SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it has resolved the employment disputes involving some 200 People's Republic of China (PRC) workers and their employers.

Between January and November 2008, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspected 661 premises to ensure that foreign workers are housed in acceptable conditions. Inspections conducted at 281 foreign workers' quarters within the Dengue/Chikungunya clusters and at factory premises illegally converted into dormitories found that there were overcrowding issues at these premises, which pose public health and fire safety risks. Arising from MOM's inspections, 1,370 foreign workers have since been relocated to approved accommodation1 by their employers.

SINGAPORE: The declining economic numbers are worrying, say labour leaders. And they are concerned about the severe fallout that the downturn will have on job losses this year.

SINGAPORE: The labour movement will focus on three core priorities this year to help Singapore pull through the economic crisis.

SINGAPORE: A foreign worker has been found dead in his dormitory at Tagore Lane.Police and paramedics arrived at around noon on Sunday and found the 28-year-old worker on his bed. They said Mohd Kamaluddin had chickenpox-like rash on his body.

Many employers are going beyond the basic statutory requirements to provide various family-friendly leave benefits. The use of flexible working arrangements has also increased though they are still not widely prevalent in Singapore. These are the key findings from the "Conditions of Employment, 2008" report by the Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department on the results of the Labour Market Survey conducted in mid 2008.

To help companies and workers manage the economic downturn and build stronger manpower capabilities for the recovery, Acting Minister for Manpower Gan Kim Yong, together with Secretary-General Lim Swee Say of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Mr Stephen Lee, President of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), announced details of a new tripartite programme - the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR).

The National Wages Council (NWC) will reconvene in early January 2009 to review its Guidelines issued in May this year.

Labour Market Shows Signs of Softening

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has resolved the salary claims involving 48 Bangladeshi workers from San's Marine Engineering Service, Han's Marine Pte Ltd and K7 Engineering Pte Ltd.

Supported by gains in employment rate for females, the proportion of residents in employment reached another new high.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is prosecuting Sambnani Anil Pritamdas, owner of Spize - the Makan Place, for making false declarations in 15 Work Pass applications from February 2007 to March 2008.

To help companies and workers manage the economic downturn and build stronger manpower capabilities for the recovery, Acting Minister for Manpower Gan Kim Yong, together with Secretary-General Lim Swee Say of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Mr Stephen Lee, President of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), announced details of a new tripartite programme - the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR).

To help companies and workers cope with the impact of the sharp economic downturn, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) together with its tripartite partners, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) have released a revised set of Tripartite Guidelines on Managing Excess Manpower

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 22 November 2008 to 7 January 2009 on a sample of 8,500 households.

Between January and November 2008, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspected 661 premises to ensure that foreign workers are housed in acceptable conditions.

Panel commends Singapore for good progress over past two years 

Preliminary estimates show that employment grew by 57,800 in the third quarter this year. This was lower than the gains of 71,400 in the preceding quarter and 58,600 in the third quarter of 2007.

The International Advisory Panel (IAP) for Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) will convene its second meeting on 30 - 31 October 2008. 

ASEAN Labour Ministers who are in Singapore to attend the ASEAN Human Resource Summit called on Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong at the Istana this afternoon.

Over 700 delegates comprising 34.8% C-suite executives are attending the inaugural Singapore Human Capital Summit 2008 to discuss the latest trends, leading ideas and practices in effective people strategies for Asia.

The Ministry's Employment Pass Online (EPOL) has bagged two prestigious awards:

A study by Mercer, a leading global provider of consulting, outsourcing, and investment services, has made the following

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has prosecuted two cleaning companies – Sparkle System Cleaning Services and Sun City Maintenance Pte Ltd – and their sole proprietor and managing director respectively for failing to provide statutory employment benefits to their employees.

The Ministry of Manpower would like to remind the public that Deepavali will fall on 27 October 2008 (Monday) instead of 28 October 2008 (Tuesday).

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, will be attending the Second Conference of the ASEM Labour and Employment Ministers in Bali, Indonesia from 13 to 15 October 2008.

In response to recent media reports of foreign workers not being given work and not receiving pay, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) would like to clarify that employers must pay the salaries of their workers, regardless of whether the workers have work, or cannot be deployed temporarily due to lack of required skills or qualifications.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has successfully conciliated the employment dispute involving 186 workers from Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Company.

From 1 Nov 2008, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will make changes to the Factory Registration system.

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, will be attending the Second Annual Meeting of the New Champions, “Summer Davos”, in Tianjin, People's Republic of China from 26 to 28 September 2008.

