SHOP AND OFFICE EMPLOYEES

Mr Lim Choon Mong (Serangoon): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move,

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill governing the conditions of employment, and the rights and privileges of clerical and shop assistants.

In moving this Bill, Sir, we have always known that Singapore is a commercial city and that since days immemorial it has been the clerks and the shop assistants who have played a very important part in this life in Singapore. They are the people, Sir, that contribute largely to the smooth working of commerce, and they are necessary in every department of trade or labour. We have not in the past witnessed too many strikes, and we believe that this has been due to the good sense of responsibility of the clerks and shop assistants. Perhaps, Sir, it might be that they have not been well organised; but it is the duty of this Assembly to protect all those who are not organised as well as all those who are organised. It is also the duty of this Assembly to enact, wherever possible, fair legislation for all concerned.

I would like to dwell shortly on the difficulties of the clerical workers as well as the shop assistants. Today we do find that clerks and shop assistants have no regular hours of work. It is a fact that is known to all that a large number of them work overtime; a large number work 12 hours or even 14 hours a day; and also that their work includes not only clerical work or work appertaining to the terms of their employment, but sometimes they do have to perform work just like manual labourers. It is also within the knowledge of all the Members of this Assembly, and everybody in Singapore, that shop assistants do have no leave. Clerical workers, too, may not be able to utilise their leave or to get their leave because there is always that pressure of work as stated by the employers. I am sure that even City Council employees as well as Government employees do experience such difficulties.

The Chief Minister: Including the Ministers!

Mr Lim Choon Mong: It is therefore, Sir, my view that legislation be enacted so that the hours of work for clerical workers and shop assistants be regulated. There should be medical leave, free medical attention, annual leave, and more important still, they should get overtime pay. The last important point, Sir, is that the present wave of strikes is probably due to the fact that no legislation has been enacted to give them a fair wage. If we can legislate for a minimum wage for this class of workers here who do a set of duties not dissimilar to their colleagues - and I think it is possible to legislate for such a minimum wage - we would probably have removed discontent in this direction.

Sir, I hope that all those who are interested in this Bill - if leave were granted and the Bill were introduced - will come forward and work with us for the benefit of all concerned. Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Lim Koon Teck (Paya Lebar): I second the motion, Sir.

Question proposed.

Mr Lim Yew Hock: Mr Speaker, Sir, hon. Members will remember that in moving the First Reading of the Labour Bill, I did make mention that it is the proposal of the Government to introduce further legislation to protect the interests of clerks and shop assistants. The fact that there has been a delay in tabling these two Bills is because I am awaiting the passage of the Labour Bill, which has gone to a Select Committee, and the Report has now been tabled. I will move the adoption of the Report at the next sitting in November.

Sir, we in the Ministry have found difficulty in regard to interpretation. That is why there has been some delay. To find out when a clerk is not a clerk - that is a question that has occupied us for some time. Regarding shop assistants too, what kind of shop assistants should be protected? As to shop assistants, what should they cover? - people working in restaurants, people working in dispensaries, people working in food shops, and all sorts of other things.

It is easy, Sir, to introduce legislation to protect the interests of workmen, but it must, first of all, be necessary for the Labour Ministry to have an adequate staff to supervise and to see that legislation is not abused. Take the Weekly Holidays Ordinance introduced by the Progressive Party during the previous administration. There have been so many abuses. So there is that worry that, unless we strengthen the staff in the Labour Ministry and unless workers get more united and form unions of their own, whatever legislation we provide can and will be abused by unscrupulous employers.

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, this House has been in existence for six months and today, for the first time, we see a private Member exercise one of the most important powers and privileges of an Assemblyman. Sir, if I had a hat, I would take it off to the Member for Serangoon (Mr Lim Choon Mong)!

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Take off your bush jacket!

