Foreign workers in pay dispute at Yishun construction site
By Tan Qiuyi/Teo Chia Leen | Posted: 18 December 2012 2233 hrs
SINGAPORE: More than 30 workers - from China and India - at a Yishun construction site were involved in a salary dispute on Tuesday, leading to some of them stopping work to demand their pay.
Channel NewsAsia understands the workers are owed between one and four months' pay each.
The project at the site is a HDB residential development and the company involved is believed to be Sime Chong Construction.
Officials from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have been in negotiations with the employers and workers on site since about 6pm Tuesday.
Also present were officials from the Migrant Workers' Centre, who told reporters the company has agreed to pay the workers what is owed.
Edmund Ng, executive director of Migrant Workers' Centre, said: "We came here, because we heard there were workers who might be in trouble, and we're here to help. Tonight there may be four workers who will need our help in terms of accommodation. We have a dormitory and we're going to put them in the dormitory tonight. As we speak, the plan is taking shape."
MOM said in a statement that it has been investigating Sime Chong Construction for Employment Act infringements.
The ministry also said that since November 2012 when four workers from China who were working for Sime Chong lodged salary claims at MOM, its labour relations officers have been working to resolve the workers' salary arrears.
MOM said its preliminary investigations show that some 20 Indian workers did not turn up for work on Tuesday, as they had not received their November salaries which would have been due by 7 December.
MOM said these workers did not previously approach the ministry on their salary issues.
Sime Chong, assisted by the main sub-contractor Asiabuild, is currently working to pay the outstanding salaries to the affected workers within the next 24 hours, said MOM.
MOM said it takes a serious view of employers who do not comply with Singapore's employment laws.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
25 workers in pay row at Yishun site paid outstanding wages
25 workers in pay row at Yishun site paid outstanding wages
Posted: 19 December 2012 0007 hrs
SINGAPORE: More than 30 workers - from China and India - at a Yishun construction site were involved in a salary dispute on Tuesday, leading to some of them stopping work to demand their pay.
Channel NewsAsia understands the workers are owed between one and four months' pay each.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officials were in negotiations with the employers and workers on site since about 6pm Tuesday.
Also present were officials from the Migrant Workers' Centre.
Later Tuesday night, MOM said 25 workers have been paid their outstanding salaries as of 11pm.
Three more will be paid on Wednesday.
MOM is checking on the total number of workers owed their salaries. The Migrant Workers' Centre said more than 30 workers were owed their salaries.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 19 December 2012 0007 hrs
SINGAPORE: More than 30 workers - from China and India - at a Yishun construction site were involved in a salary dispute on Tuesday, leading to some of them stopping work to demand their pay.
Channel NewsAsia understands the workers are owed between one and four months' pay each.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officials were in negotiations with the employers and workers on site since about 6pm Tuesday.
Also present were officials from the Migrant Workers' Centre.
Later Tuesday night, MOM said 25 workers have been paid their outstanding salaries as of 11pm.
Three more will be paid on Wednesday.
MOM is checking on the total number of workers owed their salaries. The Migrant Workers' Centre said more than 30 workers were owed their salaries.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Construction site workers stop work over late payment of pay
Construction site workers stop work over late payment of pay
By Tan Qiuyi | Posted: 18 December 2012 1917 hrs
SINGAPORE: Some workers at a construction site along Yishun Avenue 6 have stopped work because of late payment of salaries.
A Mr Tan, who said he is in charge of Sime Chong Construction, told reporters that four of his workers - all Chinese nationals - had stopped work since 26 November.
He said they are owed between S$1,000 and S$2,000 each for the past three months.
He confirmed the four had complained to the Manpower Ministry on 20 November, after which they had a three-way meeting on 26 November.
Mr Tan added that his car was stolen on Monday and the workers' salaries vouchers were lost. As such, he was unable to pay the workers.
He issued "I-O-Us" to them and said he will settle the payment in the next few days.
He told reporters he has about 80 workers - from India, Bangladesh and China - under him.
He said Sime Chong Construction was set up in October last year.
At 6.05pm, officers from the Manpower Ministry were seen entering the construction site office.
Officials from the Migrant Workers Centre were earlier denied entry, as were the media.
The site's gates were shut after groups of workers were seen leaving.
It is believed the site employs workers from several different companies.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
By Tan Qiuyi | Posted: 18 December 2012 1917 hrs
SINGAPORE: Some workers at a construction site along Yishun Avenue 6 have stopped work because of late payment of salaries.
A Mr Tan, who said he is in charge of Sime Chong Construction, told reporters that four of his workers - all Chinese nationals - had stopped work since 26 November.
He said they are owed between S$1,000 and S$2,000 each for the past three months.
He confirmed the four had complained to the Manpower Ministry on 20 November, after which they had a three-way meeting on 26 November.
Mr Tan added that his car was stolen on Monday and the workers' salaries vouchers were lost. As such, he was unable to pay the workers.
