TRIPARTITE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE (Terms of Reference)

Mr Lee Choon Eng asked the Minister for Labour and Welfare what are the terms of reference of the Tripartite Consultative Committee set up for the three Services Unions; whether any, and how many, meetings have been held; and what has been the outcome of such meetings.

Tun Lim Yew Hock: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Tripartite Consultative Committee, as its name suggests, was merely to be a forum for the exchange of views on matters of common interest to the Service Departments, the Services Unions and the Government, the three parties therein represented. In particular, the subjects of transferability of pension rights and of ascertaining whether public bodies could find jobs for employees about to become redundant in Service employment. It therefore has no specific terms of reference beyond these, and subjects are only brought up for discussion if agreed by all three parties.

It was also agreed that the Committee should not in any way supersede joint consultative machinery which already exists in the various Service Departments, by which conditions of service and related matters are already negotiable, nor was it intended that the Committee should be a higher tribunal than the bodies already constituted in the Service Departments for negotiating conditions of service, etc. Nevertheless, Sir, through such joint consultations held at 15 meetings up to the end of September, 1958, the following matters had been resolved satisfactorily:

(a) Recruitment in the Singapore Local Forces Establishment for clerks, storekeepers, etc, should, as far as possible, be made from the ranks of redundant employees who possess the requisite qualifications and experience.

(b) Fair opportunity should be given to redundant civilian employees of the Service Departments who register themselves in the Government Employment Exchange for whatever jobs are vacant.

(c) Information was supplied by the Labour Department on the types and rates of severance pay to enable the Services Unions to negotiate their own claims for severance pay for redundant civilian employees to be payable by the Service Departments.

(d) Waiver of hospitalisation deposits had already been agreed in principle by the Ministry of Health through discussions in the Tripartite Consultative Committee which has now finalised with that Ministry the form of guarantee and the scheme will be implemented on the 1st of November, 1958.

(e) Various avenues of alternative employment for redundant employees were explored from time to time with very little result, as there are few employment opportunities available.

(f) Information about the basis for transferability of pension rights, as adopted in the United Kingdom, was supplied to Services Unions.