The Chief Minister: I would like to compliment him and I trust that the example he has shown of constructive conduct will be followed by the hon. Gentlemen who only know how to jibe and to destroy. Although the Government has on the stocks a similar Bill which it intends to bring forward at the next sitting, nevertheless I am so happy to see hon. Members opposite taking their responsibilities seriously that the Government will support this motion and will permit this Bill to be placed before the House; and I trust that when we produce our own, we will co-operate on the ultimate Bill to be discussed by this Assembly.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, we are constantly being amused in this Assembly by the inconsistent ways in which the Labour Front manifests itself. The Minister for Labour is a much more experienced politician and, as such, he does not take off his hat indiscriminately. He very wisely pointed out that if any political kudos were to be made out of the Shop and Office Employees Bill, then it should go to the Labour Front because they were the first to mention it. But the Chief Minister is quite a different person. He is a man singularly generous by nature and he wants to compliment his colleagues on the other side of the House -

The Chief Minister: Not colleagues!

An hon. Member: Your colleagues!

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: My colleagues? Indeed, Sir, I have much better colleagues than these! Now, Sir, you get this curious spectacle of the Progressive Party that, for three and a half years, could have moved and passed such a Bill and yet doing nothing about it -

The Chief Minister: Not too late to repent!

Mr Speaker: Order, please. Let us get on with the debate.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Sir, I fear it is a little bit too late to repent. I knew a union called the Shop Assistants Union. As a matter of fact, I assisted them in drafting a memorandum which was presented to Progressive Party Councillors. The then Progressive Party considered the matter for some time. There was some caustic correspondence in the English Press pointing out the delay, and it was even suggested that they were against it. Then came a firm Party denial and after that it just subsided and nothing further was done. Now the lesson has been sharply administered on the Councillors - I do not know how many deposits they lost in the last election, but I am told that it was not inconsiderable. The Chief Minister is hoping that it is not too late for them to repent. I think that they have missed the bus. If this is the way they want to convince the people of Singapore and of Malaya that the Progressive Party is a virile, vigorous, and vehement group of people determined to see that justice is done to the workers, then I say there is very little future indeed for that Party.

Sir, on the motion itself, it has been suggested - I will not say it is more than just suggested - that we in the People's Action Party do not shoulder our responsibilities, and that we should undertake legislation on behalf of the Government. Sir -

The Chief Minister: Do your job!

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Indeed, we are! That is what we are here for! We defined our job specifically before we came here, and are here to fulfil that job!

The Chief Minister: Destruction!

Mr Speaker: Order, please. Keep to the motion, please.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, some of the difficulties that will arise in this Bill will be difficulties of draftsmanship, as the Hon. the Minister for Labour has pointed out, because, much as I have a high regard for the linguistic abilities of the hon. Members in the Progressive Party, I very seriously doubt if they could produce a piece of legislation which could not but lead to a spate of litigation as to what they might have meant, what they could have meant, and what they, in fact, must be construed as having intended the thing to mean. But I am sure, now that the Hon. the Chief Minister has joined hands with his "not" colleagues on my side of the House, the services of the Government draftsmen will be put at the disposal of the Progressive Party, and in some way they will also be associated with the process of government.

The Chief Minister: We support every constructive effort.

Mr Lim Choon Mong rose -

Mr Speaker: Mr Lim Choon Mong, in reply?

Mr Lim Choon Mong: Mr Speaker, Sir, we believe that in all legislation there must be difficulty about terms of definition and other things; but we believe that with goodwill and co-operation we will be able to overcome such difficulties. We would like to say that if leave is granted to introduce this Bill, we will definitely take into consideration all suggestions and incorporate the good ones.

We expect co-operation from the Government side, and they have freely given it to us. I think this is one way whereby the Government has shown that it is capable of acknowledging things that are good, and I think that is in the right direction. The situation is contrary and diametrically opposite when Members, I regret to say, on my side of the House have nothing to offer but unjust criticism. They have nothing to offer except to hope that something that might be good will not come true. Such a negative attitude should never have been adopted. I have heard some time ago that it is the P.A.P. that comes to the rescue of this and of that! We have never had a friendly hand offered to us, who are trying to do something that is for the good of the people. I regret that this attitude is adopted by responsible Members of this Assembly. I only hope, Sir, that all of us here will adopt a more co-operative spirit in bringing anything that is good to the people of Singapore.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill governing the conditions of employment, and the rights and privileges of clerical and shop assistants.