Labour Court Orders on Employee Salary Non-payment

Mr Kok Heng Leun asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many complaints about salary non-payment or short-payment were lodged by employees in each year from 2015-2016; (b) how many cases were referred to the Labour Court; (c) how many Labour Court Orders were issued in favour of claimants; (d) how many Orders remained unpaid by the 14th day after their issuance; and (e) how many employers were prosecuted for non-payment or short-payment of salary in these two years respectively.

About 6,000 salary non-payment and short payment cases were lodged by employees each year in 2015 and 20161. For each year, the breakdown of the cases was similar and broadly as shown in the table below.

Among the 1,400 Labour Court orders issued in favour of employees, the payment status is shown below.

The 350 defaulted orders involved 200 companies which were mostly in financial difficulties or had ceased operations. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) took enforcement actions against all of them which included warnings, fines and restriction of work pass privileges. About 25 employers were charged in Court for more egregious offences each year in 2015 and 2016. Such offences carry a maximum fine of $15,000 and/or imprisonment of up to six months per charge.