TRADE UNIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.40 p.m.

The Minister of State for Labour (Mr Sia Kah Hui): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, section 47 of the Trade Unions Act currently limits the land which a registered trade union may purchase or take upon lease to an area not exceeding one acre in extent. This piece of legislation was made about 32 years ago. There are at present 28 trade unions comprising 16 unions of employers and 12 unions of employees which own office buildings on land either leased or purchased by them. None of the land area held by them exceeds one acre.

However, with enlarged membership and growing affluence, it is anticipated that more and more trade unions will be able to purchase or lease land to build their own offices. Moreover, the larger trade unions may wish to purchase land to build their branch offices as well. At the moment, they are prevented by law from doing so if the aggregate area of land to he owned by them exceeds one acre.

Hence, unless section 47 of the Trade Unions Act is amended as proposed, the trade unions will he restricted in their efforts to build offices or branch offices for their members. Such restriction could retard the healthy growth and development of the trade union movement in Singapore, especially from the administrative and financial point of view. It is, therefore, necessary to introduce the Bill now before the House.

The Bill seeks to amend section 47 of the Trade Unions Act with a view to empowering the Minister to approve in any particular case the purchase or taking upon lease by a trade union of land that exceeds one acre in extent.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill.-[Mr Sia Kah Hui].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

3.41 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: There is a note, in page 1, line 4, to leave out "1972" and insert "1973". This will be done.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.