Row settled, no pay cut for 186 China workers

This article first appeared in The Straits Times, Friday, October 10 2008, Page B2

A SALARY dispute between some 180 China construction workers and the builder of the hotel at the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort has been resolved.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a statement yesterday that it had successfully mediated in the row over a proposed pay cut.

The South Korean company, Ssangyong Engineering and Construction, has agreed not to cut the workers' monthly pay from the contracted sum of $1,700 to $1,200. This threat came after it found a sub-contractor whose workers were cheaper.

Ssangyong had also alleged that the 186 workers in question were 'very lazy'. They were told that if they refused to take the pay cut, they would be flown home with $1,000 in compensation, or would have to find another job within two weeks.

Crying foul, the workers lodged a protest with MOM, which discussed the issue with representatives of Ssangyong on Tuesday.

The ministry said yesterday that the company had agreed to continue paying the workers their monthly salary of $1,700 and to 'separate the performance issue from the contracted salary'.

Ssangyong's senior manager, Mr S.H. An, told The Straits Times yesterday that it would keep to the terms of its original contract with the workers.

However, he added that '$1,700 is very high according to the market rate' and 'up to now, we cannot see any improvement in their performance'.

One of the China workers, who wanted to be known only as Mr Shen, said he was satisfied with the way the matter had been resolved.

The 38-year-old, who has worked here for six years, said he and his co-workers had not slackened in their work even when negotiations were ongoing.

'We work 28 days a month, 12 hours a day. This is the first time I have been caught in a pay dispute in Singapore,' he said in Mandarin.

The Chinese workers are helping to build a 2,600-room hotel at the integrated resort, due to be completed next year.

They have worked for Ssangyong for fewer than four months, although many have worked here for a few years with other employers.

If they were to lose their jobs at Ssangyong now, they would also have 15per cent of their earnings deducted as they have not fulfilled the minimum 180 work-days required under the contract, Mr Shen added.

By CLARISSA OON