By Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating Process Maintenance Solutions Pte Ltd and Jurong Technical & Construction Pte Ltd over salary claims involving nearly 240 migrant workers in the process sector, according to CNA and AsiaOne. Workers had not received salaries for up to two months, and some had paid as much as $12,000 in job fees to secure employment in Singapore.
MOM said it is working with the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) to assist affected workers with salary claims and immediate needs, including accommodation and alternative employment arrangements. “MOM takes a serious view of salary non-payment,” the ministry said, adding that enforcement action will follow if breaches of employment laws are established.
What Singapore law says about unpaid wages and job fees
Under Singapore’s Employment Act, employers must pay salaries within seven days after the end of each salary period. Failure to do so is an offence, and MOM can prosecute employers or issue administrative penalties. The Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) gives MOM additional powers to bar errant employers from hiring foreign workers, revoke work passes, and prosecute directors personally in serious cases.
The $12,000 job fee figure raises a separate legal question. Singapore’s Employment Agencies Act regulates licensed employment agencies, but recruitment fees charged in source countries such as Bangladesh often fall outside Singapore’s direct jurisdiction. Workers frequently borrow heavily to pay agents in their home countries, creating debt pressure that makes them vulnerable to accepting unlawful conditions after arrival. MOM has repeatedly warned employers against recovering employment-related costs from workers, but the practice persists through overseas intermediaries.
How the claims process works for affected workers
Affected workers can file salary claims through TADM, which mediates between employees and employers before disputes escalate to the Employment Claims Tribunals. For migrant workers, MOM’s Assurance, Care and Engagement Group provides an additional channel, conducting workplace inspections and interviewing workers to establish whether employers have breached the Employment Act.
The MWC and MOM met 230 workers on October 19 and 20 to assess needs and document claims. Support includes centralised accommodation, daily meals for around 90 workers, job-matching through employment agency partners, and financial assistance where necessary. Workers who cannot secure new jobs may eventually have to return home, according to CNA.
The broader pattern in Singapore’s process sector
The process sector, which includes petrochemical and pharmaceutical plants, relies heavily on work permit holders from Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. These workers often arrive with significant recruitment debt, making them reluctant to report violations for fear of losing their jobs and work passes. NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Choo said almost all affected workers in this case were sole breadwinners, heightening the impact of unpaid wages on families abroad.
Singapore has strengthened enforcement in recent years, but cases involving multiple employers and hundreds of workers continue to surface. The Migrant Workers’ Centre operates a 24-hour helpline at 6536 2692, and workers are urged to come forward early rather than waiting until employers become insolvent or disappear.
What HR and payroll teams should note
For employers in Singapore, this case underscores the compliance risks of using subcontractors or labour suppliers in the process sector. Companies that engage subcontractors should verify that those firms are paying workers lawfully, as main contractors can face reputational and legal exposure when labour violations occur in their supply chains.
Payroll teams should review salary payment timelines against the seven-day requirement and ensure that any deductions for accommodation, meals, or other costs are lawful and documented. MOM’s enforcement posture means that even indirect involvement in wage non-payment can trigger investigations and restrictions on future work pass applications.
| Support measure | Responsible party | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Salary claims filing | TADM and MOM | Ongoing |
| Centralised accommodation | MWC and MOM | Arranged |
| Daily meals | Migrant Workers’ Assistance Fund | Around 90 workers receiving |
| Job matching | MWC with employment agencies | In progress |
| Financial assistance | Migrant Workers’ Assistance Fund | Token sum if employers cannot pay |
The investigation remains ongoing, and MOM has not yet announced findings or penalties. Employers should monitor the outcome, as enforcement actions in cases of this scale often set precedents for how similar disputes are handled across the process sector.
Sources: ET HRSEA, CNA, AsiaOne
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