LABOUR BILL

The Minister for Labour and Welfare (Mr Lim Yew Hock): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to move,

That the report of the Select Committee on the Labour Bill contained in Sessional Paper No. L.A. 12 of 1955 be adopted subject to the recommittal of the Bill in respect of clauses 46 and 49 to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Sir, the Labour Bill was committed to a Select Committee and from Sessional Paper No. L.A. 12 of 1955, it will be seen that the Select Committee held six meetings. The minutes of the proceedings of these meetings can be found in Appendix III. The Bill reproduced in Appendix II contains all the amendments to the Bill as recommended by the Select Committee. Some of these amendments are major ones, while most of them are either consequential or for the purpose of tidying up. Since the report was made public, I have received several representations, particularly from employers. These representations have been duly considered in my Ministry and it is not felt that they are of such major importance as to warrant amendments to be made in the Bill.

The Sessional Paper has been in the hands of hon. Members for quite some time, and as the amendments recommended by the Select Committee will have been taken note of by hon. Members, I do not propose to take up their time to touch on them. I would like to say, however, that I am confident that my motion will receive the unanimous support of hon. Members so that a large majority of the workers of Singapore will be more adequately protected than has been possible under the present outmoded Labour Code.

The proposal to recommit the Bill in respect of clauses 46 and 49 to a Committee of the whole Assembly is not to seek any material amendment, but is for the purpose of tidying up. Sir, I beg to move.

The Assistant Minister for Labour and Welfare (Mr Mak Pak Shee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the motion and reserve my right to speak at a later stage.

Question proposed.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Speaker, Sir, there is one other clause in this Bill which I think escaped the attention of the Minister for Labour and other Members of the Select Committee, and that is clause 48 (1):

"Any workman who has served an employer for a period of not less than twelve months after the coming into force of this Ordinance shall, after examination at the expense of the employer by a duly registered medical practitioner appointed by the employer, be entitled to such paid sick leave as may be certified to be necessary by such medical practitioner:

Provided that no workman shall be entitled to an aggregate of more than twenty-eight days' paid sick leave in each year."

Mr Speaker, Sir, I think it escaped our attention at the time that it might well be construed that no workman shall be entitled in any case to more than 28 days' paid sick leave in each year. It has been brought to my attention that there are many unions who have entered into contracts with many employers for more than 28 days' paid sick leave. If the clause were left in this form, it might well be taken advantage of by unscrupulous employers to get out of their contracts and go back to 28 days' paid sick leave, because it says here:

"... no workman shall be entitled to an aggregate of more than twenty-eight days...".

Sir, I beg to move that clause 48 be inserted between clauses 46 and 49.

Mr Nair: Sir, I rise to second the motion.

Question proposed, "That the figure proposed to be inserted, be there inserted."

Mr Lim Yew Hock: Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to accept the amendment so that the point raised by the Member for Tanjong Pagar can be discussed in the Committee stage.

Question, "That the figure proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Original Question, as amended, put, and agreed to.