Tan Chuan-Jin's FB
"It is important to ensure our workers are getting all they are entitled to and that employers understand their responsibilities.
We are stepping up our efforts on this front ten-fold."
http://momsingapore.blogspot.sg/2013/05/employers-must-do-right-thing.html
Do share and feedback to us to help make things right for our workers.
And thanks to our MOM officers working on this effort.
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When we look after workers, it is really a combination of a few things. It includes laws and regulations, moral suasion, administrative measures (these can hurt when used it the right way), mediation, promotion and education. We have stepped up our laws and regulations via or EFMA and EA enhancements. The present review we have initiated comes in 4 tranches. We are also looking at some other measures that I have mentioned...setting up some form of tribunal to help facilitate non-statutory cases, a practical set of requirements for fair hiring of Singaporeans, a regime to manage possible discriminatory practices at the workplace etc.
We are not averse to using regulations. In fact we have strengthened them in a number of areas. But we need to see each particular problem and what we hope to solve and find the best way to do it. Regulations cannot solve all problems, and discrimination is particularly difficult. Some ask if discrimination is tolerable? Clearly not. We want to deal with the issue and have discussed with others on how things are administered in their countries. In this instance, we are exploring a different way to tackle it as regulations come with other side-effects e.g. you could hurt the employment of some segments of the workforce. As I mentioned before, the task at hand is always to solve the problems facing society, while managing the side effects and unintended consequences. You select the best tool or series of tools for the job. I don't preclude regulations if it turns out that it is necessary to have some form of it to deal with the issues we face.
In this instance, I had been concerned that those at the lower income levels, and who have less education, may not be getting their just returns for their work. Apart from working at raising wages, it is important to ensure our workers are getting all they are entitled to and that employers understand their responsibilities.
We are stepping up our efforts on this front ten-fold.
Do continue to provide us feedback via: WorkRight.
1800-221-9922, or email workright@mom.gov.sg.
http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/employment-rights-conditions/workright/Pages/default.aspx
