http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_352161.html
MOM charges 4 bosses
By Carolyn Quek
THE employer who made headlines last December for abandoning his workers at a Tagore Lane dormitory was hauled to court on Thursday to face 145 charges.
The charges against Loke Siew Fai, director of marine company Tipper Corp, range from failing to pay the salaries of his foreign workers, abetting in illegal employment and hiring phantom workers.
Three other employers who had dealings with his company were also slapped with charges on Thursday.
Of the three, Paul Lee Chiang Theng , director of the companies S1 Engineering, Gates Offshore and Goldrich Venture, faces the next most number of charges after Loke.
He has 100 charges for illegally employing workers belonging to Tipper, failing to pay its own workers and also failing to provide acceptable accommodation for them.
The other employers are Sockalingam Uthayanan, director of UPNB Engineering and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering. Both are said to have illegally employed workers from Tipper.
The Manpower Ministry (MOM) on Thursday said that it had assisted all affected foreign workers with their salary claims. It also helped in the repatriation of most of the workers, who 'chose to return home', but not before making sure all outstanding employment issues had been settled, said MOM in a statement.
About 50 workers chose to stay behind, finding alternative employment in the marine sector and were granted work permits to work for new employers.
The ministry also added that it has since stepped up ground operations to crack down on errant employers.
'The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation,' said divisional director of the foreign manpower management division Aw Kum Cheong.
'We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law.'
MOM charges 4 bosses
By Carolyn Quek
THE employer who made headlines last December for abandoning his workers at a Tagore Lane dormitory was hauled to court on Thursday to face 145 charges.
The charges against Loke Siew Fai, director of marine company Tipper Corp, range from failing to pay the salaries of his foreign workers, abetting in illegal employment and hiring phantom workers.
Three other employers who had dealings with his company were also slapped with charges on Thursday.
Of the three, Paul Lee Chiang Theng , director of the companies S1 Engineering, Gates Offshore and Goldrich Venture, faces the next most number of charges after Loke.
He has 100 charges for illegally employing workers belonging to Tipper, failing to pay its own workers and also failing to provide acceptable accommodation for them.
The other employers are Sockalingam Uthayanan, director of UPNB Engineering and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering. Both are said to have illegally employed workers from Tipper.
The Manpower Ministry (MOM) on Thursday said that it had assisted all affected foreign workers with their salary claims. It also helped in the repatriation of most of the workers, who 'chose to return home', but not before making sure all outstanding employment issues had been settled, said MOM in a statement.
About 50 workers chose to stay behind, finding alternative employment in the marine sector and were granted work permits to work for new employers.
The ministry also added that it has since stepped up ground operations to crack down on errant employers.
'The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation,' said divisional director of the foreign manpower management division Aw Kum Cheong.
'We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law.'
