Some 200 Chinese nationals gather outside MOM over unpaid wages.
Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, April 28
SINGAPORE: Some 200 Chinese nationals for three construction companies gathered at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) building at Havelock Road on Monday morning over employment matters, such as unpaid wages.
Police were called in after about 130 of them refused to move on to the ministry’s Kim Seng Road office as advised.
The ministry says the workers were part of the same group interviewed at its Kim Seng Road office on Friday.
They had their work permits revoked two weeks ago after their employers breached labour laws.
The companies had apparently failed to pay the foreign worker levy. They had also failed to produce documents and their foreign workers for verification.
In such a situation, employers are required by law to repatriate them within a week.
At least one worker told Channel NewsAsia he paid over S$5,000 to work in Singapore for one year. But he had only been here for four months and now has to return to China, barely getting back what he paid.
The ministry added that the actions of these foreign workers were unproductive, and only served to delay the resolution of their claims. It urged them to cooperate and work with MOM officers, rather than break the law.
It warned that if these workers gather at MOM again without prior appointments and without valid reasons, MOM will immediately refer them to the police.
MOM said workers can be assured that early intervention measures by MOM to investigate errant employers is to help workers sooner rather than later and that MOM is committed to seek a fair resolution to their disputes.
Upon receiving reports of salary arrears, MOM will first need to establish the facts of the case before exploring whether workers and their employers can reach a mutually acceptable settlement.
Such investigations cannot be completed overnight and will take some time. Workers whose work permits have been terminated and are still needed here in Singapore to assist in investigations will be issued special passes to do so.
As long as workers are working and living here in Singapore, MOM said they must abide by and respect Singapore’s laws or risk being dealt with accordingly if they break them.
Channel NewsAsia - Tuesday, April 28
SINGAPORE: Some 200 Chinese nationals for three construction companies gathered at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) building at Havelock Road on Monday morning over employment matters, such as unpaid wages.
Police were called in after about 130 of them refused to move on to the ministry’s Kim Seng Road office as advised.
The ministry says the workers were part of the same group interviewed at its Kim Seng Road office on Friday.
They had their work permits revoked two weeks ago after their employers breached labour laws.
The companies had apparently failed to pay the foreign worker levy. They had also failed to produce documents and their foreign workers for verification.
In such a situation, employers are required by law to repatriate them within a week.
At least one worker told Channel NewsAsia he paid over S$5,000 to work in Singapore for one year. But he had only been here for four months and now has to return to China, barely getting back what he paid.
The ministry added that the actions of these foreign workers were unproductive, and only served to delay the resolution of their claims. It urged them to cooperate and work with MOM officers, rather than break the law.
It warned that if these workers gather at MOM again without prior appointments and without valid reasons, MOM will immediately refer them to the police.
MOM said workers can be assured that early intervention measures by MOM to investigate errant employers is to help workers sooner rather than later and that MOM is committed to seek a fair resolution to their disputes.
Upon receiving reports of salary arrears, MOM will first need to establish the facts of the case before exploring whether workers and their employers can reach a mutually acceptable settlement.
Such investigations cannot be completed overnight and will take some time. Workers whose work permits have been terminated and are still needed here in Singapore to assist in investigations will be issued special passes to do so.
As long as workers are working and living here in Singapore, MOM said they must abide by and respect Singapore’s laws or risk being dealt with accordingly if they break them.
