Singapore's Industrial Relations and Public Policy: Management of Successive Crises

Until 1946, Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements—a British Crown Colony which also included the settlements of Penang. Malacca, and Labuan. It became a separate Crown Colony in 1946, self-governing state in 1959, a member of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, and an independent republic within the British Commonwealth in 1965.

For a detailed analysis of the economic development during the 1874-1963 period see Lim Chong-Yah, Economic Development of Modern Malaya (Kuala Lumpur, Oxford University Press, 1967), chapters 1-7.

Singapore, Report of Singapore Labour Department, 1946 (Singapore, Government Printing Press, 1947), p. 20.

For a detailed account of the circumstances between 1946 and 1950 see Charles Gamba, The Origins of Trade Unionism in Malaya: A Study in Colonial Unrest (Singapore, Donald Moore, 1962), Chapter VI.

Colonial Office, Labour and Trade Union Organization in the Federation of Malaya and Singapore (London, H.M.S. Office, 1948), p. 21. (Colonial No. 234, Report by S. S. Aubery and F. W. Dalley.)

The Emergency Regulations Ordinance No. 17 of 1948 (as amended).

Singapore, Report of the Singapore Labour Department, 1951 (Singapore, Government Printing Press, 1952), p. 6.

J. Norman Parmer , Colonial Labor Policy and Administration (Locust Valley, N.Y., J. J. Augustin Inc., 1960), p. 19; also see R.N. Jackson , Immigrant Labour and the Development of Malaya, 1786-1920 (Kuala Lumpur , Government Printing Press, 1961 ).

For government interpretation of the situation see Lee Kuan Yew, The Battle for Merger (Singapore, Government Printing Press, n.d., 1962).

R. S. Milne, Government and Politics in Malaysia ( Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1967 ), pp. 200-02.

Singapore, Annual Reports of the Labour Department, 1962 and 1963 (Singapore, Government Printing Press, 1965), pp. 168, 185, 303. Later, of the nine unions removed from the register a special report was issued for three of them: Singapore, Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Financial Transactions of the Deregistered Singapore General Employees' Union; the Singapore Business Houses Employees' Union and the Singapore Bus Workers' Union (Singapore, Government Printing Press, 1966) (Tan Wee Kian Report).

Singapore Commercial House and Factory Employees' Union, Eleventh Annual Anniversary Souvenir, 1967, p. 8.

Singapore, "Contributions and Charitable Allowances", in Estimates of Revenue and Expenditures of Singapore for the year 1967 (Singapore, Government Printing Press, 1966), p. 257.

Economic Development Board , Annual Report, 1965 (Singapore, Economic Development Board, n.d., 1967?), p. iv.

For a good review of the political circumstances leading to the expulsion see Milton E. Osborne , "Singapore and Malaysia" ( Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University, Department of Asian Studies, July 1964). mimeographed Data Paper No. 53; Michael Leifer , "Singapore in Malaysia: The Politics of Federation", Journal Southeast Asian History, Vol. 6, No. 2 (September 1965), pp. 54-70; R.S. Milne , "Singapore's Exit from Malaysia: The Consequences of Ambiguity", Asian Survey , Vol. VI, No. 3 (March 1966), pp. 175-84.

For a detailed discussion see Thomas G. Bellows , "The Singapore Party System", Journal Southeast Asian History, Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 1967 ), pp. 122-38.

New York Times, November 8, 1968, p. 12L.

Singapore, Development Plan, 1961-1964 ( Singapore, Government Printing Office, 1961), p. 10 (figures rounded).

Ibid., p. 1.

Ibid., p. 8.

"The Jurong Story", Far Eastern Economic Review , Vol. XLV, No. 9 (August 27, 1964), pp. 381-96.

New York Times, January 17, 1969, p. C75.

Description of some of these efforts are given in the Straits Times, June 9, 1967, and the Eastern Sun, June 22, 1967.

New York Times, November 8, 1968, p. 12L.

Budget Address to the First Parliament, December 13, 1965, p. 5 (typescript).

Economic Development Board , Annual Report. 1965 (Singapore, Economic Development Board, n.d., 1967?), p. 3.

W. Ellison Chalmers , Crucial Issues in Industrial Relations in Singapore (Singapore, Donald Moore, 1967), Chapter X.

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's opening speech at the International Labour Organization, 13th Session, at the Singapore Conference Hall, November 28, 1966, p. 7 (typescript).

The Economist, Vol. CCXXII, No. 6444 (February 25, 1967), p. 721.

Budget Address to the First Parliament, December 13. 1965, p. 6 (typescript).

The figures for the years 1961 to 1965 are computed from the Annual Reports of the President of the Industrial Arbitration Court published by the Government; the figures for the period January 1966 to May 1967 obtained from the records of the Court.

This figure calculated from: Singapore, Annual Report of the Ministry of Labour, 1964 ( Singapore, Government Printing Office, 1967), Tables II, IIA, IIB and IIC, pp. 57-60.

Straits Times, June 5, 1967.

The Government's policy toward wages and fringe benefits is also discussed in Speech by the Prime Minister at the 4th Delegates' Conference of the National Trade Union Congress, April 26, 1967 (typescript); and Speech by the Prime Minister at the 54th Anniversary of the Singapore General Printing Workers' Union, August 25, 1966 (typescript).

This figure is derived from a study of the Annual Labor Reports (1948 to 1958) published by the Government.

G.G. Boland , "P.A.P.'s Election Promises", Far Eastern Economic Review, Vol. XXVI, No. 11 (March 12, 1959), p. 352.

"Industrial Arbitration Court", The Malayan Law Journal, Vol. XXVI, No. 11 (November 1960), pp. lvii-lix.

For details see: Singapore, Registry of the Industrial Arbitration Court, The Industrial Arbitration Court, Its Functions and Powers (Singapore, Government Printing Office, 1961) (monograph).

Re The Macmillan and Co. and Singapore Commercial Houses and Factory Employees' Union (1966).

Figures for the years 1960 to 1965 derived from: Singapore, Annual Report of the President Industrial Arbitration Court, 1965 (Singapore, Government Printing Office, 1967), Tables 3 and 5, pp. 3-4; figures for January 1966-May 1967 from the Court's records.

An earlier study also mentions this acceptance. See Paul Kleinsorge , "Singapore's Industrial Arbitration Court: Collective Bargaining with Compulsory Arbitration ", Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 17, No. 4 (July 1964 ), p. 564.

The figures for 1960 to 1967 taken from the records of the Department of Conciliation, Ministry of Labor, Singapore.

Straits Times, June 14, 1967.

National Trade Union Congress , 4th Annual Delegates Conference, 1967, Secretary General's Report (Singapore, N.T.U.C. , April 1967), p. 7.

Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's speech at the 4th Delegates' Conference of the National Trades Union Congress, April 26, 1967, p. 6 (typescript).

Straits Times, June 6, 1967.