Chinese workers receive wages after long wait

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigations have found that there were 28 workers who were not paid their November salary. It said 25 of them have since been paid on Tuesday. The remaining three were absent, and will be paid when they report to work today but these workers exclude the workers from China who are on Special Pass and had earlier lodged their claims with MOM. It was reported Tuesday that several foreign construction workers in Yishun stopped work claiming they had not been paid their salary. In a response statement to media queries on Sime Chong Construction workers' salary arrears, MOM said it was an offence under the Employment Act not to pay their workers. MOM said since November 2012 when four Chinese workers working for Sime Chong Construction Pte Ltd lodged salary claims at MOM, the ministry said MOM's labour relations officers have been working to resolve the workers' salary arrears. "At the same time, we have been investigating the company for Employment Act infringements," it said. Its preliminary investigations showed that some 20 Indian workers did not turn up for work Tuesday, as they had not received their November salary which was due by Dec 7. MOM said these workers did not previously approach MOM on their salary issues, however, in the unfortunate circumstance that the company was not financially solvent, it is possible that salaries may not be fully paid. This could happen regardless of whether the workers were local or foreign because such business risks are present in any employment relationship. For serious Employment Act breaches, MOM will take action against the employer, which could include barring them from hiring foreign workers in future and prosecuting them.