INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION COURTS (Number of cases heard and number pending award)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Labour if he will obtain and furnish the House with figures of: (a) the number of arbitration cases in which hearings before the Industrial Arbitration Courts have already been concluded but in which no awards have been made; and (b) the number of cases referred to the Courts under section 30 of the Industrial Relations Ordinance which are still pending before the Courts.

The Minister for Labour (Mr Jek Yeun Thong): Mr Speaker, Sir, the number of arbitration cases pending award is 12. Of these, two are in relation to Government employees, namely, nurses and public health employees, and the rest have reference to employees in the private sector. It is expected that awards in respect of four of these cases will be handed down by the end of this month. One case is due to be withdrawn.

The number of cases referred to the Courts under section 30 of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960, which are still pending hearing, totals eleven in number. Three of these concern Government employees. Three affect employees of statutory boards and the University of Singapore, and the remaining five concern employees in the private commercial sector.