He issued "I-O-Us" to them and said he will settle the payment in the next few days.
He told reporters he has about 80 workers - from India, Bangladesh and China - under him.
He said Sime Chong Construction was set up in October last year.
At 6.05pm, officers from the Manpower Ministry were seen entering the construction site office.
Officials from the Migrant Workers Centre were earlier denied entry, as were the media.
The site's gates were shut after groups of workers were seen leaving.
It is believed the site employs workers from several different companies.
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Man gets 11 weeks' jail for sex with underage girl
Man gets 11 weeks' jail for sex with underage girl
By Alice Chia | Posted: 19 December 2012 1223 hrs
SINGAPORE: A 37-year-old man was sentenced on Wednesday to 11 weeks' jail for having sex with an underage prostitute.
Tan Wei Siong pleaded guilty to one charge of paying the girl $450 for sex at Hotel 81 Bencoolen on 6 October 2010.
Tan is one of the 51 men charged with having paid sex with the girl in a high-profile online vice ring case. He is the 16th man sentenced in the case.
At the time of the offence, Tan was employed as a management executive with Siglap South Community Centre.
He got to know about the girl through a website advertising escort services of various women. The website was operated by a 38-year-old pimp, Tang Boon Thiew.
The court was told that Tan sent an SMS to Tang on 5 October 2010, enquiring if the girl was available.
When Tang replied "yes", Tan proceeded to book the hotel room. Tang then informed the girl about the hotel room number.
The girl was 17 years old at that time.
The maximum penalty for commercial sex with a person below 18 is seven years' jail and a fine.
- CNA/al
- wong chee tat :)
By Alice Chia | Posted: 19 December 2012 1223 hrs
SINGAPORE: A 37-year-old man was sentenced on Wednesday to 11 weeks' jail for having sex with an underage prostitute.
Tan Wei Siong pleaded guilty to one charge of paying the girl $450 for sex at Hotel 81 Bencoolen on 6 October 2010.
Tan is one of the 51 men charged with having paid sex with the girl in a high-profile online vice ring case. He is the 16th man sentenced in the case.
At the time of the offence, Tan was employed as a management executive with Siglap South Community Centre.
He got to know about the girl through a website advertising escort services of various women. The website was operated by a 38-year-old pimp, Tang Boon Thiew.
The court was told that Tan sent an SMS to Tang on 5 October 2010, enquiring if the girl was available.
When Tang replied "yes", Tan proceeded to book the hotel room. Tang then informed the girl about the hotel room number.
The girl was 17 years old at that time.
The maximum penalty for commercial sex with a person below 18 is seven years' jail and a fine.
- CNA/al
- wong chee tat :)
Temasek raises stake in Olam
Temasek raises stake in Olam
Posted: 19 December 2012 1250 hrs
SINGAPORE: Temasek Holdings has raised its stake in commodity trader Olam International to 17 percent from 16.3 percent.
In a filing with the Singapore Exchange, Olam said Temasek had bought 200,000 shares for S$293,000 from the open market on Tuesday through its investment vehicle Aranda Investments.
In an emailed comment to Channel NewsAsia, a Temasek spokesperson said: "We have invested in Olam over several years. In our judgement, the company represents a reasonably attractive investment over the long term and we are pleased to have the opportunity to add to our stake."
Earlier this month, Olam said Temasek is backing its rights issue of bonds and warrants to raise as much as US$1.2 billion.
This could potentially translate to the investment firm owning as much as 29 percent of Olam if it exercises all the warrants in 2016 at the earliest.
Kewalram Chanrai Group, Olam's largest investor with nearly a 20 percent stake, has also said it will back the issue.
Olam has been the target of short-seller Carson Block and his research firm Muddy Waters, which questioned the company's allegedly flawed accounting standards that they claimed masked its debts.
- CNA/al
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 19 December 2012 1250 hrs
SINGAPORE: Temasek Holdings has raised its stake in commodity trader Olam International to 17 percent from 16.3 percent.
In a filing with the Singapore Exchange, Olam said Temasek had bought 200,000 shares for S$293,000 from the open market on Tuesday through its investment vehicle Aranda Investments.
In an emailed comment to Channel NewsAsia, a Temasek spokesperson said: "We have invested in Olam over several years. In our judgement, the company represents a reasonably attractive investment over the long term and we are pleased to have the opportunity to add to our stake."
Earlier this month, Olam said Temasek is backing its rights issue of bonds and warrants to raise as much as US$1.2 billion.
This could potentially translate to the investment firm owning as much as 29 percent of Olam if it exercises all the warrants in 2016 at the earliest.
Kewalram Chanrai Group, Olam's largest investor with nearly a 20 percent stake, has also said it will back the issue.
Olam has been the target of short-seller Carson Block and his research firm Muddy Waters, which questioned the company's allegedly flawed accounting standards that they claimed masked its debts.
- CNA/al
- wong chee tat :)
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