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$Unique_ID{COW03179}
$Pretitle{384}
$Title{Singapore
Chapter 4E. Employment and Wages}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Ministry of Communications and Information}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Singapore, Washington DC}
$Subject{members
cent
per
workers
employment
industrial
employers
unions
years
cpf}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Table 21.*0317901.tab
Table 22.*0317902.tab
Table 23.*0317903.tab
Table 24.*0317904.tab
Table 25.*0317905.tab
Table 26.*0317906.tab
Table 27.*0317907.tab
}
Country: Singapore
Book: Singapore, Facts and Pictures 1990
Author: Ministry of Communications and Information
Affiliation: Embassy of Singapore, Washington DC
Date: 1990
Chapter 4E. Employment and Wages
Types of Employment
There were 1,277,300 working persons aged 15 years and over in June 1989
comprising 1,093,700 employees, 70,000 employers, 96,000 own account workers
and 17,600 unpaid family workers. The majority worked in the manufacturing
(369,900), commerce (291,500), community, social and personal services
(273,500), and the transport, storage and communications (126,200) sectors.
Employment Service
The Employment Service Department helps job-seekers find jobs, and
employers secure workers. In 1989, it registered 5,371 job-seekers and
successfully placed 1,599 of them in employment. It also monitors the labour
market and disseminates information on job vacancies.
Terms of Employment
Employees generally work a 44-hour week with a rest day. They enjoy 11
paid public holidays a year and have at least seven days of annual leave for
the first year of service and an extra day for every subsequent year up to a
maximum of 14 days.
The labour ministry conducts regular inspections on establishments to
ensure compliance with the statutory requirements relating to terms and
conditions of employment. It also provides advisory services to employers and
employees on such matters.
Industrial Relations
The ministry promotes labour and management co-operation through the
provision of preventive mediation, conciliation and advisory services to
employers, workers and unions on matters relating to industrial relations.
It also promotes and facilitates wage reform and the extension of retirement
age.
Trade Unions
In 1989, there were 86 registered employee trade unions with 212,874
members, five employer unions with 1,207 members and one federation of
employee unions, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
Industrial Arbitration Court
The Industrial Arbitration Court (IAC), which has the status of a High
Court, maintains industrial peace through the regulation of the conduct of
industrial matters and the impartial arbitration of trade disputes. Depending
on the nature of the dispute to be heard, the court may be constituted by the
president alone or together with two other members, one each from the
employers' and the employees' panels.
Besides arbitrating on trade disputes, it certifies collective
agreements made by employers and trade unions on industrial issues. Through
its registrar, the court also provides mediation services to the disputing
parties.
[See Table 21.: Cases Handled By IAC]
National Wages Council
The National Wages Council (NWC), a tripartite body comprising
Government, employer and union representatives, was formed in 1972. It advises
the Government on wage policies and issues wage guidelines in line with
long-term economic objectives. The NWC's recommendations, when accepted by
the Government, serve as a basis for wage negotiation between employers and
trade unions.
The Singapore economy recovered fully from the recession and achieved an
economic growth of 11 per cent in 1988. For 1989, the NWC recommended a
reasonable wage increase comparable to that of 1988 if company and individual
performance justified it. In their negotiations for wage increase, unions and
employers were urged to take into account the increase in the employers' rate
of CPF contribution of three percentage points and the reduction in the
employees' rate of one percentage point.
The NWC also reaffirmed that wage increase for the year should like the
previous year, be given in two parts-a moderate built-in increment and a
variable bonus linked to company and individual performance. This would be in
line with efforts to make wage system more flexible. A flexible wage system
would enable companies to be more responsive to changing economic conditions
and workers to enjoy greater job security.
Industrial Safety
About 39 per cent of the total workforce are employed in factories,
which are inspected regularly by the ministry to ensure the safety of workers.
In 1989, there were 12,495 manufacturing establishments, which included
factories, constructions sites and places of industrial undertaking.
Industrial accidents that cause death or injury which prevents workers
from working for more than three days or results in their hospitalisation for
more than 24 hours for observation or treatment must be reported.
[See Table 22.: Industrial Accidents]
Industrial Health
The ministry carries out programmes to prevent and control occupational
diseases and keeps a check on working environment.
Workers exposed to arsenic, asbestos, benzene, cadmium, compressed air
environment, lead, manganese, mercury, noise, organophosphates, raw cotton,
silica, tar, pitch, bitumen, creosote or vinyl chloride are required to
undergo statutory medical examinations.
[See Table 23.: Confirmed Cases of Occupational Diseases]
Occupational Safety and Health, Training and Promotion
The ministry conducts safety training courses for workers in the
building construction industry, and shipbuilding and repairing industry.
19,272 workers in these two industries were trained in 1988.
Some 1,627 safety officers, designated factory doctors, industrial
hygiene technicians, industrial first aiders, safety committee members,
supervisors and managers also attended safety and health training courses
conducted by the ministry.
Workmen's Compensation Department
The Workmen's Compensation Act, Chapter 354, provides for the payment of
compensation to workmen who are injured or afflicted with occupational
diseases in the course of work.
The maximum compensation for death is $45,000, while that for injury,
resulting in total permanent incapacity is $60,000. The minimum compensation
is $15,000 and $20,000 respectively.
If a worker is hospitalised, the employer has to pay for the
hospitalisation, the costs of artificial limbs and surgical appliances
supplied to the worker.
Labour Force
Singapore's labour force in June 1989 totalled 1,305,400 persons aged 15
years and over. The labour force participation rate was 63.1 per cent. The
unemployment rate improved from 3.3 per cent in June 1988 to 2.2 per cent in
June 1989.
[See Table 24.: Labour Force]
Employment of Seamen
The National Maritime Board regulates the employment of seamen. All
seamen seeking employment on board merchant ships are required to register
with the board. At December 31, 1989, there were 2,306 seamen on the
register, with 1,179 at sea and 1,046 in the active reserve pool waiting for
employment. The remaining 81 were in the inactive reserve pool, that is, they
were not immediately available for shipboard employment.
Although employers can offer jobs to any registered seamen and while
seamen can approach shipping companies personally for employment, the board's
approval is required before a seaman can sign on the ship's articles of
agreement.
The board administers a group insurance scheme for life and personal
accident coverage for seamen and their families. A seaman up to the age of 60
can be insured for $10,000 life and up to $15,000 personal accident coverage
for a total premium of $50. Those between 61 and 65 can be insured for $1,000
life and up to $1,500 personal accident coverage for the same premium. In all
cases, t