Jailed for not paying workers

[lauhunku]

Oct 1, 2010

Jailed for not paying workers
Job agency boss also fined $36,000 for other offences relating to foreign workers

By Khushwant Singh

Lee Chiang Theng paid the fine but is appealing against the one-month jail sentence. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

THE employment agency boss who did not pay salaries to 73 of his foreign worker employees was sentenced yesterday to a month's jail. Lee Chiang Theng, 58, had failed to pay them within the prescribed time - within seven days of the monthly payday. This case first made the news in February when about 60 of the workers thronged the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) at Havelock Road to complain.

Lee is believed to be the first employer to be jailed solely for salary arrears. He was also fined a total of $36,000 for hiring workers without valid work permits and for failing to provide suitable accommodation for his workers. These offences were committed when he was a director of employment agencies Gates Offshore and S1 Engineering. He paid the fine but is appealing against the jail sentence.

 

[Red 6]

Director jailed for 4 weeks and fined $36,000


Director jailed for 4 weeks and fined $36,000

by Shaffiq Alkhatib
07:10 PM Sep 30, 2010
Shaffiq Alkhatib

SINGAPORE- A company director was jailed four weeks and fined $36,000 yesterday for various offences including failing to pay his employees on time. Lee Chiang Theng, 55, a director of three marine firms pleaded guilty to 33 charges on August 26. 67 other charges were taken into consideration.

Lee admitted he had failed to pay 24 of his foreign workers on time. The total amount involved was more than $62,000.

He committed the offences between July 8 2008 and January 8 last year.

Lee also admitted he had failed to provide acceptable accommodation for two of his foreign employees between October 2008 and January last year.

The Manpower Ministry had checked a factory unit at Tagore Industrial Avenue in the Upper Thomson area and found that it was used to illegally house 1,200 foreign workers from 19 companies.