Lawmaker Leong Sun Iok asked the government in a written interpellation in May to pay more attention to the rights and interests of underemployed local construction workers, as the plight of day labourers has emerged more often in recent years.
In the written interpellation, Leong pointed out that construction companies and their local workers both preferred arrangements under which the latter got paid by the day due to wages ended up being higher and more flexible, whereas non-resident workers (NRWs) have always been required by law to be remunerated on a monthly basis.
According to the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC), there were a total of 15,400 local employees in the construction industry in the first quarter of 2024, representing a decrease of 2,500 compared with 17,900 in the previous quarter, and among them, 1,100 were underemployed, accounting for 7.1 percent of the total, compared with 5.6 percent in the previous quarter.
Leong said that given the difference in workers’ rights between a daily wage system and a monthly salary system, nowadays local construction workers are more inclined to accept the “monthly salary system” of employment.
In reply to Leong’s written interpellation, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said in a statement released on June 27, which was sent by the legislature to the media only last week, that it has been keeping a close eye on the employment situation of local construction workers and been continuously launching job matching sessions for construction projects to safeguard local workers’ priority and sustainable employment.
The bureau also said it would ensure that job seekers are employed on terms and conditions that are in line with the salary levels and packages in the labour market, the statement said, adding that regarding the mode of payment of wages, it remained subject to the free agreement between employers and employees.
The bureau also said that it will continue to keep monitoring the manpower changes in the construction industry, actively promote job matching in construction projects, and organise the necessary training and certification courses for the industry to help local workers upgrade their skills and increase their chances of securing employment.
This undated file photo downloaded from the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) website last night shows directly-elected lawmaker Leong Sun Iok.