Employment growth remains strong with retrenchment down but unemployment continues to rise

Time to define new ways of developing the Asian business leader

Singapore will be honouring Mr Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons Ltd, and Tan Sri Frank Tsao Wen-King, Senior Chairman of IMC Group, with the 2007 Honorary Citizen Award for their valuable contributions to the country.

The Government has decided to extend the qualifying date for the Baby Bonus and other measures in the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package to 17 Aug 2008, the date of Prime Minister Lee's announcement at the National Day Rally.

The Government has decided to extend the qualifying date for the Baby Bonus and other measures in the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package to 17 Aug 2008, the date of Prime Minister Lee's announcement at the National Day Rally. 

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, Minister-In-Charge of Population Issues and Chairman of the National Population Committee (NPC), announced the details of the enhanced 2008 Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package today.

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 22 Aug to 7 Oct 2008 on a sample of 8,500 households.

Cherie Hearts Co-Founder and Permanent Secretary of Public Service Division receive top honours together with 60 winning organisations.

Hewitt Associates Study Identifies Three Critical Talent Challenges that Organisations in Asia Need to Overcome

Hewitt Associates Study Identifies Three Critical Talent Challenges that Organisations in Asia Need to Overcome

Employment

BACKGROUND

Record High Proportion of Older Residents Working in June 2007

Singapore will introduce a new Long Term Pass (LTP) card to all foreigners residing in Singapore on Student's Pass (STP), long term visit pass, Employment Pass (EP) and Dependant's Pass as part of the Government's initiative to enhance the national security of Singapore.

Reflecting the premium on skills and knowledge, jobs requiring professional and specialised training continued to command higher salaries in 2007.

Top business leaders and human capital thought leaders to share insights on people strategies and talent management practices in Asia.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be introducing new Work Permit1 and S Pass conditions to prohibit employers from receiving payment as consideration for employing foreign workers, and recovering employment-related costs from foreign workers.

Yeo Tian Ming Benedict, the director of International Cuisine Association of Singapore (ICAS), was convicted of 14 charges under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act (EFWA) and fined $87,360 for abetting the illegal employment of 42 foreign students.

The Government has accepted the National Wages Council (NWC)'s guidelines for 2008/2009.

The National Wages Council (NWC) has completed its deliberations on wage and wage-related guidelines for 2008/2009.

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is conducting the mid-year Labour Force Survey from 23 May to 31 July 2008 on a sample of 33,000 households.

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, is leading a tripartite delegation to attend the 97th Session of the International Labour Conference from 9 to 11 June 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, will attend the 20th ASEAN Labour Ministers' Meeting (ALMM) in Bangkok, Thailand, from 7 - 8 May 2008.

Employment growth remains strong; Unemployment up; Retrenchments unchanged

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is committed to ensuring that the interests and welfare of all foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers (FDWs), are safeguarded while working in Singapore.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng, officially launched the new Contact Singapore today.

In a press statement on public holidays for 2008 released on 29 March 2007, the Ministry of Manpower announced that Deepavali would fall on 28 October 2008 (Tuesday).

The Tripartite Implementation Workgroup (TIWG) has released a Tripartite Advisory on the Re-employment of Older Workers to help companies adopt re-employment early, ahead of its legislation by 2012

Two security agencies were prosecuted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for violating the Employment Act (EA).

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has prosecuted two Indian nationals, Ramasamy Alagu Pandian and his wife Alagu Pandian Latha for falsely declaring their educational qualifications in their Employment Pass (EP) applications.

Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) is a key Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) initiative by the Ministry of Manpower and the Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee (WSHAC).

The Government will make the second Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) payment to employees on 1 April 20081, disbursing a total of $149 million.

Another record-breaking year for job creation

Tripartite Advisory on Responsible Outsourcing Practices provides tips on ensuring workers' entitlement to basic employment terms and conditions

A survey conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in 2007 found that more than half of the former students of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) surveyed had upgraded or were upgrading to higher qualifications within 5 to 10 years of completing their ITE course, with almost two-thirds attaining Diploma qualifications.

Jointly released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)

Preliminary investigations into the collapse of a tower crane on 22 Feb 2008 revealed that the four anchors located at the base of the crane had failed structurally.

The dates for the eleven specified public holidays for 2009

WSHAC provides guidelines for employers and educational materials for employees

Zubaidah Bte Sanluan, employer of a foreign domestic worker (FDW), was convicted and fined $4,500 in Court on 11 February 2008 for failing to pay the salary of her FDW; and for making a false declaration to the Controller of Work Permits.Zubaidah will also be barred from employing another FDW.

