Employer Charged in Court for More Than 130 Counts for Non-Payment of Salary

27 September 2011

1. A cleaning and building maintenance company, Service Partners Pte Ltd and its director, Jufri Bin Saini, were charged in the Subordinate Courts today for Employment Act violations.
   
   Facts of the Case
2. In January 2011, the Ministry of Manpower investigated Service Partners Pte Ltd, a service provider, after the company defaulted on its workers' salaries for December 2010. Service Partners Pte Ltd and its director, Jufri Bin Saini, are facing a total of 136 charges defaulting salary payments to workers and making unauthorised deductions.
3. So far, MOM has assisted 51 workers to recover their salary arrears. Out of this, 37 of the workers received their full salary payment from the service buyers which had engaged Service Partners' cleaning services. These service buyers had paid the workers' wages from the outstanding amounts due to Service Partners. MOM also assisted more than 70 workers to obtain new jobs by encouraging the service buyers' new incoming contractors to employ these workers.
   
   Other Cases Charged in Court
4. Five others employers were also charged in court today for failure to pay the salaries of their workers. Please refer to Annex A for the full list and details of employers and charges.
   
   MOM would not hesitate to prosecute employers for Employment Act violations
5. It is an offence under the Employment Act for an employer not to pay salary for work done within 7 days after the salary period, or within 3 days from the termination of the contract of service. Under the Employment Act, a first-time offender is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both. For any subsequent offence, an offender shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.
6. Mr Quek Jen Juan, Director of the Labour Relations & Workplaces Division (郭仁运, 人力部劳资关系及福利署署长) says, "All employers have the responsibility to ensure that salaries are paid on time. It is an employer's legal and moral obligation to pay their workers as they have put in their time and effort to help the business. While we continue with our strong tripartite efforts to help employers improve their employment practices, MOM would not hesitate to take stern action against errant employers and companies who flout our employment laws." Mr Quek added, "Employers should take the payment of workers' salaries seriously and not use financial difficulty as an excuse for not paying salaries. Service buyers should also encourage their third-party contractors to comply with employment laws and adopt good employment practices for their workers. We are heartened that some of the service buyers have agreed to render their assistance by helping the affected workers to resolve their salary arrears."
7. Workers can lodge their salary claims directly with MOM's Labour Relations Department by making an e-appointment online at the MOM website or call 6438 5122.