Guidelines on proposed changes in industrial Bill released

SINGAPORE – The labour movement and its tripartite partners, the Manpower Ministry (MOM) and the Singapore National Employers Federation, have released the set of guidelines this morning (Nov 26) to better articulate changes proposed in the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill.

The guidelines, which will take effect together with the commencement of the amended Industrial Relations Act on April 1 next year, subject to the Bill being passed in Parliament, specify the eligibility criteria of executives for collective or limited representation by rank-and-file unions, as well as union membership and leadership. 

For example, employees that should be excluded from representation by the unions include senior management who have control over business operations, decision making powers on industrial matters, and has access to confidential information such as company finances, said the guidelines.

Employers and unions may mutually agree to adopt salary levels or proportion of executives within the organisation to determine eligibility.

The guidelines also state that executives may be individually, and not as a class, represented by a rank-and-file unions for purposes such as retrenchment benefits, dismissal, breach of contract, and re-employment dispute.

For disputes over eligibilty, the guidelines encourage parties to approach the MOM for assistance.

The amendments proposed to the bill and the guidelines comes as the proportion of professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) grow in the Singapore workforce. While one in three employees are PMEs today, this figure is expected to increase to two in three by 2030.