LEGISLATION FOR WORKERS' WELFARE

Inche Abdul Aziz Karim asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour if he will consider introducing a single piece of legislation to amend and consolidate the provisions of the Factories Ordinance, the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance and other pertinent laws for the promotion of the safety, health and welfare of workers; and if such legislation will, among other things, provide for (a) the establishment of a council of industrial safety and health with the responsibility of (i) making safety regulations; (ii) undertaking research and safety education programmes; (iii) carrying out inspection and enforcement; and (iv) the rehabilitation of victims of occupational hazards; (b) the establishment of a board to determine compensation; (c) the penalties on employers for committing breaches of the law; and (d) the establishment of safety committees at work places to ensure that safety regulations are implemented.

The Minister of State for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui) (for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour): Mr Speaker, Sir, the existing legislation on the safety, health and welfare of workers is found in the Factories Ordinance, the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance and certain parts of the Employment Act.

It will be fitting if the objectives of these Ordinances are similar for them to be consolidated. Since they are not, it will be inappropriate to consolidate them in a single piece of legislation. The Factories Ordinance is primarily concerned with the prevention of industrial accidents and the maintenance of conditions which will not adversely affect the health and welfare of workers in industrial establishments. The Workmen's Compensation Ordinance, however, is primarily concerned with compensation to workmen who are incapacitated by accidents. In the welfare parts of the Employment Act, the objectives are to ensure that workmen are not made to work excessively long hours, and employment of children, young persons and women is allowed only on certain conditions. Because of different objectives, the emphasis in the operation of each of these Ordinances is different. Whilst the emphasis in the operation of the Factories Ordinance is preventive and technical, that of the Employment Act is supervisory and that of the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance is administrative. Another good reason for not merging the abovementioned three laws is that not all accidents, the victims of which are eligible for compensation, fall within the category of industrial accidents, or occur in factories. Accidents to workmen are known to occur on the high seas or on the roads, in open fields, offices and other places of employment which do not fall within the ambit of the Factories Ordinance, but whose victims nevertheless are eligible for workmen's compensation.

The Factories Ordinance will be amended to give power to the Minister to appoint a Council of Industrial Safety and Health to advise him on matters of safety and health in factories and to recommend lines of research on safety education programmes to be undertaken by the Factory Inspectorate. This Council will be an advisory body and not be empowered with executive functions since such functions are already exercisable by the Factory Inspectorate. Under the Factories Ordinance, penalties have been provided for breaches of the law by factory occupiers.

Amendments will soon be made to the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance to increase the rates of compensation as well as to make certain occupational diseases eligible for payment of workmen's compensation.

Mr N. Govindasamy (Telok Blangah): Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister of State for Labour indicate to the House when revision of the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance will take place? His answer "soon" is not good enough. As a matter of fact, this issue of revision of the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance has been brought up in this House often enough. During the last Budget debate, quite a furore was made over it. So will the Minister of State for Labour clarify what he means by "soon"?

Mr Sia Kah Hui: Mr Speaker, Sir, if I remember correctly, the last time when the question of workmen's compensation was brought up, the answer was that we were not ready then to make amendments to the present Ordinance. But today I am saying that we are going to do it and that the drafting of all the new regulations is being made right now.

Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu): Sir, can the Minister of State for Labour indicate to the House to what extent the workmen's compensation will be revised?

Mr Sia Kah Hui: Sir, it is still a secret right now.