LABOUR (PROCEDURE - RECIPROCAL PROVISIONS) REGULATIONS, 1957

3.58 p.m.

The Minister for Labour and Welfare (Mr Lim Yew Hock): Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to move the motion in my name, namely,

That this Assembly, pursuant to section 174 of the Labour Ordinance, 1955 (No. 40 of 1955), resolves that the Labour (Procedure - Reciprocal Provisions) Regulations, 1957, published as Notification No. S 166 in the Gazette Supplement No. 48 of 28th June, 1957, as contained in Sessional Paper No. S.L. 13 of 1957, be approved.

The Regulations, the subject of my motion, have been made by the Governor in Council under section 172 of the Labour Ordinance. This section gives the Governor in Council the power to make regulations to prescribe the procedure for sending summonses, warrants and orders to the Federation of Malaya for service, and to make similar provisions for the service, execution and enforcement in Singapore of summonses, warrants and orders made in the Federation.

There is a similar provision in the Federation's Employment Ordinance and the Federation Government has made similar regulations to those contained in Sessional Paper S.L. 13. If my motion is adopted, Sir, it is proposed to bring both regulations into force on 1st August.

Let me turn now to the regulations themselves. Regulations 3 and 4 provide for the service of the Singapore Commissioner for Labour's summonses in the Federation and of the Federation Commissioner for Labour's summonses in Singapore. It sometimes happens that employees residing in the Federation employ workmen residing in Singapore and these regulations will enable the Commissioner for Labour to summon the employer to the Labour Court in Singapore should the workmen employed by him lay a complaint there and vice versa.

Regulations 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 enable orders made by the Commissioner for Labour to be registered in either territory for enforcement by the appropriate sessions or civil district courts and lay down the procedure for the payment of monies due under the order.

Regulations 10 and 11 ensure that employers who abscond from one territory to the other to avoid payment of workmen's wages may be apprehended and returned to the territory in which the complaint against them has been made. Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

The Assistant Minister for Labour and Welfare (Mr Mak Pak Shee): I second it.

Mr Speaker: The Question is, "That this Assembly, pursuant to section 174 of the Labour Ordinance, 1955-

4.00 p.m.

Moment of interruption. Further consideration, what day?

Mr Lim Yew Hock: Tomorrow, Sir.

Remaining items on the Order Paper read, and set down for tomorrow.