SINGAPORE — Construction firm Shanghai Chong Kee Furniture and Construction, which made the news in October 2022 after migrant workers protested in Ang Mo Kio about salary arrears, has gone into liquidation.

A gazette notification on Jan 29 this year said that joint liquidators have been appointed to wind up the affairs of Shanghai Chong Kee following an extraordinary general meeting held on Jan 18. 

The company's winding up comes amid a probe by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for salary offences under the Employment Act following the October 2022 protest.  

While the firm had settled a portion of the payments for the 268 workers owed salaries as of Oct 31 that year, MOM said it was working with the firm on a payment schedule in instalments for the remainder. 

It added that investigations into Shanghai Chong Kee and sub-contractor Zhengda Corporation for salary offences under the Employment Act are ongoing. 

In a joint response to TODAY, MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) said that workers with outstanding salary arrears will have their claims filed with the appointed liquidator with the assistance of TADM.

TODAY has asked MOM and TADM how much is owed to the migrant workers.  

MOM and TADM added that they had assisted all the company's migrant workers since the protest and that they are working to facilitate goodwill payments following the winding up.

The quantum of these goodwill payments was not specified. 

TADM said that it has also worked with security bond insurers to provide payments of over S$300,000 to the workers affected by the closure of the company.  

MOM said that since the October 2022 protest, it has regularly engaged the affected workers on their well-being through the Assurance, Care and Engagement Group, a division established in 2020 to support migrant workers.

On-site engagements were carried out at the dormitories to assess the well-being of the workers and address any issues faced, including employment issues such as helping them find alternative employment opportunities, health concerns and financial hardships.