Labour

The National Wages Council (NWC) invites members of the public to share views on what could be included in the annual wage recommendations. The tripartite body made up of employer, employee, and government representatives will convene in April and May 2017 to develop its annual wage and wage-related guidelines. In a statement on Friday (24 Mar) NWC stated, “In its …

$660m wage credit payout to employers I refer to the article “$660m in payouts for employers by end of March ” (Straits Times, Mar 18). It states that “More than 85,000 employers will receive a total of about $660 million in Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) payouts by the end of this month Under the extended WCS, the Government co-funds 20 per …

Singapore labour market went through its roughest patch in 2016. The condition is shown in the official full-year data released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Wednesday (15 Mar). Unemployment rose, and employment grew at a slower pace while rate of re-entry into employment among residence made redundant also fell. The number of job vacancies fell, lowering the job …

I refer to the article “Two-track labour market emerging” (Straits Times, Mar 16). It states that “Track one: Local unemployment rose last year. There were more local workers – Singaporeans and permanent residents – who want to work but could not find work. Employment change last year – 11,200 ‘local’ jobs But even as unemployment rose, so did employment. Employers …

Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has stated that Kay Lim Construction & Trading faces charges for housing 60 foreign workers, comprising the company’s own and those from nine other companies, in rat-infested temporary quarters on a construction site located at Commonwealth Avenue/Ghim Moh Link, adding that the place is an “unacceptable” accommodation with “unhygienic living conditions”. The Ministry said that it also …

By Desiree Leong, Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics One hundred and sixty-eight hours. That’s how long Ziaul went not knowing where his next meal would come from—or when.  For one long week, he and nine colleagues survived on tap water and plain bread, a few slices each. The ten men had been working on Elias Park and Park View Primary Schools.  …

The Government’s Attach and Train Initiative will serve participants with a training allowance of 50-70 percent of their salaries, with a maximum of S$4,000 a month. For mid-level PCP openings, the government would raise the salary support caps, and it will also help three groups of PMETs who have been unemployed for a longer duration. The Manpower Minister Lim Swee …

by: Jamie Tan, Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) Wu Jianhua first came to Singapore to work in 2008, from his hometown Taizhou in Jiangsu Province in China. In March 2015, he took on a new job at a local construction company, laying tiles in HDB flats. He soon realized that his new company’s salary payment schedule was erratic and …

For all of the foreign workers who feel they may be treated unfairly or even abused by their employers, prominent social worker and civil activist Jolovan Wham believes there is a recourse, and that is through the very feedback system implemented by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) which allows employers to submit feedback on their foreign workers. Mr Wham, who …

Six bus captains who was just hired in the two months between December last year and January this year (2017) by bus company Tower Transit had their contract rescinded, with the explanation that the company had “inadvertently” hired more bus captains than its openings for as part of its recruitment activities. The six of the bus captains received the notification via …