel Goh Pei Siong. "Non-workmen" are classified under Part IV as white-collar workers who are not professionals, managers, or executives (PMEs). "At first glance, this struck …

Employers require more time to implement changes brought by the Amendment Bill to the Employment Act, as business leaders have to constantly tread the line between "thinning profit margins" and "rising costs" in "today's global business economy," said executive chairman of Sakae Holdings and Nominated Member of Parliament Douglas Foo. Mr Foo, who is also one of the vice-presidents of …

Singapore is prepared to work with other signatories of the United Nations' Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to decide on the appropriate course of action regarding its ongoing maritime dispute with Malaysia. In its press release on Thursday (13 Dec), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that while "Singapore believes that maritime boundary delimitation disputes are best resolved …

The conflict surrounding Singapore's implementation of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) for Seletar Airport can be resolved with some "creativity" on the part of the Republic's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS), said Malaysia's Ministry of Transport (MOT). Malay Mail reported that the MOT, in a statement on Wednesday (12 Dec), said that it is "fully convinced that with some creativity, the new ILS …

Singapore's Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan has rebutted his Malaysian counterpart's stance on the Instrument Landing System (ILS) implemented at Seletar Airport, stating that the Republic's northern neighbour is using a "technical excuse" to push for a shift in the management of Pasir Gudang's airspace. Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday (12 Dec), Mr Khaw added …

Financial advisor and Singaporean blogger Leong Sze Hian is set to defend himself against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's defamation suit against him. Speaking to TOC on Wednesday (12 Dec) after having entered an appearance to the defamation suit, Mr Leong said that while he is "unable to comment" on his ongoing case "for legal reasons", he hopes that "Singaporeans …

While the proposed changes in the Amendment Bill of the Employment Act will bring tangible benefits to employees, employers' concerns surrounding costs and work arrangements need to be taken into account in the process of accommodating employees, said Bishan-Toa Payoh Member of Parliament Saktiandi Supaat. Speaking in response to Manpower Minister Josephine Teo's Second Reading of the Amendment Bill of …

"Hi Singapore, Seletar Airport is yours, but Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia is ours. So please hear us out." This was the friendly reminder given by Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke on Tuesday (11 Dec), which accompanied a video that was posted on his official Facebook page. The video begins with the question: "Why did Firefly suspend ALL its flights into Singapore after the airline …

The extension of core provisions of the Employment Act (EA) to cover all employees is one of the most significant changes proposed in the process of amending the Act, among which include the applicability of statutory annual leave to all employees and a broadened definition of "dismissal". Manpower Minister Josephine Teo announced in her second reading of the Amendment Bill …