Five employers charged for not paying salaries

Manufacturing company, Goodmate Global, faced 17 charges for failing to pay its employees' salaries - the largest number among all five firms. ST GRAPHICS

SINGAPORE - Five employers were charged in court on Tuesday (April 4) for failing to pay their employees' salaries.

They included two food and beverage firms, a construction company, a robotics firm, and a manufacturing company. The manufacturing company, Goodmate Global, faced 17 charges - the largest number among all five firms.

The others charged were 3S Restaurant, WOW Holdings, Access Builders, as well as the sole director of Infinium Robotics, Mr Woon Junyang.

Apart from not paying salaries, some firms also failed to pay salaries when their employees were dismissed, or terminated due to a breach of contract on their employers' part.

"Employers must pay salaries on time," said Mr Raymond Tan, who is director of employment standards enforcement at the Manpower Ministry (MOM).

"As in these cases, MOM will take stern action against errant employers for salary non-payment, including prosecuting those who have wilfully refused to comply with Labour Court orders or those who owed large amount of salaries to workers."

Employers who fail to pay salaries to their employees can be fined up to $15,000, jailed up to six months, or both. The penalty can be doubled for repeat offenders.

Another case involving Mr Ching Hwa Min, a director of two companies - J S Environment Enterprise and Nam Hong Engineering - will be in court later this week, also for non-payment of salaries.

In a statement, MOM urged those who have not been paid their salaries, or who feel that their salaries have been wrongfully withheld, to approach the ministry or their unions early.

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