over-100-workers-accuse-singapore-firm-of-unpaid-wages

More than 100 migrant workers, mostly from India and Bangladesh, gathered outside Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower on Monday, claiming that their employer had not paid them their wages, as per a media report.

 

Several of the workers, employed by air-conditioner maintenance firm KPA Engineering, said they had not received their salaries for the past two months. They also claimed the company had shut down.

 

One of the workers, Sampath from India, said they had repeatedly raised the issue with the company and their supervisors, but had still not been paid.

 

“We heard that the company has closed its business. We are worried because we have not received our salaries for some time,” Sampath said. “We did not know where else to go,” he added.

The workers later met officials from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), who identified them as employees of KPA Engineering.

 

Rajenderan Berthap, 36, who works as an air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation technician with the company, said he had explained the salary issue to ministry officials. According to the report, officials told him they would look into the matter.

 

The ministry said it would take appropriate action against the company if any violations of employment laws were found.

 

“MOM will take the necessary and appropriate enforcement action against the companies if they are found to have breached any of the employment laws,” Ng Hwei Min, general manager of the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) said.

 

She said TADM and the ministry were helping the workers and were also contacting their employers. She added that the immediate priority was to support the migrant workers by making sure they had access to proper accommodation and food.

According to business records, KPA Engineering has two directors, both of whom are foreigners with registered addresses in Hillview, a residential area in Singapore.

 

The report said one of the directors, who is a Singapore permanent resident, is also listed as a director in six other companies linked to engineering, plumbing and air-conditioning work.