Jurong Country Club staff to get benefits when it closes down

All 112 employees will get lump sum, $1,500 training grant, one-year union membership

Jurong Country Club will close on Dec 31 to make way for the terminus of the new Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail and a mixed-use development, comprising offices, hotels, retail outlets and residences.
Jurong Country Club will close on Dec 31 to make way for the terminus of the new Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail and a mixed-use development, comprising offices, hotels, retail outlets and residences. ST FILE PHOTO

Jurong Country Club's (JCC) 112 staff have been told what their compensation benefits will include when the 41-year-old institution closes at the end of the year.

All employees will receive compensation, no matter how long they have worked.

Each will get a lump sum dependent on their years of service and current salary, a $1,500 training grant for courses to boost their skills and an extra year of union membership.

Management presented details of the compensation agreement to staff on Tuesday.

Executive secretary of the Attraction, Resorts & Entertainment Union (AREU) Desmond Choo told The Straits Times that the benefits cover more than usual benefits would

He said: "Under the Employment Act, only workers of more than two years can negotiate for retrenchment benefits. This includes (those with less than two years' work), which is good.

"Retrenchment benefits are normally not provided for those above 62 but, in this instance, the management is paying out for those above 62. They will be given a minimum of $4,500, capped at $10,000, depending on how many years they have worked, which is still better than what they would have got, which is nothing."

The club has 16 staff over age 62.

An extra year of union membership will be provided, offering benefits such as insurance and access to a network of social enterprises.

JCC president Bobby Wee said: "The club is working closely with the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union and the Employment and Employability Institute to facilitate employment counselling and re-skilling, including approving time-off for staff to go for training as well as to attend interviews nearer to the end date."

The collective agreement with details of the compensation benefits was signed on June 9. "We will stand by our staff just as they have stood by us through the years, by ensuring fair compensation in the (collective agreement)," said Mr Wee.

JCC club captain and newly elected Singapore Golf Association president Ross Tan also called on club members to help look out for suitable jobs for the affected staff.

In May last year, it was announced that the 67ha site - which comprises an 18-hole golf course, three swimming pools and eight tennis courts - will make way for the terminus of the new high-speed rail connecting Singapore and Malaysia.

The rest of the land will be transformed into a mixed-use development comprising offices, hotels, retail outlets and residences. The club will cease operations on Dec 31.


Correction Note: In an earlier version of the story, we referred to Mr Desmond Choo as the Executive secretary of Young NTUC. He was speaking in his capacity as executive secretary of AREU. We are sorry for the error.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 29, 2016, with the headline Jurong Country Club staff to get benefits when it closes down. Subscribe