ALLEGATIONS BY PUBLIC DAILY-RATED EMPLOYEES' UNIONS FEDERATION (Appointment of Commission of Inquiry)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to appointing a Commission of Inquiry headed by a High Court Judge to inquire into the allegations by the Public Daily-Rated Employees' Unions Federation about the implementation by Government of the 1961 Agreement, and, among other things, (i) to determine whether there has been delay in the implementation of the aforesaid Agreement and whether it has been fully implemented; (ii) to determine whether there had been adequate and competent handling of the dispute with, and the grievances of, the aforesaid Federation; and (iii) to recommend ways and means of settling all grievances within the context of a thorough re-organisation of public service departments, particularly the Cleansing Department of the Ministry of Health, with the view to increasing productivity and efficiency of the public services.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance (Mr S. Ramaswamy) (for the Minister for Finance): I am sure the Member for Bras Basah, as Secretary-General of the N.T.U.C., is aware that the Commission of Inquiry, set up in 1963 under the chairmanship of the Commissioner for Labour to investigate the allegations by the Federation on the non-implementation of the 1961 Agreement, made a thorough study of the matter and has made a number of specific recommendations. All these recommendations of the Commission were accepted and implemented by Government. There were a number of disputed grades on which even the Commission was not in a position to make direct recommendations and, as the Member is aware, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, steps were taken to try to effect a speedy remedy. Settlement was reached on a number of these disputed grades. A few remaining disputed grades and grievance procedure were amongst the subjects which the representatives of the N.T.U.C. and the Federation discussed with the Prime Minister on 6th December. The Prime Minister has indicated at the meeting that there could be further negotiations on these outstanding matters, failing which the matters could be referred to him for a settlement. As a Commission of Inquiry was appointed in 1963 to look into the matter which the Member for Bras Basah has raised, I do not see any reason for another Commission of Inquiry to be appointed.

As regards a thorough re-organisation of public service departments to settle grievances, the Member knows that a grievance procedure was the subject of discussion between Government, the Federation and the N.T.U.C, as a result of instructions of the Prime Minister to which I have referred. Proposals for a fair and reasonable grievance procedure which does not block or hinder management are already with the Federation and the N.T.U.C. As far as the Cleansing Department of the Ministry of Health is concerned, the Prime Minister informed the N.T.U.C. and the Federation at the meeting on 6th December that a two-shift system would be introduced as from 3rd January, 1967, with a view to increasing the efficiency and productivity of that Department. This would also enable cleansing workers to enjoy Sundays and public holidays as days of rest in future.

The question of increasing productivity and efficiency of the public service cannot be resolved without a fundamental change in the discipline and supervision of the workers and the attitude of labour leaders towards productivity and efficiency. Unless there is a basic desire by workers to relate earnings to productivity and efficiency, it will not be possible to achieve the objective. The basic economic and financial realities facing the Republic in the next two years demand that income may only be increased when it is earned through efficiency and productivity.