<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published June 13, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>25 China construction workers cause a stir
They wanted to leave for better paying jobs and were hoping MOM would help them get out of their contracts
By ARTHUR SIM
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SOME construction workers from China are causing a bit of a stir on construction sites in Singapore by job-hopping and leaving others to clean up the mess.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>LABOUR REFUGE
It is understood that of the 25 workers that approached MOM for help, 23 returned to China after resolving salary issues</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Recently, the BBC reported that a few workers from the Marina Bay Sands site had gone on 'strike' over salary issues. The workers then went to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to seek mediation over the matter.
It emerged that the workers had intended to leave their jobs with Xuyi Building Engineering Co for better paying jobs and were hoping that MOM would help them get out of their contractual obligations. This included paying Xuyi penalties for the early termination of their employment contracts.
In a press statement released yesterday, MOM said that while workers can approach the ministry for advice and assistance to resolve employment disputes, 'workers should not breach their contractual obligations and then turn to MOM in a bid to overturn those obligations, claim extra monies from their employer and job-hop to another employer in Singapore'.
=> So the $$$million ministers and scholar directors think that the FTrash will be as obedient and soft as Sporns?
Job-hopping is not widespread. Only 25 workers were involved in the latest dispute.
Simon Lee, executive director of the Singapore Contractors Association also said: 'General construction workers normally complete their term of employment with the employer and any change of employer would only occur after the expiry of their work permit or at the stage of renewal of their work permit.'
He did add that there has been some feedback on job hopping among foreign construction workers who have worked a number of years in the industry and have obtained their permanent resident status.
Another construction employment company said that job-hopping was quite normal and workers would leave for a 10-20 per cent increase in salary.
Job-hopping is not condoned by the MOM and indeed, workers who terminate their contracts early in hope of getting better paying jobs are required to return to their country of residence and re-apply for the necessary employment passes.
Still it is understood that of the 25 workers that approached MOM for help, 23 returned to China after resolving salary issues with Xuyi and have since reapplied to work in Singapore.
The remaining two workers have decided to take their case to MOM's labour court.
A spokeswoman for Xuyi said that it has been experiencing poaching of workers from smaller contractors without the capacity to directly recruit workers from foreign countries. 'As we know, those employers have even penetrated into our workers' dormitories to entice our employees to shift jobs,' she added.
For the construction industry, job-hopping has other implications. Apart from the red tape and cost of bringing workers into Singapore, certain restrictions on the quota of foreign workers allowed on each site means that once a worker quits a particular site, the employer, or in this case the sub-contractor, is not allowed to replace the worker.
Xuyi also added that it only recruits the exact number of workers it needs for a particular project so if any leave, it could affect the construction schedule.
Xuyi has been supplying labour to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) project and until recently, to Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) too.
MBS has over 10,000 workers on site and a spokeswoman told BT: 'Construction work has not been affected by any labour action.'
'Construction is proceeding well with the hotel towers on-track to be topped out next month,' she added.
RWS says it has close to 4,000 workers on site with about 2,000 working at the Universal Studios Singapore site. It has not experienced any delays due to labour disputes either.
There have been several labour disputes concerning Chinese workers recently. And while isolated, they have received considerable attention.
John Gee, president of the NGO Transient Workers Count Too (TWCT), notes that Chinese workers in particular are 'media savvy'. It is understood that the Xuji workers, with the help of another NGO, alerted the BBC to their plight.
Still, Mr Gee says that the motivation to change jobs is understandable. 'Under other circumstances, changing jobs would be seen as ambitious,' he added.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>25 China construction workers cause a stir
They wanted to leave for better paying jobs and were hoping MOM would help them get out of their contracts
By ARTHUR SIM
<TABLE class=storyLinks border=0 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Email this article</TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Print article </TD></TR><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>SOME construction workers from China are causing a bit of a stir on construction sites in Singapore by job-hopping and leaving others to clean up the mess.
<TABLE class=picBoxL cellSpacing=2 width=100 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR class=caption><TD>LABOUR REFUGEIt is understood that of the 25 workers that approached MOM for help, 23 returned to China after resolving salary issues</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Recently, the BBC reported that a few workers from the Marina Bay Sands site had gone on 'strike' over salary issues. The workers then went to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to seek mediation over the matter.
It emerged that the workers had intended to leave their jobs with Xuyi Building Engineering Co for better paying jobs and were hoping that MOM would help them get out of their contractual obligations. This included paying Xuyi penalties for the early termination of their employment contracts.
In a press statement released yesterday, MOM said that while workers can approach the ministry for advice and assistance to resolve employment disputes, 'workers should not breach their contractual obligations and then turn to MOM in a bid to overturn those obligations, claim extra monies from their employer and job-hop to another employer in Singapore'.
=> So the $$$million ministers and scholar directors think that the FTrash will be as obedient and soft as Sporns?
Job-hopping is not widespread. Only 25 workers were involved in the latest dispute.
Simon Lee, executive director of the Singapore Contractors Association also said: 'General construction workers normally complete their term of employment with the employer and any change of employer would only occur after the expiry of their work permit or at the stage of renewal of their work permit.'
He did add that there has been some feedback on job hopping among foreign construction workers who have worked a number of years in the industry and have obtained their permanent resident status.
Another construction employment company said that job-hopping was quite normal and workers would leave for a 10-20 per cent increase in salary.
Job-hopping is not condoned by the MOM and indeed, workers who terminate their contracts early in hope of getting better paying jobs are required to return to their country of residence and re-apply for the necessary employment passes.
Still it is understood that of the 25 workers that approached MOM for help, 23 returned to China after resolving salary issues with Xuyi and have since reapplied to work in Singapore.
The remaining two workers have decided to take their case to MOM's labour court.
A spokeswoman for Xuyi said that it has been experiencing poaching of workers from smaller contractors without the capacity to directly recruit workers from foreign countries. 'As we know, those employers have even penetrated into our workers' dormitories to entice our employees to shift jobs,' she added.
For the construction industry, job-hopping has other implications. Apart from the red tape and cost of bringing workers into Singapore, certain restrictions on the quota of foreign workers allowed on each site means that once a worker quits a particular site, the employer, or in this case the sub-contractor, is not allowed to replace the worker.
Xuyi also added that it only recruits the exact number of workers it needs for a particular project so if any leave, it could affect the construction schedule.
Xuyi has been supplying labour to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) project and until recently, to Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) too.
MBS has over 10,000 workers on site and a spokeswoman told BT: 'Construction work has not been affected by any labour action.'
'Construction is proceeding well with the hotel towers on-track to be topped out next month,' she added.
RWS says it has close to 4,000 workers on site with about 2,000 working at the Universal Studios Singapore site. It has not experienced any delays due to labour disputes either.
There have been several labour disputes concerning Chinese workers recently. And while isolated, they have received considerable attention.
John Gee, president of the NGO Transient Workers Count Too (TWCT), notes that Chinese workers in particular are 'media savvy'. It is understood that the Xuji workers, with the help of another NGO, alerted the BBC to their plight.
Still, Mr Gee says that the motivation to change jobs is understandable. 'Under other circumstances, changing jobs would be seen as ambitious,' he added.
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