Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Employees' Union's response to Goldstrong Dormitory Incident
5 April 2005
The News Editor
The New Paper
The Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Employees’ Union (SMEEU) is very concerned over the welfare and living conditions of a group of Indian and Bangladeshi contract workers, who are hired by Ta-Ching Marine Technology (TCMT) and staying at a GoldStrong Dormitory at 80, Tuas Avenue 1, following The New Paper’s (TNP) article, “It’s a hell hole”, dated 2 April 2005.
2 SMEEU learns from the TNP article that about 300 workers, some of whom are working in shipyards here, had refused to leave their dormitory for work last week as they were very unhappy with the poor safety and living conditions of the dormitory, and as some alleged that they were not paid their salaries in recent months.
3 Given the rising shipyard and marine job orders, SMEEU anticipates that an increasing number of contract workers would come to Singapore to work. With an influx of these workers, SMEEU is worried that their general welfare, safety and living conditions could deteriorate if shipyard employers and sub-contractors did not ensure that they are well taken care of and given timely and decent wages.
4 SMEEU strongly feels that shipyard employers are responsible for ensuring that their sub-contractors also provide their workers with safe, hygienic and good living conditions, and timely and decent wages, as these could affect workers’ health and morale. If these were lacking, workers’ health and work performance could be affected and in turn, cause more accidents and injuries for their colleagues and themselves at workplaces. Additionally, shipyard employers should not engage sub-contractors with poor track records in the employment of contract workers.
5 Nonetheless, there are some major shipyards here that have provided safe, hygienic and good living conditions, and timely and decent wages, for their workers. These shipyards are examples for others to emulate.
Lim Chin Siew
Executive Secretary
Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Employees’ Union
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Goy Kae Lip
Corporate Communications Department
National Trades Union Congress
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Email: goykl@ntuc.org.sg
