ENLISTMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.55 p.m.

The Minister of Defence (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Special Constabulary comprises volunteers and part-time national servicemen. Its members are paid nominal allowances for their services during duty hours. Their employers are under no obligation to pay them the difference between their civilian pay and the allowances paid by the Police for their services. To assist the members of the Special Constabulary the Police Force has, as far as possible, arranged their duty hours such that they suffer minimal disruption in their civilian occupations or suffer loss of personal emoluments. However, in view of a severe manpower shortage, the Police Force intends to utilise the Special Constabulary more intensively. This may result in loss of pay to members of the Special Constabulary unless the Government is in a position to compensate the losses through make-up pay, as is being done in the case of national service reservists.

Just like the Special Constabulary, the People's Defence Force is also composed of national servicemen and volunteers. Recently the Force was reorganised to enable it to undertake additional operational duties. Members of the People's Defence Force are only paid allowances during their training periods. Unless they are national service reservists, their employers are under no obligation to pay them any make-up pay. As a result they too would lose in terms of pay if they are not compensated.

It is intended to remedy the situation through this Amendment Bill. The Bill seeks to repeal and re-enact section 24 of the Enlistment Act (i.e, the present provision providing for make-up pay). Apart from making provision for makeup pay for the categories who are already eligible, the Bill requires employers to pay make-up salary to both the volunteers and national servicemen (i.e, those who are performing part-time service) in the People's Defence Force and the Special Constabulary when they are called up for training or reserve service and to volunteers in these Forces when they are mobilized. Employers may deduct the amount paid from their payroll tax. Those employers who are not liable to pay payroll tax, and those whose payroll tax is insufficient for such deductions, may claim reimbursement from Government. Self-employed members of the People's Defence Force and the Special Constabulary can claim reimbursement also from Government.

The Bill also provides that employers of volunteers in the People's Defence Force and the Special Constabulary are to continue to make Central Provident Fund contributions to the extent that they would be liable had the volunteers not been mobilized for full-time service or called up for training.

The Bill repeals section 13 of the Vigilante Corps Act and with this repeal, volunteers in the Vigilante Corps will not be liable for full-time mobilization. There are two main reasons for repealing section 13. First, it is unfair to impose the liability of mobilization on volunteers in the Vigilante Corps. Secondly, it is not intended to mobilize the volunteers anyway, as there are large numbers of national servicemen doing part-time service in the Vigilante Corps.

The other important points in the Bill relate to reinstatement in employment, prohibition against dismissal and leave of absence when performing service. The provisions in respect of these matters are found in sections 21, 22 and 23 of the Act. In the Bill these three sections have been amended so as to extend them to the volunteers in the People's Defence Force and the Special Constabulary.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to seek a small point of clarification. There does not seem to be any provision with regard to daily-rated workers. I think there is provision for those who have been employed continuously for a period of six months or for those who are self-employed. But what about daily-rated people, such as building site workers?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, I am happy to clarify that. There are two types of daily-rated workers. One is a person who, although he may be daily-rated, is on regular employment in a firm. To that extent, he is covered by the provisions of this Bill. The other type are often casual workers going from one place to another, particularly in the construction industry. It is very difficult to cover them here because they change employers so often that you cannot pin them to any particular employer. In effect, such people would come under the category of "own account" workers, of which there are quite a substantial number in the reservists.

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. -[Dr Goh Keng Swee].

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