More than 400 migrant workers in Singapore have gone unpaid for between one and four months by a group of companies that share the same director, in a case that has drawn in the Manpower Ministry. The workers are spread across three companies, all of which have failed to pay salaries, leaving hundreds of employees out of pocket.
The Manpower Ministry said the director of the companies, Ramu Palani Velu, a Singapore permanent resident from India, had been uncontactable and was believed to have left Singapore. He returned from overseas on Friday, is now assisting with investigations, and has had his passport impounded.
Authorities are reviewing the case for breaches of the Employment Act and the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. The Manpower Ministry said due action will be taken if the employer is found guilty of the alleged breaches.
Under the relevant laws, the employer could face a fine of up to 15,000 Singapore dollars per charge, as well as up to six months in jail. The penalties reflect the seriousness with which unpaid-wage cases involving foreign workers are treated.
Close to 300 of the affected workers gathered at a hall in the TWAS dormitory, where they described the strain of going without pay. Many said that despite the assistance they have received, the wages they are still owed remain constantly on their minds.
There are signs that the situation is beginning to turn around for some. A number of the affected workers have started to find new jobs, and the Manpower Ministry expects most of those still looking to secure employment in the coming weeks.
On the housing front, some 230 workers are expected to move out of the TWAS dormitory and into a Manpower Ministry onboarding centre in Sengkang from the following day, once their stay at the dormitory ends. While the workers said they were grateful for the support provided so far, the outstanding wages continue to weigh on them as the case proceeds.