The CPF LIFE Scheme will be introduced as a major new plank to assure Singaporeans of a stream of income for as long as they live.

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 22 February to 7 April 2008.

New category honours individual leadership in championing Work-Life initiatives

Employment creation hits another record high, bringing unemployment rate down to its lowest in a decade

 The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) now offers a new composite skills assessment under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system to help experienced and competent workers gain a recognised national credential of their current skills set.

Improved Job Opportunities In a Wide Range of Occupations, Providing Good Prospects for Job Seekers of All Educational Levels

From 1 February 2008, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will no longer issue Professional Visit Passes (PVP) to foreigners working in Singapore on short term assignments. 

Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, will be attending the fourth Ministerial Consultations on Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 21 to 22 January 2008. 

The Government will make the first payment of the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme on 1 Jan 2008. About 287,000 workers will receive a total of $146 million in WIS benefits, for work done in the first half of 2007.

Unemployment fell to pre-Asian crisis level

Director also convicted for hampering MOM investigations

To meet strong labour market demand

Record Employment, Higher Wages & Fewer Low-Wage Workers

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 23 Nov 2007 to 7 Jan 2008.

In line with the revision of Annual Values (AV) of properties from 1 January 2008, the AV criterion for older low-wage workers to qualify for the Workfare Income Supplement Scheme (WIS) will also be adjusted.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has prosecuted Mr Lim Meng Eng, the general manager of Starprint Production Pte Ltd, for making false declarations of salaries while applying for S Passes1.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has revoked the licences and forfeited the security deposits of three employment agencies (EA) - Ms Bushra Employment Agency, CM Manpower Centre Pte Ltd and Angel Maids Agency.

A Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) employer, Tang Cheong Kim, was convicted and fined $4,000 in Court on 6 November 2007 for failing to provide a safe working environment for her FDW.

The Government is introducing the Medisave Contribution Draw (MCD) to encourage low-income self-employed persons (SEPs) and informal workers to contribute to their Medisave accounts. 

The Strong Labour Market Performance Last Year has Continued into the First Half of this Year

The Ministry of Manpower will require employers to purchase and maintain insurance for the medical expenses of foreign workers from 1 January 2008.

Employers Continued to Achieve Tangible Benefits from Training

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has prosecuted a company and its general manager for illegal employment and illegal deployment of foreigners to the conservancy sector.

Mr Tan Pheng Hock, currently the Deputy Chairman of the WDA Board, will succeed Ms Yong Ying-I as Chairman of the Board from 1 September 2007.

The Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme was announced by the Government in February 2007 to encourage older low-wage workers to remain employed and improve their retirement adequacy.

Many significant changes to the CPF system have been announced. Today, I will reiterate and clarify changes and answer queries but more importantly, I wish to explain how the changes will help elderly Singaporeans.

The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 24 August 2007 to 07 October 2007.

Petra Security Agency Pte Ltd, a security guard agency, was fined a total of $11,000 on 3 August 07 for 22 charges under the Employment Act. Another 17 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The Ministry of Manpower has stepped up enforcement to deter abuse of the workmen's compensation system. This year, four workers were prosecuted for making fraudulent claims under the Workmen's Compensation Act (WCA).

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Manpower and Education is leading a delegation to attend the International Labour Organisation Asian Regional Forum (ILO ARF) on Growth, Employment and Decent Work in Beijing, China from 13 to 15 August 2007.

Continued Record Employment Growth with Sharp Fall in Unemployment

A key finding of the Ministry's `Report on Wages in Singapore, 2006' is that jobs requiring professional and specialised training continued to command higher starting salaries in 2006.

Maint-Kleen Pte Ltd was convicted and fined a total of $7,500 in Court on 26 June 2007 for failing to provide acceptable accommodation for their foreign workers.

The Ministry of Manpower has formed a "Tripartite Committee on CPF and Work Related Benefits for Low-wage Workers" (TriCom).

The Labour Market Continues to Tighten as Demand for Manpower RisesEmployment prospects continued to strengthen, attracting more people to enter the labour market which in turn resulted in a rise in unemployment.

The last day for declaration of income to qualify for the second and final portion of the Workfare Bonus Scheme (WBS 2007), for work done in 2006, is 30 June 2007.

Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, is leading a tripartite delegation to attend the 96th Session of the International Labour Conference from 12 - 14 June 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Attesting to the importance of continual education and training, mature workers in their 40s and 50s remain employable mainly due to their relevant skills and work experience.

 The United Nations (UN) has conferred the 2007 United Nations Public Service Award for "Improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the Public Service" to the Singapore agencies responsible for delivering the Progress Package.

 The Government has accepted the National Wages Council (NWC)'s wage recommendations for 2007/2008.

Economic and Labour Market Performance in 2006In 2006, the economy grew strongly by 7.9%, up from 6.6% in 2005.

 The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will introduce a Work Holiday Programme (WHP) from 1 December 2007 to allow undergraduates and graduates from overseas to experience living and working in Singapore for a short period.

 The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has prosecuted a Bangladesh national, Abul Basher Md Khabiruddin for abetting the illegal employment and deployment of foreign workers.

Tripartite Committee Recommends Extensive Package of Measures to Intensify Efforts to Enhance Employability of Older Workers

 The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 21 May 2007 to 31 Jul 2007. 

Driven by gains in SMEs and non-unionised establishments, wage restructuring made further progress in 2006.

With effect from 1 July 2007, the training and certification requirements for workers in the construction, ship-building and ship-repairing industries will be revised.

The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC), together with the Austrian Business Association (ABA) welcomed the STF leaders for a luncheon and dialogue session on 4 May at the Orchard Hotel.

The TAFEP has issued the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices that identify fair and progressive HR practices in areas such as job applications, interviews, progression, grievance handling, and so forth.

The economy continued to grow at a healthy pace, generating strong employment gains in the first quarter this year. 

The re-employment prospects of retrenched residents improved to a nine-year high in 2006, amid increased job opportunities available.

Fifty-nine Ministries and Statutory Boards gathered to sign the Employers' Pledge of Fair Employment Practices on 12 April 2007.

A'Land Express Pte Ltd was convicted and fined in Court on 25 Jan 07 and 6 Mar 07, for failing to pay salaries to 7 of its workers, totaling some $26,232 in arrears. 

The National Wages Council (NWC) chaired by Prof Lim Pin, Professor of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, will commence its deliberations on wage and wage-related guidelines for 2007/2008 in mid-April 2007. 

The date, 28th October 2008, for Deepavali needs to be checked against the Indian Almanacs when they become available towards the end of 2007.

 The strong economy generated record employment gains which led to an improvement in the unemployment rate to an eight-year low in 2006. 

Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, is visiting Vietnam from 14 to 17 March 2007.

Unique Security Services Pte Ltd, a security guard agency, was convicted and fined $27,000 on 22 February 2007 for multiple offences under the Employment Act.

Singapore will be honouring Mr Lee R. Raymond, Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation; and Dr Heinrich von Pierer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens AG, with the 2006 Honorary Citizen Award for their valuable contributions to Singapore.

Benefiting from the strong economic performance, a record high proportion of the older population are in the labour force and in employment. 

MOM restructures the CPF system and institutionalises Workfare to enable all Singaporeans to benefit from economic growth

 The Manpower Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Manpower is conducting the Labour Force Survey from 23 Feb 2007 to 7 April 2007. 

Disregard for worker safety and health in spite of repeated warnings at two Greatearth Construction worksites has led the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to freeze its Man-Year Entitlements (MYE)1 for access to foreign construction workers.

Unemployment Rate Dropped to Pre-Asian Crisis Level Amid Continued Strong Employment Creation

Employment The strong economy continued to generate record employment gains. Preliminary estimates show that total employment grew by 48,800 in the fourth quarter of 2006, considerably higher than the gains of 35,300 in the same period a year ago, and up from 43,000 in the third quarter of 2006.

The Workfare Bonus Scheme (WBS), to be given out in two portions, was part of the Progress Package announced by the Government in 2006.

Amid the robust economic expansion over the past two years, the labour force expanded by 5.2% p.a. from June 2004 to 2.59 million in June 2006, well above the average growth of 2.5% p.a. over the decade. 

The rate of return for tertiary education tends to be higher compared to non-tertiary education.  Professional and more technical fields of study at university degree level also have higher rates of returns than less technical ones. 

To support the adoption of fair employment practices, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) will be implementing the revised Tripartite Guidelines on Non-Discriminatory Job Advertisements recently released by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP).

"Work-Life Work$", a documentary series featuring award-winning companies and their Work-Life initiatives, will premiere this Thursday evening (11 Jan) at 8.30pm.